Down Again
by
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You know people like that don’t you? You find them very difficult to deal with, but you know very well that they are in your life to strengthen your character. Whether they are sincerely in your life to make you a better person or they truly don’t like you, your character will be strengthened, take my word for it. Now if a human being could do that for you, how much more do you think God will do for you if you stay with Him and hear Him? He has your best interests at heart, ALWAYS. It may not seem like it at times, especially when it’s been the same prayer and request for the past twenty years. What’s your alternative? Remember, you already tried to take things into your own hands and look what happened, you almost died. If the results of your attempt to take things into your own hands were made public, certain people would look at you in a different way. There would be finger-pointing, people would judge you, everything God asks you not to do to others, would be done to you.
“Then the Scribes and Pharisees brought to him a woman caught in adultery” (John 8:3). If you continue to read through to verse eleven of this passage of scripture you will see how Jesus dealt with the finger pointers, but more importantly, or maybe equally as important, how He dealt with the sinner. As humans we’re always ready to pounce on each other like a cat trying to catch a mouse. We don’t think about what we’ve done, especially if no one knows about the deed. We don’t think about what we may do in the future. Please, don’t let me hear you say “Oh I would never do that!” NO ONE knows what he or she would never do. I used to say that and the one thing I said I would never do, that I did. I have to live with it for the rest of my life. You see, God wasn’t answering my prayers in a timely fashion so I took things into my own hands and created a mess that has taken me years to recover from. I know that God has forgiven me of my sins, but the memories linger on. That’s my self proclaimed punishment. Regardless, I know I am forgiven. When the devil rears his ugly head to remind me, I remind him that I’m forgiven! Remember, I had to tell God that I had sinned, that I was wrong, and that I wanted Him to forgive me. I admitted I was wrong and when I did that, He forgave me. Whenever I start to revert to my old thinking that I’m useless in His kingdom, as a Christian, as a tool for Him, he reminds me that I’m forgiven.
It’s been several years now, and time does heal a lot of wounds. I didn’t believe it at the time, but it is true. God doesn’t draw away from us we draw away from Him. If we stay close to Him, I guarantee you we will make less mistakes. God never stops loving us and “For whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth” (Hebrews 12:6). Ridicule, reminding, finger pointing, that’s the devil’s job. Who would you rather have on your side? I would prefer the one who forgives me when I’ve done wrong, to the one who tells me what a stupid thing I’ve done. I would prefer the one who tells the truth to the one who lies just to draw me in so that he can destroy me.
Yes, I know, it’s easier to be unequally yoked than to be lonely. I didn’t say better, I said
easier-- at least in the beginning. You see how the devil plays word games – and mind
games? You had better pay attention. He’s the boogeyman for grown ups.
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About the Book
You do not become perfect when you become a Christian. As a matter of fact, all of your impurities and imperfections rise to the top and are then scraped away gradually. When you have a true relationship with Christ you will allow Him to cleanse you. If you don’t have a true relationship with Christ, you don’t grow. You’re the same person year in and year out. You go to church but as soon as you step outside you’re ready to light up: your cigarette or the person who is leaning on your car.
During the growth process of a Christian, even due to the lack of growth, you run the risk of 'falling'. Proverbs 16:18 says that “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” We think that we know the word, but the least mishap in our lives leads us to the silly little traps that the enemy sets for us. We become afraid if life doesn't happen our way, we want to fix it ourselves. We turn to religion instead of relationship to avoid hearing from God and doing His will. II Timothy 3:1-7 says “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves...having a form of godliness, but denying the power there-of: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins...ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” I could write a book on just these seven verses. When we become full of pride and religion instead of being full of humility and relationship we become easily drawn into sin and then left holding the bag. Down Again will help you recover.
About the Author
About the Author:
I have been in love with words from the time I learned to read. As a very young child I would read under the blanket with a flashlight long after lights out were called.
Then came the poetry writing in my early teens. Some of it dark, reflecting the mood of the typical teenager I suppose. As I grew I moved from poetry writing to writing short stories and my thoughts on pop culture of the time. Of course, sprinkled amongst all of my writing were my journals. Some years I kept a journal, some years I didn’t.
Then I wrote a book—Down Again. It was an exciting time for me and I felt a sense of accomplishment when it was finally completed. More books started whirling around in my mind and my heart and my core. Sometimes I feel like these books are a part of me, like a child is a part of its parent. I must get Down Again out of my ‘system’ so that I can move on to the next book. I will as a matter of fact, be writing two books congruently. That’s how much a part of my system they are and I must get them out.
Civilla lives in sunny