Jesus said that stumbling blocks in the Christian life will always be there.
There will always be people to offend you and tempt you to sin. You cannot escape from this so the best thing is to learn how to overcome. For you to finish your Christian race well you must overcome offenses and temptations to sin. Thanks be to God because we have an example before us and He is also out elder brother. He was tempted in every way that we get tempted but He never sinned. There is no temptation we will ever face in this life which our elder brother never faced and overcame. He was made like us in every way so that He can be our forerunner; that is He run the same race that we are running and finished. He will also never allow us to be tempted beyond our ability but will always make a way of escape so that we can overcome every temptation. The way of overcoming is going boldly to the throne of grace to seek for mercy and grace to help us overcome every trial. Read Heb 2:17,4:15-16, 12:1-4, 1 Cor 10:14.
He also said woe to those who are a source of temptation to others.
Are you a blessing or a source of temptation? Is the way you speak a blessing or a source of temptation? Is the way you behave and live a blessing or a stumbling block to younger brothers and sisters in Christ? Is the way you dress as a sister a source of temptation to the brothers in Christ?
If you are a stumbling block to others, Jesus says it is better for you tie a heavy milestone around your neck, and be throne in the deepest part of the sea. In others words God detests those who lead others to sin because they are consciously or unconsciously working with the devil.
Be on guard! If a brother sins against you, rebuke Him, if he repents forgive him. If he sins against you and asks for forgiveness seven times, forgive him. The disciples asked the Lord to increase their faith but He said if they had a little faith lije that of a mustard seed, they would say to this mountain of unforgiveness to be uprooted and throne in the sea. Is unforgiveness a mountain to you? Are you unable to forgive those who have sinned against you. Had bitterness become a Goliath that you are unable to conquer? You don't have to be a slave to unforgiveness and bitterness. You can overcome it in the name of the Lord. Refuse to be tied down but what people did or said against you and let it go. Chose not to dwell there. Be taken up by what the Lord has done for you and how good He has been to you.
We are told to run the race fixing our eyes on Jesus? Don't look to the left to see people who who offend. Don't concentrate on that. Don't look to the right to your situations and circumstances. Don't look back to see how much you have overcome and your past failures and successes. Fix your eyes on Jesus and you will realise that the giant of unforginess and bitterness is bread for you to eat. Your heart will be free and at rest. Num 14:8-9
When you have a servant, when you come from office you sit down and tell them to serve you even if they have been working the whole day. It is only afterwards that you tell them to eat. You don't thank Him for doing what they are supposed to do.
In the same way, when you have obeyed God in everything, say we are unworthy or unprofitable servant and we have done what we ought to have done.
The purpose of these bible studies is to teach us to do everything that Jesus commanded us as He commissioned His disciples in Mat 28:20.
Have you obeyed everything that Jesus has commanded yet? When you have obeyed everything that Jesus has commanded us, you are to say, you are an unworthy servant. Many are already proud that they have obeyed God more than others and therefore inwardly desire recognition and respect. What recognition and respect does an unworthy servant require? None. Unworthy servants are not offended by what you do or not do for them. Do you get offended? It's because you think you are worthy of something, maybe respect or honour.
After you have obeyed God 100%, you are unworthy servant. You have not even obeyed 10% and you think you are a very important person who have to be given position, respect and honour because of what you have done for the Lord, and how you have obeyed Him and walked with Him?
The more you walk with God, the humbler you will become and the less you will be offended and the less you will make demands on others because you realise you are unworthy. You are unworthy of even the least of God's Mercies. It's easier to say that but if you truly believe so, you will not get offended when someone fails to do something, and you will be less demanding on others. The more you will be contented.
In your Christian journey so far as you continue seeking to please God and obey Him in everything, are you feeling more worthy than others who are not as wholehearted as you are or are you feeling you are worthy?
Is your progress in pride or in humility?
You are blessed to be a blessing
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@Blessed Mshindi Mambo
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