Prove, Hold, Abstain

Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil.

1 Thessalonians 5:21-22

In the same way that Paul is giving instruction to the church of Thessalonica, we to have been charged to test and prove all things. No matter the esteem that you hold any individual, Paul reminds us today that we are all human and therefore are flawed… You must take the time to examine any and everything that you give ear too or allow to occupy your time… Remember that Jesus declared that in the gospel of Matthew that we must beware of false prophets; Jesus also declared in his final hours before His arrest that the disciples must stay awake and pray… Jesus tells the disciples to stay awake and pray because of the coming test as well as the temptation which has arrived through the weakness of their flesh… Jesus would be taken from them and the test of loving and adhering to the will of God would be accompanied with a since of doubt and fear to tempt them from abandoning their faith… In this challenge there is a good and bad knitted together; there are positives and negatives on each side and it is the task of the disciples to choose the right course of action as it relates to the will of God… 

The same circumstances faced by the disciples in the garden of Gethsemane are the same circumstances that we face in our everyday affairs on this earth today… There is always a temptation that accompanies a test and it is the challenge of every Christian to prove all things so that they can then hold fast to that which is good… Notice that Paul says we have to prove to know; there are things in your life that will come to light when you put them under the proverbial microscope… You must seek clarity in the posture and position of those around you as well as the doors that are opened unto you… Understand today that the enemy has a way of placing things in front of you which appear to be blessings when in reality they are noting more than snares and traps… This is why you must prove all things… You must take the time out of your day to lay every opportunity, every open door before the Lord and wait patiently for His voice to speak to your spirit… There are three main objectives we see in today’s focus verse which we are tasked to do as a Christian; we must prove, take hold and abstain… When you take things to the Lord in prayer, He will show you the things which are to be taken into captivity and it what is to be discarded from your lives… It is the challenge of every Christian to take hold of what God places in your life and let go of the things which He declares to be removed… 

This is why we must abstain from all appearances of evil… The enemy only needs a crack to gain a foothold over you, you must walk in your faith and be about the work of the Lord in any and every situation… These verses taken from Paul’s letter remind us that we must be obedient unto the Lord and submit our will to His… As you go through your daily walk and come across all different kinds of things, one must test the experiences to know if it is of God or evil. In letting things go you will go through growing pains; however, know today that the life of a Christian is not lived in a box… You are tasked to do the will of God and this requires a close examination of all things placed at your doorstep… Not every encounter is bad, nor is every situation out of control, something’s are allowed by God, but the true Christians seeks His will in order to find the answer to life’s problems. Whether you are clinging to a relationship, holding on to past hurt or scars, focus your attention on God and hold on to the things that have helped mold you into who you are and release the things that are like Parasites and continue to weaken you very being!

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!