This week I’d like to veer off and share a principle that can save you an enormous amount of frustration— keeping you in perfect peace. We’ve spoken of rebellion often enough that you well know how dangerous it can be, but when you are around or work with someone in rebellion, then its effects can also affect you too. Think of it as second-hand smoke that health officials say is often more harmful than smoking a cigarette yourself.
Selfish Ambition = Confusion
James 3:16 says, “For where there's selfish ambition there's confusion and every evil thing are there.”
Recently I wanted to offer one of our former ministry team members a position that she is more than qualified for. The truth is, she’s excellent. But there is something that led to us not using her, rebellion. On numerous occasions, we’ve asked that she not get chatty or offer an excessive explanation on the projects she’s working on, but she is friendly and just can’t “help herself.” So as painful as it’s been, we began cutting back on her projects until she was no longer part of our working team.
It wasn’t as much about the interruptions—not having a “gentle and quiet spirit” which is not only precious in the sight of God but also the way we work in our ministry team. It was due to her (unknowingly and unintentionally) unleashing confusion and every evil thing just as this principle teaches us.
For me, it’s so much like cigarette smoke—I’m very sensitive to it. Just a whiff of smoke gives me an instant headache, and it’s just the same with rebellion, maybe even more so. I begin to feel like the room is spinning when I interact with it. Some peoples’ lives are full of chaos, confusion, and evil, which is constantly surrounding them, so they don’t know anything else. Yet, for me and most of my team who are workers@home, we are basically free from this whirlwind of disorientation and are blessed to live in perfect peace.
What’s marvelous is that just recently my precious HH showed me a way, as I followed His lead, that allowed us to work together in a safe venue with this ministry team member. So far, it’s worked perfectly! It’s not how He did it, but simply that He did it. Now it is my hope that we can expand her position whereby she continues to trust the Lord to help her curb her need for conversation or discussing. We believe that by working with Him, discussing everything with Him only, and completing the project like the rest of our team does so beautifully will mean expanding her position since there’s no doubt “the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few” and we have, therefore, continually “beseech the Lord of the harvest to send us workers.”
Today I hope you’ll take time to talk to your HH about this principle. Find out if you’re bringing confusion into an environment that He wants to remain peaceful. Or maybe how He longs to set you apart from some of the second-hand confusion you’re dealing with now—maybe calling you to be a worker@home—or just set apart in your current workplace. For me it’s vital I remain at perfect peace because without it, I can’t feel Him as closely—I basically work by leaning into Him at all times or snuggled into His arms that He has wrapped around me. I highly recommend working like this to each one of you brides.
Next week we’ll explore more of how we simply need to Ask for His help.
Unleashing the TRUTH
POST SCRIPT or Epilog
This particular LL struck a chord with a lot of our Ministry Team Members, many believing I was referring to them. So today I felt led to add something to the bottom of this lesson to clarify and share a bit of truth.
First, I spoke directly to the person I was referring to before sharing this with anyone. I'd planned to simply speak to her again, but He led me to create a LL first then share it with her. As I'd suspected, she said her HH had been already convicting her about it and she'd been fasting.
Secondly, if you're worried or concerned this is you, more than likely it's not. The enemy always taunts the most tender of hearts, brides who want to do the right thing and who are very focused on not causing problems for others.
Third, the enemy often strikes when you're tired, worn out, or already discouraged. So if this is when you keep thinking about the lesson here, get some rest and then speak to Him about it. Just ask Him to confirm this message is for you. If it's not, then forget about it and move forward happily.
Oh my! I am actually so so grateful for the LL right now. I have been noticing that my joking and teasing and talking really isn’t all that quiet and gentle and I have been convicted about it and also fretting on it. So when I read this lesson it truly does make sense! thank you so much
Since my journey started, I really learned to always run to Him first, yes, I have failed many times previously and still do, but this journey for me has been such an amazing learning experience in trusting my Beloved with everything. Learning to lean on Him for His understanding and not my own.
Learning to run to Him first in everything, whether its work or a situation you are faced with, and then waiting on His response and guidance, also helps to keep me at peace, knowing that He’s got this and when He leads me to move or wait, I know everything will work out amazing in the end.
He always reminds me of this lesson that really made such a huge impact on me: https://loveatlast.org/ryr/c6/
Agreed Adina, I go to Him but also yea I fail many times but still He sends me answers and show me the right way He us my guide even when I don’t feel like I want go that way, He always reminds me that He us the way, truth and the (my) life… nothing can be done without Him.
The most recent confusion in my life has come when I want something so badly. When I want my will to be done I struggle with my desire. A simple example is when I want a “miracle” cream that I would like to use so I ask my Beloved if I should buy it. I may receive the instruction or the whisper of His voice telling me that I don’t need it, but I want it, so I start to reason trying to get my will. Soon confusion sets in, to the point where I finally don’t know what to decide, I find myself at a fork in the road… This situation causes me not to make decisions, and to lose peace of mind trying to figure out which path I should take. The same thing happens when we go to many people with our issues, we receive so many ideas or “reasonings” that we finally become confused not knowing which path to take. I recognize that He knows better than I do what I need and that my selfish ambitions along with my reasoning lead me to confusion. The good thing is that now I know when I am confused again I can remember that I have gone too far and simply humble myself and be willing to ask my Beloved to remind me of His direction to follow 🙌💖
When l read this lesson l definitely fell in the category of is this lesson for me, was l unleashing a spirit of confusion? l was blessed to work as part of the ministry team for season. So l was grateful to read the epilog. Now l am blessed to be a student and continue learning.
So anyway last week l did read this lesson and then l felt uneasiness and l closed it… but now He has led me back and l get to ask Him to search me so that l don’t unleash a spirit of confusion even in my currenct workplace. and l need to ask Him to search me for any spirit of rebellion. l also need to continually be aware of Him and work with Him.
l believe there is a better way if you feel uncomfortable about anything in HIS word that you may feel you may not be doing the right thing. For example l always have to ask Him to search my heart when l feel a certain way, irritated or frustrated or jealous. we have to go to Him to search our hearts and show us any roots of bitterness, or like this lesson says.. a spirit of confusion, rebellion.. the list goes on & on. So thank God we have Him to help us even when we mess up.