Listening to the Father's Voice.

Oct. 18, 2006

Refreshing and New Courage

My husband and I have been taking a class at our church called "Jesus Ministry II", as sequil to "Jesus Ministry" (here I will refer to the class as JM2 for short hand reasons).
A lot of the class is the discecting of your heart. Seaking the Lord on your areas of offendability, as well as the levels of offendability in each of those areas. Now some may agree or disagree with me here, but I have come to believe and am convicted that I have no rights. No right of intitlements either. Jesus didn't even claim any rights, no right to be an authority on His own word (the scriptures), no right to live, no right to be understood. In fact if you look at His life He only claimed the right to be misunderstood. Then if I should be like Him I too only have the right to be misunderstood. Now, let me tell you, that when I am seeking Him it makes this unoffendability thing a little easier. However, when I am out of fellowship (in sin) with the Lord my "defenses" go up....way up.
Let me explain what defeses are. They are much like Octapus ink. An Octapus, when feeling threatened, will put out ink that will look to it's enemy like...an Octapus while the real octapus quickly excapes. It is very effective and will save the hide of the octapus in its life often. As humans, we too put out an octapus ink when feeling threatened. If you have read my other post, "Freedom...Do You Have It?", then you are aware of the four R's and praying that God would reveil and you would recognize strongholds in your life.
Let me use myself as an example. A deeply root stronghold in my life that the enemy would love to regain ground on and tries very hard to take back. This stronghold for me is a fear of abandonment and rejection. I am not totally free from it but am working "toward the goal to gain the prize", as Paul puts it. If someone I care about does something that might strike that fear of abandonment/rejection in me then I ink if I don't recognize the stronghold playing out. The enemy still goes after that one using different angles to gain control of that territory. My offendability level at what someone says or does should be waving a very big red flag with a sirien that I am passively or aggressively inking, and that I need to give that area over to the Lord.

Your "ink" (defenses) can be passive or aggressive. Here are some examples of passive ink;
Silence, Victimization/emotional maniputlation, Isolation/running, avoidance, body language, Others may have to wrk hard or wait a long time to renew intimacy after speaking into your life (this translates into "making others 'pay' a cost for speaking lovingly and gently into your life).

Aggressive ink might have some of these reactions;
Defensive Posture, blame/defelction (oh can I be guilty of this), retribution, comback/competition, cutting them off before they can finish, body language, denial, Obstinate until the speaker is deflated and defeated, anger Disqualifying the speaker from speaking into your life by pointing out his or her sin or weakness (this would be another of my ink).
Now, some of you might think, "Yeah, but not everyone should be able to speak into my life. If they are not spiritually where I am or not even a Christian then how would you explain that!" Okay, let me give you a biblical example. Have you read the story of King David in 2 Sam. 16 where he is running for his life from his own son Absalom who was rebleling and trying to seize David's throne? In verses 10 and 11 A rebel Named Shimei whose allegiance was with Absalom came out while King David was fleeing Jerusalem and began to taunt and curse David. One of David's own men pleaded with David to allow him to take of Shimei's head in the most literal sense. David's response was amazing;
But the king said, "What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord has said to him, 'Curse David,' Who then shall say 'Why have you done so?' David said to abishai and to all his servants, "My own son seeks my life; how much more now may this Benjaminite! Let him alone, and let him curse; for the Lord has bidden him." 2 Sam. 16:10-11 (NRSV)
"David believed it was possible that Shimei was a tool in God's hand...and he was willing to listen to what Shimei had to say, believing that even in the midst of the cursings God could speak through Shemei. [David was hungry and desparate to hear from God.] He was willing to receive what was said to him in case even a tiny bit of it was legitimate. What an incredibly humble posture! Imagine listening for something from the Lord, some word of correction, in the cursings of a rebel - on one of the owrst day of your life! While the enemy hurled curses, hoping to finalixe David's defeat, David pressed throught ot victory, believig that God was in control. he believed that God had something good for him even in what seemed like a disaster. The harder things were, the more desperate he was to hear from the Lord, in any form! His utter lack of defensiveness arose out of his confidence in God's love, mercy, and power." (taken from Jesus Ministry II manuel brackets are mine)

Are you ready to lay down your defesiveness? Are you ready to take humbleness to the next level? Do you make others "pay" a cost for speaking into your life? (this would include children when they ask you what the speed limit is and you know it is because they are wanting to see if you are following the law - yes I was guilty and yes I inked on my 11 year old son and had to repent later as he wasn't doing anything direspectful)
In our class on Sunday night, the intructor (one of our pastors) commented 'that to the extent that you are will to let others (esspecially your spouse) speak into your life with out you getting definsive and inking (getting offended) is the extent of your hunger and desire to let God speak into your life. Your relationship with your spouse will be a reflection of your relationship with God.....Oh how true this is.
I found this verse today and it explains exactly how I have felt since I have recognized my defenses.

The high and lofty one who inhabits eternity, the Holy One, says this: "I live in that high and holy place with those whose spirits are contrite and humble. I refresh the humble and give new courage to those with repentant hearts."

Isaiah 57:15 NLT

As I have been letting my husband speak into my life, no matter what, and not deflect or ink on him, he speaks to no cost of his own, I am the victor. I am the one who gains the prize. My blind spots are exposed and I can repent of my sins and gain refreshment and new courage, and my God's voice is more easily heard.

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