MONDAY MORNING MANNA: THE CONFLICT
Bimbo ran into Tola, a neighbourhood acquaintance in the cafe. They exchanged pleasantries and began discussing.
Tola: (With a sincere facial expression of remorse) Bimbo, I'm very sorry I couldn't make it to your book launch. I had a very important outing that same day which I could not afford to miss. Please accept my sincere apologies.
Bimbo: No qualms my friend. The Lord really had his way. The attendance was quite beyond our expectation. Friends and well-wishers turned up in their numbers.
Tola: Wao! I'm glad to hear that my absence was not felt. What is the attendance like? Gist me...
Bimbo: The attendance was over 200! The hall was filled to capacity.
(Bimbo's conscience begins to poke her and an inner conflict began)
Tola: That's really impressive. Our God is ever faithful. Alright Bimbo, I need to get some information online. See ya later!
Bimbo: Alright. Later.
(As Tola leaves to surf the internet, Bimbo's inner conflict continued)
Conscience (The voice of the spirit): Bimbo,You have just exaggerated. The attendance was actually around 150.
Bimbo: Yeah...Yeah...I now recollect. That was a slip of tongue.
Conscience: Yeah, a slip of tongue it was, but you still have the opportunity to make amends. Go and tell Tola the truth.
Flesh: This isn't a BIG issue now...What is the difference between 150 and 200. Forget it joor!
Conscience: Not a big issue? You just "slip-tongedly" gave a false information!
Flesh: How does that matter? It's insignificant.
Conscience: No it isn't. You told her the attendance was OVER 200! OVER! 200!
Flesh: Don't be a Pharisee who is bent on fulfilling the whole law! You're only making a hill out of a molehill. Bimbo,you don't need to go through this.
Conscience: Bimbo, the whole bottomline of this is that you just lied to your friend. She has the right to know the truth.
Flesh: Telling her you just lied is unbecoming of you. She'd think you're a perpetual liar!
Conscience: That's actually where you got it wrong. Telling her the truth would cement your reputation with her. She'd know you're a child of God who makes mistakes but makes amends by the help of the Spirit of God...
(Bimbo dragged her feet towards Tola's cubicle who was busy surfing the internet. The conflict still continued and got more intense as she got closer. She felt foolish for obeying her conscience...she fought strongly against turning back until she made her way to Tola)
Bimbo:(Clearing her throat...) Well done Tola. Hope you're making progress with your task.
Tola: Yeah. I am. Thanks friend. Do you need my help?
Bimbo: Ehnn...Ehnnn...Actually...Tola, I want to make a little adjustment...sorry, correction to the statement I made the other time. The attendance at my book launch was actually around 150 and not over 200 as earlier affirmed.
(A wave of inner peace and relief enveloped her)
Tola: (Smiling) OK friend. That's nothing to worry about. By the way...I had forgotten to request for my own copy of the book.
Bimbo: Alright. I'd get it across to you. But...(Smiling) you know you're going to buy it at "launch" price and not at the bookshop price o...
Tola: (Smiling) No problem with that. I go do you well my friend. What's the title of the book sef?
Bimbo: The title is The Integrity of the Believer...
Tola: That sounds catchy and I know you're a prolific writer. Let me have 5 copies of it, would give it to some of my friends too.
Bimbo: Alright. Expect them before evening. Thanks so much Tola. I really appreciate.
Tola: Come on! What are friends for?...See you in the evening jare...
(As Bimbo left that scene, she felt as if she just won a battle and indeed, she just won one)
She muttered to herself..."Thank You Holy Spirit"
For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other...(Galatians 5:17 KJV)
...What this adds up to, then, is this: no more lies, no more pretense. Tell your neighbor the truth...When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself. (Ephesians 4:26 MSG)
GOOD MONDAY MORNING!
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What out for insights into this post later in the week. You can add yours too!
ANNOUNCEMENT
This month (September) is SECOND YEAR ANNIVERSARY of Monday Morning Manna weekly broadcast (First MMM broadcast was September 16, 2013) and we're celebrating it big time!...Smiles
We lined up 2 celebration activities...
First, we'll be unveiling the OFFICIAL MMM LOGO and the ANCHOR THEME for this vision.
Secondly, We'll love to hear from you. How has MMM blessed you? Please, kindly respond through any of our contacts
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IMMENSE THANKS TO YOU FOR BEING PART OF THIS. THANK YOU!
HAVE A TRUTH-FILLED WEEK AHEAD!
GOD BLESS YOU!
MMM INSIGHT 1: One of the joys of Salvation is to enjoy the correction of the Holy Spirit when a believer walks short of His expectations. And as long as we are in this mortal flesh, we'll still need to be corrected by Him. We can never outgrow it!
ReplyDeleteUntil we see our Lord Jesus in glory, our lives are a "Work In Progress", there will still be one or two places he'll still need to mould us to conform to the image of Christ. So if a believer believes he is now very "matured" in Christ and has grown past correction, something is wrong somewhere and he or she must discover it. The flesh is naturally inclined to oppose correction, it loathes it. That's why the flesh and the regenerated Spirit are always in the conflict of interest. They never seem to agree, not for once! (Galatians 5:17)
MMM INSIGHT 2: Many Christians today lie, cheat and do many untoward acts without any inhibition whatsoever. It's a very precarious situation to be in! The Spirit can go silent in a believer's conscience when His counsels are consistently ignored. The devil using the flesh would have emboldened him or her to do contrary to God's instructions time and time again even though he still goes to church. His heart has grown wanton in disobedience to the voice of the Spirit and cannot hear even if the Spirit is screaming out instructions. Anyone in this state needs to cry out to God for the restoration of the joy of Salvation.(Psalm 51:10-12)
In God's kingdom, being corrected as a child is a mark of Spiritual maturity.
Have a great weekend!
GOD BLESS YOU!