Brittle
We’re not there yet. I was led today, to a passage that simply said, “Seek righteousness.”
But just behind this, came the term, “Seek meekness.” The road to becoming perfect in Christ, has a lot of bumps; ups and downs and yes, mistakes. We may have figured out at one time, that this journey was an on-going process. It was definitely told to us, that we should “strive” for perfection. We learned, that there was only One perfect man; and it wasn’t us.
What is the definition of the word “brittle.” It means, likely to break, snap or crack; easily damaged or disrupted; difficult to deal with; lacking warmth of feeling; cold.
It’s only fair, to say that many of us have come a long ways. It’s a reality, that the environment that you are raised in, greatly impacts how you interact with other people. It must be said, without harshness, that this also includes the church family you came up in. It takes very little, to rail out condemnation.
There is a teaching in the New Testament, that talks about the wisdom, that is from above. Another, is about a “cloak” we are to put on, when we are dealing with others; especially the way we communicate and how we approach them. Realizing that we will never be perfect in our ownselves, is a huge step. It has hindered us, that we were not lead to seek to know more about the Holy Ghost; how He operates and the different ways He moves.
The more we allow that Spirit to operate in the freedom He chooses, the more we get to know Him.
It is understandable, that children with the Holy Ghost who grew up in the church, were often on some kind of ledge. How confusing it was, when what they heard, is not what they saw. For children to receive the baptism of the Holy Ghost, was a great blessing to all. But, I am not sure that anyone stopped to think about, just how sensitive in the Spirit, they might be. When those in leadership were brittle, it was likely that those under them, might be also. It was confusing, to see how people talked; the way they said things.
Seeking meekness, was never a license to be completely passive. It might surprise some, to realize that so much of this feel good and self-improvement bias, is actually violent in itself. It goes totally against what the Spirit wants to say to the church today. To stand up and deliberately go our own way, determined to follow our own self-constructed program, is pure vanity. It’s about as brittle as we can get. Try to confront this, and the underlying truth comes out.
It hurts me to say this, because it includes me also. Sometimes, we are still too brittle in the way we come across. People here go along with a nice spirit, with gentleness and goodness, and suddenly go off into some kind of harsh language.
Those who are seeking to follow the Spirit, have made tremendous strides. But, how much more trouble, disappointments and failures, do we have to go thru before we finally get it. Can those around us, see Jesus in us. Do they encounter Him, when they encounter us. What do they feel?
We cannot just say anything we want; here or anywhere else. We are not going to impress those around us, by hawking and going off on some tangent.
Whatever our beliefs and convictions, it will mean nothing to people, without we first manifest the fruit of the Spirit. It is likely, that if we get down on our knees before God, and pass it by Him before we tend to say something, it just might come out in a different manner.
We desperately need, the warmth of the Spirit.
~ Robert Blackburn
