Thoughts about 1 John 4:1-6…verse 2 seems to be highlighted for me. "Here's how you test for the genuine Spirit of God. Everyone who confesses openly his faith in Jesus Christ – the Son of God, who came as an actual flesh and blood person – comes from God and belongs to God. And everyone who refuses to confess faith in Jesus has nothing in common with God."
This is what I wrote in my journal this morning.
Jesus, I believe you are who you say you are but how open am I willing to be about that. I think I am hyper-sensitive about coming across negatively when the topic of faith comes up, particularly in circles where I'm unsure how faith in Jesus is viewed! I don't want to 'wear my faith on my sleeve' because of some experiences I've had with people who live like that. My concern is this…is this discernment or is it self-protection? There seems to be a fine line between the two in my life.
Jesus, teach me to become what I believe, no matter what circumstance or environment I find myself in but along with that, I want to use discernment in when & how I speak about you. This can only happen if I'm listening for your cues of when to speak, not mine. Teach me when to speak and when to be silent, based on what I'm hearing from you!
God is Good!
Joan Funk
Joan is married to Cal and is on the Lead Team at Seeds as the Equipping Director.