EDmaestro says...

I thought that this was worth sharing….

The Devil In Us

John 8:44 - ’Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father
 ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the
truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he
 speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.’

When God wants something done on earth, he uses a human! The rule is, God does not work on earth unless he uses us! That’s the very reason Jesus came. But what happens when the devil wants something done on earth? Well, guess what…..he uses US! How sad it is, but it’s very true. The enemy loves to use us to hurt people, to do people wrong, and to carry out hurtful and harmful acts that will cause people to fall. And many times, even though we think we are doing something that seems right, it’s the devil working through us. When was the last time you made someone cry? When was the last time you attacked a person verbally or emotionally to get your way? When was the last time you caused someone to lose sleep? As a Christian, we sometimes feel like we have the right to discipline others or whip other Christians into shape, but we do not punish sin, God does! We do not cause pain to teach a lesson, only God can allow that. We are not the lord of consequence or the grim reaper. We let God handle his people and punish those that mess up according to his word.

When we feel that our brother is at fault for wronging us or someone else, the bible says that we are to “Restore” them in the spirit of meekness, so that we will not fall into it ourselves. We are the ”restorers” not the “restitutioners”! We are the ones that pick up the pieces and welcome our injured brother or sister back into the fold. God does not need us to punish sin because we reap what we sow and if we seek to punish one another, then we bring vengeance upon ourselves. Now, of course in leadership we must handle certain situations that arise among those that work under us, but I’m dealing with situations that just bother us or upset us outside of the structure of a hierarchy. I’m talking about just getting back at someone because we feel we have been done wrong by them. I’m talking about taking vengeance in our own hands and trying to do the work of God. I’m talking about just being mean, hateful, and silly while yet professing to be a Christian. My brothers and sisters, you cannot hurt God’s people and get away with it.

Suggested Reading: Matt 18:6, Rom. 12:19, 1Cor. 4:21, Gal. 6:1