There was an old time "fire and brimstone" preacher filling the pulpit in a small country church. He started off by warning about the perils and dangers of alcohol. A sweet little (old) lady sitting near the front just beamed out Amen after Amen. He moved on to the problem of lust and pornography, which got her to throw in a couple of extra "Praise Ga-a-a-a-w-w-wwd"s. When he jumped on the smokers, she jumped up and shouted "Preach it, Brother!", and it just kept rolling and rolling. But when he started in on those who had a snuff-dipping addiction, she hollered on her way out the door, "You've done quit preaching and gone to meddling!"
“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things which I say? Luke 6:46
I bet that woman had never taken a "drink" in her life. She probably wasn't struggling with lustful thoughts, and if she thought about smoking, it was only to comment, "That stinks, and it's killing you!" But when it got down to her personally, it was a different story. Most of us have more in common with her - and the Pharisees - than we'd like to admit. Seeing someone else's struggles is much tastier (easier) than dealing with our own, isn't it? But then, when we're faced with our own guiltiness, we'd rather run away than face it and deal with it. When God's Holy Spirit starts doing His work in our life - convicting of sin, righteousness and judgment - we'd much rather avoid it. And to avoid it, we avoid the places He's likely to show up - our churches, Bibles, and Christian friends. If only God would let us come and get a Warm Fuzzy Feeling and not trouble our consciences!
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Matthew 7:21
Umm, did you get that? God's "messing" IS God's Blessing! If He left us to our own devices, we would choose lives of selfish indulgence that would lead us to destruction, so He blesses us with indignation at our sin so we won't assume we're all right when we're not. When we seek His blessings, we are really seeking for His messing, too, which is good since they are a "package deal". You don't get one without the other, because they are 2 sides of the same coin. His blessing is for His own, and His own do His will - even when it goes against their human wants. And I really like what someone much wiser than I said: "God's Will is what we would choose if we had all the facts."
We never have ALL the facts, but we can trust the One who does, so let God's messing lead you to God's Blessing!
Don’t be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what is the good, well-pleasing, and perfect will of God. Romans 12:2
