64. To Whom Do You Turn. Ecclesiastes 4:10

God never meant for us to “fly solo”. We all need help and encouragement from time to time, but be careful who you turn to. 1. Don’t go to someone who can’t handle your problem. By sharing your situation with them you may experience temporary relief, but what if they are not mature enough to handle it? Jesus said, “Whoever causes one of these little ones ...to sin...better...a millstone be tied around his neck and he be thrown into the depth of the sea.” (Matthew 18:6). 2. It’s Okay to turn to a proven friend as long as they are spiritually mature. The Bible says “A true friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity”. (Proverbs17:17) But you must know they are a true friend. Peter writes, “Love covers over a multitude of sins” (1Peter 4:8). Someone who truly loves you will pray for you and walk with you until you have the victory. And when you are on the wrong path, they wont cover up or make excuses for you – but will hold you accountable. 3. When possible turn to a “Spiritual father or mother, I think we should all have someone who is older, wiser and has more experience of life than we have, because not all problems are spiritual, but, all problems can be dealt with spiritually. And when we know we have God dealing with our problems,we can be sure of success. Paul writes “You might have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet you do not have many Fathers.”(1 Corinthians 4:15). 4. Think of a good parent’s attributes. They correct, but never condemns you. They wont give up on you. Their evaluation of you is based on your best qualities rather than on your worst. Instead of reacting negatively to your failures, they recognise your potential and keep on working with you. So ask God to-day for a spiritual father or mother, and stay in regular communication with them. We all have times in our past which we are ashamed or embarrassed about, some were sinful, and some were not, yet they keep popping up and confronting us, “Beware and say a prayer” this is one of Satans tools to keep us from getting too close to God. We regret those times. And wish we could press the delete button. Don’t keep brushing it under the carpet, “Deal With It”. In Psalm (32:5) we read “I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to The Lord’ and you forgave the guilt of my sin.” When you are struggling with a stubborn habit or addiction you will find strength in the right support group. And when you need help don’t be ashamed or too embarrassed to reach out and ask for It. But be careful to whom you confess your sins! The Lord is the only one who can forgive and take away the guilt of your sins. One Bible teacher put it like this: “Never discuss anything that you want someone else to forget.’ Your words make thoughts permanent; They give life and longevity to everything discussed. Arguments would die and conflicts would cease, except your words sustained them. Words breath life into everything ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its’ fruit’(Proverbs 18:21). And words can wound .. “The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; and they go down to the inmost parts’(Proverbs 18:8). You can’t stop others from talking about you, but don’t give them information you may want them to forget. And never give unnecessary information that requires, demands or inspires the pursuit of further questions. Be cautious about confessing your mistakes. Your attempt to be open may be very sincere, But your mistakes may loom larger in their memory than the lesson you’ve learned and are trying to share with them. Certainly there are times when additional information and clarification are advisable, beneficial and even necessary, but you must be wise. Focus on your future, not on your past. And never say anything you don’t want repeated for the rest of your life. Prayer is your ultimate refuge, If you are truly sincere God’s Holy Spirit will come to your help, He is our Advocate, and Advisor, trust in Him. He will lead you along the path of true healing. Thank you for reading my thoughts on “knowing whom to trust. I hope and pray you get something out of them. May The Holy Spirit of God lead you to the ever loving arms of Jesus where you will find peace and rest for your souls. God Bless Phaline.