I wish for your life to be filled with God’s love and blessing. Now I want to share the grace with you througjht eh message titled with “Don’t be provoked.”
When a New Year comes, anyone wishes to take off all affairs that are troublesome and burdensome but expect only good things to happen to him. With that desire I wish for you to completely obey and practice the word of God and enjoy prosperity in everything including health, finance, honor, and power.
Love makes one’s heart active and positive. On the contrary, when one is provoked, it makes him negative and gloomy. The representative snare that the enemy devil puts in the paths of children of God is hatred and hot temper.
“To be provoked” doesn’t only refer to ‘getting angry fiercely’ ‘hurling coarse words loudly’ or ‘doing violently.’ But ‘to be provoked’ includes frowning look, turning pale, blunt speech and the like. It’s because emotions of hatred, hot temper, pride and ill-feelings hidden deep in heart are revealed.
But you should not judge anyone for being provoked only because of his facial appearances. Only God can see the heart of each one. For example, even though someone seems to be provoked, he may be found not to be provoked at all. In his nature his voice may be loud, belligerent, aggressive, or indignant.
Now what then do you have to avoid from being provoked? You first have to throw away ill feelings to provoke your heart. Of course you cannot remove all ill feelings including hatred, pride, and disgust in a day, so you have to endeavor every day.
Next, you have to be patient when you meet with the situations that provoke your temper. If you fail to be patient and fight back against the other, it will cause greater fight or you to be hostile against the other. How fortunate it is that you can throw away ill feelings to provoke your temper by your own strength and effort?
But it is not by your efforts that you can completely cast off various evil feelings including hatred, pride and discomfort. That’s why you need the power of God. His power is given you when you eagerly call out and pray to God. Through this fervent prayer you can change by the help of the Holy Spirit and the grace and strength of God.
As much as you cast off evil feelings to provoke your heart, goodness, love and gentles fill your heart. Even though the other bothers you, your heart will not be wavered but be as quiet as a calm lake.
As recorded in 1 Corinthians 13:4, love is patient and is kind. And the following verse 5 says that love is not provoked. So, may you take off everything that is provoked in your heart just as you do with worn-out garments, and put on new garments of goodness and love, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ I pray!
