RELIGIOUS PRIDE EXPOSED / What Did Love Say To Do?

This is the 3^rd of 6 devotions with the theme 
from Galatians 5:22 And 1 Corinthians 13:4

“The Fruit of the Spirit is Meekness (Humility)"

"Love is not proud"

RELIGIOUS PRIDE EXPOSED

by

Rebecca Ann Cooley

(Adapted from John 16:1-4)

We received a letter some time ago that exposed religiousness in us.  The person wrote explaining that our approach over the years to her had been so biased that she could not see past us to see God.  We were stunned and immediately began to search our hearts for truth.  Were we religious?  Were we a stumbling block instead of a guide to God? 

We responded by asking for her forgiveness and admitting religious pride.  We chose to humble ourselves and we guarded ourselves against becoming defensive.  This softened her heart and in just a few weeks, she had a divine encounter with God and gave her heart to Him.  This didn’t happen because we knew the path she should take and made her aware of it with religious words.  She gave her heart to God because love rode on the wings of humility and meekness to her.  We chose to admit we had been religious, apologized and asked for her forgiveness.  This had an effect beyond any instructions we had ever given to her.  Religious pride is counterproductive to anything God is doing.

Jesus warned us about religiousness.  That is probably one of the reasons love is the greatest commandment.  Love expels and casts out fear and it also drives out religiousness.  Religion caused the Pharisees to not even consider the miracle working power of Jesus because He was not doing it the way they thought it should be done.  Do I miss what God wants to do in a person’s heart because that person is not responding the way I think they should?  Do I look through the eyes of religious or do I look through the eyes of love?

“I have told you these things so that you should not be offended.  I teach you about love so you will not be taken unawares and falter yourselves or cause someone else to stumble and fall away.  It is the Holy Spirit’s role to convict and convince about sin.  Allow the Holy Spirit to bring uprightness of heart and expose sin.  Allow the Holy Spirit to judge and do not take on that responsibility yourself.  The prince of this world is judged and condemned already and his sentence is already passed.  Allow the Spirit of Truth to guide you into all truth.  He will speak a message of hope and love to hearts that are receptive.  And only He will convict and expose sin.

Lord, forgive me for the sin of religiousness.   It is not up to me to expose sin or convince someone of error.  It is my job to love and to expose You.  I want people to see You in me.  I renounce religion and I recommit myself to Your love by expressing concern and compassion to others instead of judgment and condemnation.  Thank you for divine instruction leading me to love.

© LoveWalkPublishing  

Authored by Rebecca Cooley 

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WHAT DID LOVE SAY TO DO?

(Adapted from John 14:8-11)

Verse:

Love is patient, Love is kind, 

Love is not jealous, Love is not rude, 

Love does not insist on its own way

Love is not self seeking, 

There is no law against love (repeat)

Chorus:

It was about love and not about rules 

When Jesus healed the man on the Sabbath Day

It was about love and not about rules,  

What did love say to do?

Bridge:

Without love there is no value, 

There is no meaning to anything at all

Without love there is no purpose, 

There is no rhyme or reason to anything at all

© LoveWalkMusic  

WordsAndMusic by KentCliffordCooley