Getting Honest With God

[Chad]

Getting Honest With God
A.W. Tozer

Try what I call the pad and pencil method. This method is very simple and consists of getting on your knees with your Bible, a pad of paper and a pencil. Read the Bible and then write down what is wrong with you. The only way to remain spiritual is to keep after yourself. The pad and pencil method is good. Read, for example, the Sermon on the Mount. When the Holy Spirit says, "You are that person," write it down. Read on. When the Holy Spirit says you are wrong here or there, write it down. Then set your Bible aside and go over your list before God in confession with the promise that you will never be caught doing those things again.

Commune with your own heart, be still and question yourself like a doctor with your open Bible before you. You will find that this will bring sunshine to your life, and you will have springtime in your heart. When you get before God realizing that there has been a bit of snow on the ground and that the happy song of the birds is not heard in the land and that the sweet smell of the flowers is not within you, begin to question yourself before God with the open Bible.

The symptoms you already know, but try to get at the causes. If you are evasive with God, then there will be no help. If you are evasive with yourself, if you rationalize your weaknesses, you will get no help.

 

[Trishann]

Chad, this is a good thing.

Sometimes we just get in his presence to worship Jesus
Sometimes we ask for help or understanding
But seldom we ask if there is any hidden sin that may be displeasing to Him.

The good thing about this all, is when the Holy Spirit open our eyes to see any sin, it is not to condemn us, but that we may repent of it.

The whole purpose of it is to just keep falling in love with Him over and over again.

Trish

 

[Coconut]

If you are evasive with God, then there will be no help. If you are evasive with yourself, if you rationalize your weaknesses, you will get no help.

This vital truth makes the dishonest person angry, yet it remains truth.
Covering oneself with a charming cloak of dishonesty may fool everyone but not our Creator...He knows why we do the things we do, why we say the things we say, why we call for attention, and for sympathy, and refuse to let go of our excuses for all the wrong we do, why we justify hatred and jealousy and lying ...with more lies, to ourselves, to others, and to God....He knows our selfishness and pride is the real reason behind our folly, and He can not help us change until we are willing to repent.

 

[Concetta]

Thank you for sharing this. This is a simple (yet difficult) way to look for things within ourselves that need improvement. Simple in its method of simply writing things down; the difficulty lies in the unmasking of painful truths, as pointed out above. Looking into our core beings and handing it all over to Him is worthwhile.