Page 9 - MyFaith Mag August 2016

Of course, I was not a very happy Christian during that time. And I couldn’t have been a very
good example of one to others either. Critical and judgmental attitudes like that, or murmur-
ing, being unthankful, and complaining hinder our relationship with God and our representa-
tion of what a Christian is.

But eventually, I began to get this nagging, uneasy feeling every time I would say something
negative about the pastor…or anyone else for that matter. I could feel that what I was saying
was wrong, and I knew in my heart it was the Holy Spirit telling me it was time to grow up
and mature spiritually.

Now, I am immediately aware when I say or do something that is not pleasing to God. And
this is what He wants for all His children: to develop sensitivity and obedience to His voice as
He leads each of our lives. Romans 8:14 (AMPC) declares that “all who are led by the Spirit
of God are the sons of God.” This term “sons” indicates a level of maturity and intimacy in our
relationship with Him.

God is not looking for spiritual robots; He wants sons. He doesn’t want us all just following
a bunch of rules for the sake of obedience. Jesus made a way, through His perfect sacrifice,
for our sins to be completely washed away and removed from us so we can have a personal
relationship with God. We are free to obey Him simply because we love Him and we know
that everything He tells us to do, or not do, is for our good. We just need to learn to follow
His lead.

It’s actually exciting to follow the Holy Spirit. I can tell you that life will never be boring
with Him in the lead. When I first met my husband, Dave, I never would’ve thought God
was leading him to me. But he had been praying for a wife…and particularly someone who
needed help. He came to the house one day to visit a friend of his who lived upstairs from
us. I was outside washing my car and he said, “When you finish that one, you want to wash

T H E B E S Tmine?” My response was, “If you want your car washed you can wash it yourself!” It had to

be the Holy Spirit leading him, because he says that’s when he thought, “That’s the girl for
me!”

Everyone’s story is different but the point is the Holy Spirit wants to lead us all according E
to the plans God has for each of our lives. I’m not saying it will always be easy. King David
was called a man after God’s heart, but we know it wasn’t because he did everything right.
However, David had cultivated a passionate heart for God’s will. He learned how to recover
from his failures and move on in God, and because of that “God testified concerning him: ‘I

F O R Y O U R L I Fhave found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him
to do’” (Acts 13:22 NIV).

In our relationship with God, our part is to pray, study His Word, and learn to develop our
own sensitivity and obedience to the Holy Spirit’s lead. His promise to us is, “I will give them
one heart [a new heart] and I will put a new spirit within them; and I will take the stony [un-
naturally hardened] heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh [sensitive and
responsive to the touch of their God]” (Ezekiel 11:19 AMPC).

Trust the Holy Spirit and follow His lead. You’ll discover His way is the best, most exciting
journey you can find!

For more on this topic, order Joyce’s four-CD series Learning to Be Led by the Holy Spirit.
Visit www.joycemeyer.org

Joyce Meyer is a New York Times bestselling author and founder of Joyce Meyer Ministries, Inc. She
has authored 100 books, including Battlefield of the Mind and Overload: How to Unplug, Unwind and
Unleash Yourself from the Pressure of Stress (Hachette). She hosts the Enjoying Everyday Life radio
and TV programs, which air on hundreds of stations worldwide.

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