Friday 26 April 2013

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Friday 26 April 2013 SELF OR GOD? By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

RCCG Open Heavens Devotional Friday 26 April 2013 
SELF OR GOD? 
By Pastor E. A. Adeboye

Memorise: “For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy” 2Timothy 3:2
Read: Judges 16:26-30
Bible in one year:  Luke 4-6
Prayer point: Father, I yield completely to Your Spirit form today. Lord, have Your way in my life.
 
One of the articles of Samson’s last prayers from today’s readings is , I want to avenge myself of my eyes. This statement tells us one major reason Samson became an ex-chmpion: he was self-centred. His thoughts were ever centred on himself. For instance,  he earlier asked for a woman whose background contravened the rule of God for his lifestyle because she pleased him well. He also promised to deal with his in-laws because they gave his wife to somebody else. Even while asking for restoration, it was to enable him avenge himself for the eyes that the enemies plucked out. As a believer, we must be very careful about what we do and especially about our motives. If you take a look at the characteristic traits of the last days, you will notice that selfishness and self centredness play a major role.
This, know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 2 Timothy 3:1-4
A life that is given to pleasure is a self-centred life. Are you a self-lover or God lover? The truth is, in this generation, self has been glorified to the level of God. Self-gratification is the overriding motive behind most activities people are engaged in. The love for God has taken a back burner if at all it is present. If you love God, He will be uppermost in your thoughts, deeds and plans. Everything else will be secondary. Pleasing God will be your focus and you will not mind the cost. If you are God centred, you will want to know His will for your life in every area. In situations where you express your personal will, it will not supersede that of God. Where there is conflict between your will and God’s will, you will yield to God’s will for your life like it happened with Jesus in the Garden at Gethsemane (Luke 22:3946). One thing you must know about self is that self can drive you in a direction opposite where God is taking you. Self is driven by lust but God consciousness is driven by love. If you re God-centred, you will easily achieve divine tasks. But if you are self -centred, you will expect people to pay you for working for God. If you want to know what you will benefit personally from a Kingdom assignment before you engage in it, this simply shows that you are governed by self. Retrace your steps today.

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