Permissive

Our pastor recently challenged us all to begin earnestly praying Psalm 139:23&24:

"Search me, O God, and know my heart;

test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Point out anything in me that offends you,

and lead me along the path of everlasting life." (NLT)

As he pointed out, verse 24 is really where the rubber meets the road. "Point out anything in me that offends you..."

Well, I have been praying this prayer, and I have to say I was not anticipating the things that God has been pointing out to me. So far, He's shown me a couple key areas in which I need to do some work. However, both of these areas elicited, from me, a surprising response. When the Lord said, "Hey, look at this," my heart's instant reaction was "Yeah, I know." Yikes!

I had expected (hoped?) that He would reveal things to me that were surprising areas - new frontiers just opening up before me. Instead, I realized, He was pointing out areas that offended Him, and they happened to also be areas where I knew I had some work to do.

God didn't say, "Hey, look at the ways in which you judge others" only for me to respond with, "What? I didn't know I did judge anyone!" Instead, my honest, unfiltered response was "Yeah, I know...I do that a lot, don't I?"

So, what I'm realizing is that - in addition to God pointing out these specific areas, He's also calling into question a bigger offense: my own permissiveness with my sin.

I've said, "Well, yeah, I do judge people sometimes, but pretty much only strangers. It's not like they're my friends or family." YIKES.

I'm just being honest here...but the truth is, I do have areas in which I sort of "let things slide." It's not like I pause and make a reasoned, rational decision. I don't think, "Well, I am pretty sure a little sin is no big deal." If I thought it through that much, I'd respond to my own conviction. Instead, these are areas - some of which may seem "minor" - that I sort of see slide past the radar as they happen. I just don't let them sit on the radar long enough to set off any warning bells.

So, as I continue to pray Psalm 139:23 & 24, I encourage you to do the same. I also encourage you to scour your life for areas in which you may have your own permissiveness showing up. Perhaps you will not find any, and I pray that is the case! But, for me, there are a few things that I know it's time to work on. So, here I go!