Ever get the feeling that you wish you could just shut off your brain for a
while? Ever had a problem consentrating, praying or reading the word? It
seems like some of us are geared to figure out problems. We kind of like
doing it and it does bring some satisfaction, temporarily. The problem is
that it spills over into other areas. Areas that hinder or relationship with
Christ. Learning when to let Christ have his way is hard for us. Besides
that we are filled with distractions, noise and gadgets that call and demand
our attention. God forbid we should be without a constant stream of music or
visual and auditory TV stimulation. I guess we don't know how to relax.
Seems to me we are purposefully being distracted so that we are incapable of
hearing the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit.  Maybe that is why God deprives
some of us from sleep at night, someone is trying to talk to us when things
are real quiet.

As Christians we want to hear from God. But it seems our wills only kind of
want to. We get in the habit of trying to fool others and eventualy
ourselves into thinking we a "Spirit led".
When problems arise it is apparent to others, and sometimes ourselves that
we are not realy led at all.  Meekness we can feign. . When we see in a
brother harshness, hardness and sharpness, we know they are hallmarks of an
unbroken spirit, a self willed spirit. It takes a real friend to reveal the
same in us, God knows the Holy Spirit has been trying. God sends us the same
problems over and over again, and we just don't seem to get it. Even a soft
spoken person can hide a very obstinate heart, given the right circumstances
it will be revealed.

We know how we should act, and we try. When we fail some of us give up. We
are told by the word to put away our pride, temper, and desire to be
recognized. Yet as we do those things we feel the negative thing inside.
This means we still struggle with these things and haven't been broken of
them. Though we must resist the negative, we can not pretend we have the
positive. We can not immitate true humility. Realy the only way we can
posses the positve is to be honest and recognize the negative and submit
ourselves to trusting God to change us.

Thus when my problems rule my thought world and my behaviour I know that the
Lord does not.
Lord, help me to learn from the problems you send me. Break in me the thing
that resists you in dealing with my problems your way. Train me in the ways
of the Holy Spirit so that we can walk together.

My thoughts come from reading Watchman Nee's little book, "The release of
the spirit". It realy has been an eye opener.