Shirley (my wife) and I had a disagreement early this week. It was a word thing. And it didn't get resolved immediately. I was absolutely sure I was right. Still am! But let me tell you God's take on it.
I was mowing the yard Monday morning and God brought up the last point of my Sunday message -- yielding as a key to walking in the Spirit. He amplified it, suggesting I need to yield to Shirley on this issue. In response my thought was, "But I was right." And God said the issue was not who was right, but simply that I was to yield. Literally! To Him!
Philippians 2:3-4 came to mind. "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself..."
I understood the principle. I needed to yield to her because I was to consider her as more important than myself. In the flesh -- the opposite of the Spirit -- that is a hard pill to swallow. 
But as I chewed on these thoughts I heard the Spirit saying that it was more than yielding to Shirley. It was really yielding to Him.
So I've been walking around all week with my hands in the air, as if surrendering, and muttering to myself: "Yield."
I don't have time to tell you all the incidents that occurred this week. It was enough to drive home the point. There were lots of opportunities. And in the process God even had the opportunity to say to me, "You really have a need to be right, don't you?"
I need to yield, even when I believe I've been dealt a bad hand and want to fold. Folding is not the answer. Yielding is! Always!
Comments