Have you ever felt like you were living in a state of denial? Come on now be honest here. I know I have and I know I'm not the only one. There are times in our lives we deny the truth about ourselves. We deny the facts. We deny the honest vision of ourselves that stares at us every morning from the mirror. We see the truth, we hear it but we deny it. We put our hands over our ears and whistle a merry little tune so we do not have to listen to the truth. We turn the music up loud so we cannot hear the voice of truth. We make up lies, we play the blame game, we downplay the truth because honestly, the truth may be too hard for us to face and deal with. Sometimes the truth is so hard for us to hear, that denial is the only option.
I lived in a state of denial for many years. I did not want to accept responsibility for my actions, my feelings, my emotions, my words or my attitude. It was my circumstances, my past, my parents, my school, and even God's fault. Nothing I did was my fault. I was (and maybe still am) stubborn and bull headed. I did no want to listen to correction and discipline. I would not listen to those voices who told me I was wrong. I denied my responsibility for myself. How about you?
Denial exists in all of us. We deny we have problems and issues caused by ourselves. We deny our responsibility in situations that have rocked our world. We deny the choices we made and downplay the reality. We look in the mirror every morning as see the bags under our eyes from a restless nights sleep and we can't be honest with ourselves as to why we didn't sleep good. We know the truth in our hearts, yet we are scared to death to admit it. After all it's much easier to deny the truth than face the truth.
We walk around this Earth depressed and angry at the world. We live weak and pitiful lives always blaming others for our misfortunes, instead of looking in the mirror. We whine and complain about our circumstances instead of embracing them and learning from them. If we are not happy with our lives, it's someone else's fault. We deny the reality staring at us in the mirror. Oh and trust me, we are not the only ones who live in denial.
Ephesians 3:16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being
You see when I read this verse, it says clearly that we can have power through the Holy Spirit. That's right, the Spirit of the living God dwells in us and yet so many churches in today's world deny that the Holy Spirit still gives us power today. Church denominations deny the power of the Holy Spirit. "That was for a time way back when, but not for today." "The disciples needed it back then, we don't today." Are you kidding me?
Listen I am not a scholar or a theologian, but I have read the Bible and I believe all of it, not just certain parts. If the Bible tells me we have power through the Holy Spirit, then we do! That's it! Case closed! At least for me. I don't know maybe you don't believe it. After all speaking in tongues, prophesy, healing, wisdom....that's just so old school. Listen that list I just gave is only a part of the gifts of that the Holy Spirit gives us. We need to stop denying the truth God has written for us in the Bible. To deny any of these gifts is basically (at least to me) a slap in the face of God.
Would you be shocked to hear someone speaking in tongues at your church? Would you be blown away if someone spoke of God's healing power working through someone in your church to heal someone? Would you walk out of church if someone prophesied over you? Would you stop going to a church that spoke of the power of God living inside of you through the Holy Spirit?
To deny the power of the Holy Spirit that is available to us today, is sad. You are missing out on some of the most amazing God given gifts and talents. The lessons and wisdom I have attained just by standing in front of my mirror and grabbing a hold of the truth about Holy Spirit is mind blowing. He has transformed my life by me listening to the truth about myself and who God really is and the power He has given me through the Holy Spirit. I will not live in denial any longer. I have seen the power of the Holy Spirit working in my life and others lives. I have seen healing and experienced people speaking in tongues. Weird? No! Powerful!!!!
Lord help us to stop living in denial and claim the truth of your Holy Word. Renew your Spirit in us and baptize us with the refining fire of the Holy Spirit, in Jesus name I pray, amen
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