Perfect Love Hurts The Flesh
Proverbs 3:12 – "For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a
father the son in whom he delighteth."
A few years ago, when I was playing city league basketball, I lost control of my temper. I was guarding a player
on the other team. As he stopped, I ran past him, but I immediately changed
directions. His teammate tried to block me from him but I recovered well. At
that moment, I caught a serious elbow in the side. In retaliation, I then threw
an elbow. Next the player that I was covering threw an elbow, so I threw a near
upper cut; then he threw a near upper cut. Immediately the Lord spoke to me,
LOUDLY, "What are you doing?" So I stepped back from all of the
ruckus — that I had started.
After the dust cleared, the referee called two fouls: one on me & one on
the other player. During this time the Lord spoke again and said,
"Apologize." So I swallowed my pride and immediately apologized. The
other player accepted my apology and the game went on. After the game, while I
was driving home, the Holy Spirit really began to convict me. Before I knew it,
tears were running down my face and I was wondering "What’s going on?
Lord, why are you allowing this to happen? There are people killing other
people, but I’m getting all this conviction because I threw a few elbows?"
He then spoke to me, "But you’re mine, and I expect a lot more from
you." Then he brought to me our text, "For whom the Lord loveth he
correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth." After that I
couldn’t stop the tears. My face was full of them, not because of conviction
but because of joy!!! I realized that He loves me so much that He wants to
perfect me. He wants me to be closer to what He is — Perfect. And isn’t that
the desire of a good father. If a father is kind, loving and tender, then he
wants his son(s)/daughter(s) to be the same.
I had to share this with you because I met a person who serves a different
god (no capitalization intentionally). This person said, "My god doesn’t
convict me." Well, I tell you from experience — I want the Holy
Conviction because it’s the fire that burns off the impurities. It’s the light
that cuts through the darkness. It’s the Father putting us on the potter’s
wheel, making us into what He wants us to be. Because He loves us, He convicts
us. And when we are convicted, that’s when He wants us to REPENT!!!!!
Now let’s make one thing perfectly clear……. Once you REPENT (Honestly,
fully, 100% ask forgiveness and intend to do better) the door is closed on that
incident. After REPENTING the enemy may try to bring those things back to the
forefront by reminding you of what you used to be or what you did. But by
REPENTING you can tell him, "My God has forgiven me and we’ve moved on
from that!!!! You can stay there and dwell on it, but I’m going from Glory to Higher Glory!!!!" Praise God for being the Forgiving God that He Is!!!!
That’s why we have to REPENT so that we can (1) be forgiven by God so that
He won’t have to hold that against us and (2) move from Glory to a higher realm
of Glory. Now conviction hurts the flesh and pride more than it hurts the
spirit. As we undergo conviction, chunks of carnality (those sinful ways and
things we used to do) are cut away, and the Spirit (that manifestation of God
Inside) grows. It’s just like a flower wanting to bud but it can’t because the
weeds are robbing it of its ability to grow into its full beauty. So the next
time you’re convicted, don’t puff up your pride and say, "Well Forget It.
She/He (That person you did wrong) got what she deserved." Instead, thank
God for caring enough to convict you… REPENT for it…. and by doing so
you’ll move on from Glory to Higher Glory in your Father!!!
