Sharpened Together - Week 2

Key Scripture: 
Proverbs 27:6 - 'Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses'

"I will make this confession, although is hurts me to do so; I am a very skilled self-swindler...All too often, I argue for righteousness that simply is not there" - Paul David Tripp

We all have skills. Some can juggle. Some can touch their toes. Some can cook a steak or a mean spag bog. Some can hit a 5 iron 150 metres. One skill that we all possess in our fallen state is the skill of self swindling.

Essentially it means we are fraudulent to ourselves. The word says in Jeremiah that “the heart is deceitful above all things”. In the spiritual life our inner man, our inner drive is actively impairing and deceiving us. The “self-swindler” is imbedded if you like into our internal organisation. A “spy” among our internal, personal workings. To achieve the life God has for us, facing this type of inner betrayal we need a tag team of help - the Holy Spirit and faithful friends.

Through the Anointed series currently as a church we are pressing into the active presence of the Holy Spirit in our Christian walk and His work is crucial to convict us in the areas where we fall short. Practically though, surrounding ourselves with the right relationships is also huge.

Proverbs 27 verse 6 says that “Faithful are the wounds of a friend”. The wounds that are faithful are the ones that shine a light on our blindspots that could stop us fulfilling the promises of God in our life.

If we are serious about living the calling God has for each of us as men, husbands, fathers and mates we need to ask the Holy Spirit and ourselves these two questions:
1. What blind spots do I have in my life?
2. Who am I being accountable to and giving permission to speak into my life hard truths?