The truth comes out

I love how God, by His spirit, calls us each out of our own personal Egypt. And, let's face it, we are all in bondage to something. For many years, I was under Pharaoh's tyranny, believing I was a mistake, that I had to perform up to certain expectations to deserve my place, I was "less than" everyone else, I would never be good enough. I wasted years believing those lies and living in fear that I could never measure up, that I was destined to be a disappointment not only to my family, but to God.

A person can only live under that kind of oppression for so long. Hopefully, if there is any will to live we will eventually reach the point where we finally throw up our hands and say, "I give up, I can't do this anymore!" It's at the point of surrender to the folly of "doing it on our own" that He starts breathing truth into our spirit, which in turn causes us to desire more truth. Once we get a whiff of the fresh air of freedom, all we want to do is know Him more and to follow hard after Him. 

I guess that's what I get for asking Him to reveal the truth of who He really is. The next prayer I think I will dare to pray is for understanding and the boldness to live out - with grace - the difference between compromise and love.

Is it really love to politely pretend that a person has the right to live the way that feels right to them without warning them of the consequences of where they are headed? Hear me: I am NOT saying they don't have the right to choose for themselves how to live. We all have that right to choose (and look where it has landed us.)  Despite the warning almost 3,500 years ago: "Do not do as we are doing here today – each one doing whatever is right in his own eyes." (Deuteronomy 12:8), we insist in continuing on the same path of self-destruction. 

It's so easy, and in our Western culture, acceptable to throw our right to choose in our Creator's face and say, "Did God really say..." 
• And Elohim created the man in His image, in the image of Elohim He created him – male and female He created them. Genesis 1:27
• Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the stranger or the poor. And do not plot evil in your hearts against one another. Zechariah 7:10
• And do not lie with a male as with a woman, it is an abomination. Leviticus 18:22
• Do not curse a ruler of your people. Exodus 22:28
(These are just a few examples of our rebellion, based on samplings from current events.)

If we are really convinced that we have been given the grace to live a life of confidence, knowing who we are, knowing that He loves us, knowing why we are here, why do we let fear compromise that grace?  Is it fear of rejection, fear of what others will think of us, fear of what they will say about us behind our backs (or on Facebook/Twitter, etc.)?

Does it reflect love to let someone drive unknowingly off a cliff? 

I will offer a caveat of sorts here, though:  We are still, in every instance, to speak the Truth IN LOVE. No exceptions. So, there is my tightrope to walk. Weighing each word and action - is it love? Is it compromise?

I hate to be cliché, but What Would Yeshua Do? 

All scriptures quoted are from The Scriptures 2009, Institute for Scripture Research. You can read it at www.bible.com.