Becoming a better person
Psalm 51 vs 10
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
While reading a devotion, I came across the story of Cain and Abel; what a tragic story of malice and misplaced human ambition. A jealous streak led to death and the first recorded case of murder.
It’s interesting but Cain and Abel could be you and I, our relationships are defined by similar circumstances. There are people we admire or look up to, to an extent that our desire to be them can lead to a heavy heart that’s loaded with malice and hatred.
The total manifestation of these actions can be nothing less than pure and sheer evil. How many times has our desire to be the next person driven us to thoughts that are less than pleasant? What leads a person to being jealous, to being of a disposition than can only seek to harm rather than love?
Ultimately Cain paid the ultimate price for the pleasing offerings he presented to the Lord. Instead of following in the footsteps of his brother and presenting a perfect sacrifice to the Lord, Abel decided that to eliminate would be the only recourse to deal with the problem. A number of scenarios could have occurred, one being that he could have simply asked his brother for assistance and guidance.
How many times do we shy away from asking for help and rather decide to resort to means that are untoward to achieve our objective? A set of properly constructed words, governed by a meek heart that is prayerful, is the difference between a course of action that is pleasing to the Lord and one that is not.
When we resort to being human and take matters in our hands, how many times do we run away from the reality of the course of action we took? We smile, pretend and sweep things under the carpet rather than seek the Lord in prayer asking for forgiveness whilst also engaging those that we have wronged.
Everything boils down to choices, the paths that we choose are dependent on where we have chosen to place our hearts. They are either at the throne of the maker who will guide, subdue and correct or to our own will that is self-destructive, selfish and hurtful.
Though we may desire so much to be someone else, the reality is that the Lord has created a master piece in you. The choices you have to make are whether you choose to live your life in fulfillment of the talents that have been placed in your hands or you will try so hard to run away from your destiny choosing rather to focus on other people’s gifts.
A concerted effort to become the very best you can be is all that is required. All too often we go out of away to run away from our God given ability, choosing rather to look for all the excuses under the sun that we can come up with for not being the people we should be.
Pray that the Lord will guide your spirit, tame it and help you be of a pure heart. Think of all the hurt you may have caused others all because you made decisions based on getting ahead at the expense of the next person.
He will direct your ways if you let Him. He will help you to spread love rather than malice and hurt. Allow him to do that in your life today.
Be blessed.
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