GOD Morning! September 14 / Ouch!

GOD Morning! September 14

Ouch!

2 Corinthians 7 amp

Paul Reveals His Heart

7 Therefore, since we have these [great and wonderful] promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, completing holiness [living a consecrated life—a life set apart for God’s purpose] in the fear of God.

⁸ For even though I did grieve you with my letter, I do not regret it [now]; though I did regret it —for I see that the letter hurt you, though only for a little while— ⁹ yet I am glad now, not because you were hurt and made sorry, but because your sorrow led to repentance [and you turned back to God]; for you felt a grief such as God meant you to feel, so that you might not suffer loss in anything on our account.¹⁰ For [godly] sorrow that is in accord with the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation; but worldly sorrow [the hopeless sorrow of those who do not believe] produces death. ¹¹ For [you can look back and] see what an earnestness and authentic concern this godly sorrow has produced in you: what vindication of yourselves [against charges that you tolerate sin], what indignation [at sin], what fear [of offending God], what longing [for righteousness and justice], what passion [to do what is right], what readiness to punish [those who sin and those who tolerate sin]! At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in the matter. ¹² So even though I wrote to you [as I did], it was not for the sake of the offender nor for the sake of the one offended, but in order to make evident to you before God how earnestly you do care for us [and your willingness to accept our authority]. ¹³ It is for this reason that we are comforted and encouraged.

Have you ever asked for counsel and wanted to yell, “Ouch!” when it was given to you?

I asked counsel from someone who I respect and love. And boy did I get it.

Even as I was yelling ouch, I knew it was Godly counsel.

And the funny thing is this: I have given this type of counsel many times. I have been accused of being harsh. In my opinion, I’m not harsh at all. I am only speaking the truth. Some are afraid to speak the truth, and so they dance around it. I just say it straight out.

Oh, but it’s totally different when I am on the other side of the counsel. It can hurt!  But it only hurts for a little while. When I take the “harsh” counsel to prayer, God finishes the work.

But if I don’t accept it, then I become angry at the person who gave it. On top of the original problem that I was seeking counsel about.

Thank God for friends who speak truth to me even when it hurts. To be honest, I don’t have many friends like that. And I need these truth speakers in my life.

But I have found out that my comforting friends are just as needful.

It all balances out, right?

“Dear Jesus, thanks for the comforting friends who join in with me when I have my pity parties. And thanks for the friends who, like the Apostle Paul, give me hard counsel when I need it. And thanks for You. Thanks for being You. Thanks that You are my VERY BEST FRIEND. You know exactly what I need and when I need it. Thanks that You are every type of best friend all rolled into One! Thanks that You direct me to people who will speak truth to me! But only if I want to hear it. Sometimes truth hurts! But afterward, I am healed. How I love You, Jesus. AMEN.”