Have you ever had a friend confront you on an issue or uncover a sin in your life?
A person who brings a word of conviction or rebuke is a GOOD friend.
Have you ever experienced sorrow that produced repentance?
Sometimes a friend can help you clear yourself and allow God to care and appear to you.
In today's daily reading a man name Titus was asked to deliver a letter from the apostle Paul to the church of Corinth. Corinth was a community of believers that had serious problems. God wanted to call these people from their sin and rebellion to a NEW and FRESH commitment to holiness and obedience.
In 2 Corinthians 7:8 it states "For you were made sorry by my letter, I do not regret it."
Paul knew this letter delivered by Titus would produce sorrow and conviction. Titus carried the letter from the hand of Paul to the church of Corinth, he had to deal with the fallout, frustration and hurt when the letter was read.
When a friend confronts us we tend to feel hurt and walk away from that friendship or relationship wounded. Many times the person confronting is deeply affectionate toward you but hates the sin.
I desire friends that confront me with difficult problems that may destroy my life.
How do you feel when you get a word of rebuke or have a sin uncovered? How might you respond?
How do you treat the messenger that brings conviction or rebuke?
God wants our lives to be CLEAR of sin and full of abundant living. When someone influences us, we can turn and then influence others.
Who is the person God is calling you to influence with love?
Could it be your husband?
When I ponder today's devotion I think of a common problem that many women face today.
The pain of a spouse struggling with pornography.
I know countless women in my years of serving in ministry that have been hurt by the pain produced from this issue.
Discovering that your husband is into pornography is like being in a boxing ring with every negative emotion you ever had. Anger, embarrassment, shock, shame and disgust. They all take turn slugging at you until you crumble to the floor.
Begin to Pray and ask God to help you expose your husbands secret and battle with this secret sin. God needs to work through you to influence your husband as Titus did in rebuking the Corinth church. Your Godly influence can help clear your husbands mind from Satan's nature to destroy.
Your reaction is to swing back and hurt but I encourage you to call on Gods strength and begin to confront, rebuke yet influence with affection.
This is hard but I have seen it work first hand every single time.
Blessings,
