Don’t Focus On The Good Or Bad You’ve Done….

If there’s one thing I know about Christianity, it’s this: suffering brings us closer to God. And the opposite can be said as well, prosperity draws us away from God. It’s up to us to learn how to be independently dependent on God. There’s no secret. Paul said it many times throughout his epistles, don’t focus on the good or bad that you’ve done. If you do, you’ll become proud and forget God, having a superior attitude. Or you’ll focus on your failures and think you’re not good enough for God. Both are detrimental to your walk. What we are to do is keep the right perspective, remembering all that God has done for us, and what He’s said in His Word. No matter how much we change or waver in our emotions, we must remember God doesn’t change. We must remember His love for us. We must act on what we know to be true. If we don’t, what comes our way will only be our own fault. God has laid out the plan. We know what it is. If we follow it, blessings flow. If we don’t, the hardships that come will be destructive, self-inflicted, morale deflating, and selfish misery. The key is remembering. Remembering what God has done. Celebrating what He has done. Memorializing it on a regular basis, lest we forget. Prosperity can lead to being too comfortable. Don’t allow it to happen. Train yourself to be content with God. His presence is our best.

11 “But that is the time to be careful! Beware that in your plenty you do not forget the Lord your God and disobey His commands, regulations, and decrees that I am giving you today. 12 For when you have become full and prosperous and have built fine homes to live in, 13 and when your flocks and herds have become very large and your silver and gold have multiplied along with everything else, be careful! 14 Do not become proud at that time and forget the Lord your God, who rescued you from slavery in the land of Egypt. 15 Do not forget that He led you through the great and terrifying wilderness with its poisonous snakes and scorpions, where it was so hot and dry. He gave you water from the rock! 16 He fed you with manna in the wilderness, a food unknown to your ancestors. He did this to humble you and test you for your own good. 17 He did all this so you would never say to yourself, ‘I have achieved this wealth with my own strength and energy.’ 18 Remember the Lord your God. He is the One who gives you power to be successful, in order to fulfill the covenant He confirmed to your ancestors with an oath.19 “But I assure you of this: If you ever forget the Lord your God and follow other gods, worshiping and bowing down to them, you will certainly be destroyed. 20 Just as the Lord has destroyed other nations in your path, you also will be destroyed if you refuse to obey the Lord your God. Deuteronomy 8:11-20