05/01/2023
By Pastor Vinnie Cappetta
"Thinking About Things That Are True"
Whatever is true… think about these things. Philippians 4:8
She had a sinful and toxic relationship with a married man for many years. After he broke off the relationship, she talked about how controlling and manipulative he had been. As she reflected on her childhood, she came to realize that she was vulnerable to being taken advantage of. She also came to see that she had to bear some responsibility for the relationship because despite seeing herself as a strong, independent woman, she was trying to fill a void in her life with this man. She was not trusting God to take care of her needs.
Another woman focused on her husband’s bad attitudes and actions, until God revealed her own bad attitudes and actions. She began to see that she had an insatiable desire for validation from others. She was over-dependent on others to give her something only God could give her.
A man found himself leaning heavily on a co-worker even though the relationship wasn’t healthy. Part of the dysfunction of it all was that the coworkers made an unethical agreement together which did harm to their employer and the other people involved. As he reflected on how “backed into a corner” he felt, he realized that he wasn’t listening to the voice of the Lord. He had initiated the unethical arrangement and only he could make it stop. He had to obey the Lord even though it would put himself and others in a precarious position financially.
At first glance, each of these people thought that someone else was the problem, until they slowed down long enough to sit with God and hear his voice. As they reflected with God, they all came to see the truth of the situation, the truth about themselves and the truth of what God was asking of them. Each of them found the God of peace in the midst of their struggles.
Application
- Are you pointing the finger at someone else, blaming them for how you feel?
- Ask God to use this situation to show you truth about yourself.
- Ask God to show you the Truth about Himself and His character so that you can live out His character in your most challenging moments.
