Don't be so quick to lash out. Instead respond with a calm
demeanor so that you don't get into an argument that leads to bitterness.
Take your time and meditate on God's Word before you speak and make sure
that you represent it properly when you do. Don't be like a loose cannon
that just spouts of any foolish word that comes to mind. Know that
regardless of which route you decide to go with things that God is watching
and waiting to act on your behalf depending on whether or not you choose His
way. When you speak His Word you are speaking life into the scene; life
that can not be broken. If you go off of that Word or even worse try to
twist it to your advantage it will bring instant death onto the scene that
will be hard to recover from. If you get offended when God tries to correct
you then you better check your heart. If you took God's Word seriously you
would take every bit of correction knowing that the benefits will far out
weigh any immediate sacrifice. This is how you will be blessed, and have a
blessed home that will stand the course of time. Sure the selfish ones may
have "moments of good fortune" but unfortunately it will be temporary and
ultimately it will be their undoing. These things that we are taught, we
should not hold them in to ourselves. We should spread it far an wide so
that we can see the harvest of wisdom in our own lives. Only a selfish
person would hold back on such good teaching. Let's look at the heart of
the situation; a selfish man may do some good deeds to be seen by others
but God takes no delight or pleasure in that. But when a man after God's
heart does it as unto the Lord, get ready to see God on the scene because He
loves that! The selfish person will turn away from God's call and this
breaks God's heart because he loves that individual and wants to do mighty
things in that person's life but can't. This will lead to the death and
destruction of that selfish person. The man that goes after God's heart
moves in God's ways and has His power available to Him. It's our choice,
are we going to take the path of the mocker who hates God's correction and
ends up being an utter fool? Or are we going to be the ones after God's own
heart who run to Him, even if it means we might be corrected and receive
that correction so that we can grow up and mature in Him instead of being a
whiny baby? What are we craving? Are we craving God's truth or are we
craving a bunch of silly gossip that has absolutely no intent but to murder
the character of the individual that it is being spoken of. Sure at the
time it may seem like a very enticing way to go and it may seem like there
are some really nice things there but underlying it all there is death and
destruction. The goal for the selfish is to tear others down for their gain
while a person going after God's heart will do all that he can to build
others up and speak life into them. The selfish lazy person will do all
that they can to keep people away because of their fear of losing their
possessions while the man after God's heart receives others with gladness
making sure that their needs are being taken care of. This man after God's
heart are the pride and joy of their parents while the selfish one has
nothing but hatred and contempt for his parents. You have heard it been
said that "ignorance is bliss", well that is only because the person doesn't
know any better. They see the destruction around them and think that is
their lot in life so I am just going to party with what I have. If only
they knew the blessings of going after God's heart and truly sought that.
The selfish man will go about willy-nilly just without plan or purpose
ignoring those who have been put in his life to help him while a man after
God's heart takes heed to God and his leaders and is obedient to what he is
told. Why wouldn't you take heed to that word? After all it brings joy and
happiness to you and it is always there when you need it most! That word
will help you rise above every situation and circumstance and escape the
pits of hell in the process! But the scoffers, the selfish, the proud will
not be able to escape those pits. In fact their very foundation will be
burned and shaken. Their thoughts and imaginations are vile and the Lord
can not stand those thoughts. The sad thing is that they have no one to
blame but themselves. The spew out foolish meaningless thoughts that have
no profit but ultimately will bring destruction while the wise man who goes
after God's heart takes his time before speaking and realizes the power of
His words. The man after God's heart has an intimacy with God and because
of that God hears his prayers and answers them. God knows that He can trust
Him and with that there will be much responsibility that will also produce
many blessings! This will be spirtually, mentally, physically, financially
and materially. Because the man going after God's heart is also humble
enough to admit that he can't do this on his own.
