But what if we had a broken spirit, a spirit that has been deeply in sin for many years leaving discouragement and scars that seem impossible to heal? Or how about a broken spirit because of the people around us who do not love God.
Did you know that your spiritual condition is far more important than your physical condition?
Who do we go to when our spirit is broken? When we have a broken spirit the best place to go is to Jesus Christ.
We might be able to go to a trusted friend, but it is only wise to consult with a friend if that friend understands you and is Christ-minded to encourage you in the way of righteousness.
There are few of these kinds of people around who believe we need Christ. Most friends these days would point us to psychology to deal with the condition of the mind. They might even give bad advice for us to go against the principles of God to alleviate our bad feelings.
What's wrong with this? Only Christ can know our heart and our mind. The psychologists only have guesses based on what they can see and what we tell them. Often friends only have bandaide solutions that make things worse but relieve our hurt feelings.
We are very clever in sharing with people what we want them to see, our good side, or what we believe about ourselves rather than what is real about us.
We tend to have a higher opinion about ourselves than God knows about us. It is human nature to believe we are good and everything we do is right.
The reality is that we deceive ourselves often, justifying what we do based on what we believe rather than on the deepest truths within us, the truth God knows about us.
We do not know our own hearts, this is why we must ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to us our hearts. If we cannot be honest about ourselves or ask to be revealed then we will not grow in holiness.
Psalm 139:23-24
"23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me and know my anxious thoughts;
24 And see if there be any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way."
Proverbs 3:5-6
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths."
Isaiah 40:31
"o wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."
When we think too highly of ourselves we tend to focus on that which does not need fixing or that which is not even real in us. It is best to focus on what needs fixing and ask the Lord to heal our spiritual ills.
Romans 12:3
"For by the grace given to me, I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned."
Being satisfied with ourselves does not bring about strength in us. When we are satisfied with ourselves we tend to camp on how great we think we are and neglect the leaks, the flaws and the weaknesses that only God can repair.
Perhaps all that is going on in the world now are distractions that keep us focused on safety, self-preservation and the social and economic problems that we can do nothing about. When we are talking about these things we will not be talking about Christ.
Recently I found myself searching for news on various things going on in the government, I felt lost, as though nothing I could ever do or say would make anything better. Even worse I cannot believe anything I see on the internet, liberal or conservative.
God brought to mind that the best way for me to survive this was to pray, do what He tells me to do and leave the rest of the mess to God.
Back in the day before the internet, we didn't have access to so much information. All we had was the radio and the evening television news. It wasn't possible to see all that was going on in the world. Or at least someone else's version of what was going on. Truly, I doubt most of what I hear but so many people are convinced about what they hear. What's wrong with me?
Perhaps Ignorance is bliss? We are living in a world filled with disinformation on every side. There are a million theories out there but very little hard evidence for most of what is seen on the internet. We have testimonies of those who are supposed to know but we don't know them, we only have what they say and what their friends say.
I have come to the conclusion with the help of the Holy Spirit that it would be best to hear no theories, hear no hype and to keep focused on Jesus Christ, His principles and His commands.
Remember the old adage "take everything with a grain of salt"? Unless it is the truth from the Bible and clear end times prophesy being fulfilled, it is not worth spending energy over.
It is not bad to know some things going on in the world but to know too much is to worry about too much. You might say I am overwhelmed and distrusting of so much that is called "information."
Hebrews 11:1
"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen."
Our faith is not in this world or its system, our faith is in Christ, His principles and the future He has for us.
2 Corinthians 1:9
"Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead."
Psalm 119:66
"Teach me good judgment and knowledge, I believe Your commandments."
Romans 15:14
"Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another."
2 Corinthians 10:5
"casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,"
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