Stop the Merry-Go-Round – I Need to Get Off!

For the past four or five months, we have been looking closely at an inventory of our heart. I have been placing myself under the same magnifying glass and holding my own feet to the fire of God's scrutiny as we have examined each part of this inventory. Only sins that are admitted—are sins that are confessed. We live in a lying culture. Few are really honest with themselves about who they really are before a Holy, Righteous God and even fewer will be honest enough to admit it to anyone else.

I don't know about you, but my soul longs for revival in America and revival in our churches among those who say they are Christians. To be a "Christian" is to be like Christ. What was He like? How did He think, react or respond to others? Our present day version of Christianity falls so short of the Bible standard for a Christian life, yet many professing Christians tenaciously defend their present form of Holiness and Godliness and criticize those who may bring them into question about their attitude and practice.

We need to stop the merry-go-round of this life and get honest with ourselves and our God about the true climate of our spiritual life. We need to admit our sins and humble ourselves enough to confess them.

1. If the sin is against God, confess it to God, and make those things right with God.

2. If the sin is against another person…confess it to God and then in humility make the sin right with the other person.

3. If the sin is against a group, another family, your church, confess it to God and make it right with that group of people.

The only way to have a full cleansing is to have a full confession of sin!

I John 1:8-9 "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Let's ask ourselves some hard questions:

~ Are you faithful in your church attendance? Do you neglect daily, private prayer? Are you too busy on a regular basis to read the Word of God? Is Bible reading or prayer uninteresting to you? If it is, you are not very close to its Author or you lack genuine salvation. When you're in love with Jesus….your heart longs for Him. You will be jealous of the time you spend with Him. More of You, Lord! What I need is just more of You. Of things of this world I've had my fill…but what I need…is just more of You. Is this your heart beat? How much do you actually hunger for the Lord?

~ Do you ever by word or deed seek to hurt someone? Oh, we may not do a deed that could inflict hurt upon another, but our gossip and critiquing of others will do the same thing. Have you listened to yourself lately? It is so very easy to speak your opinion of someone to others and by your own voice inflections, speech and body language you have hurt the reputation of others.


Philippians 2:14 "Do all things without murmurings and disputings."

Let me encourage mothers and daughters…. It is very easy to share with one another what you like, dislike or question about other people. Dear mother, please do not pass on a family curse of a critical spirit by listening to your daughter gripe about other people to you. Direct her to what the scripture says about that kind of a tongue and heart. You are not helping her by listening. Without even realizing what you are doing, you can teach your daughter/daughter-in-law and friends to carry prejudice against true Christians just because they do not see everything exactly like you do!

This is grievous sin and goes completely against the scripture.

Ephesians 4:31 "Let all bitterness, and wrath and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:"

How serious is an inventory of your heart? How much do you care to have God's blessing on your life and family?