Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. ~ Proverbs 3:5-6, ESV

Without a doubt, many Christian churches have dysfunctional believers in them. Unfortunately, these dysfunctional brothers and sisters in Christ tend to rely on their own wisdom, understanding and knowledge—those pit lovers that end up pushing dysfunctional believers into their pits of their own making. In fact, most of the time these dysfunctional believers never will see their own imminent fall from Grace coming. Yet there they are—way off the path that leads to righteousness and holiness.

That a fall from Grace is possible for people who have been in a local church for years is why it is unwise to put our trust in our own or in churchgoers’ wisdom, understanding and knowledge. That a fall from Grace is possible also is a major reason why it is unwise to put our trust in the world’s wisdom, understanding and knowledge. Only God can provide us with His Perfected Wisdom, Understanding and Knowledge that will point our feet in the right direction so that we can escape life’s dreadful pitfalls.

God wants dysfunctional believers to know that He has a divinely healthy and functional Family that He wants them to fellowship with on a daily basis. God’s Family members are the cooperative, powerful, edifying, nurturing, and honorable friends of righteousness and holiness. These functional spiritual Family members are eager to help their fellow brothers and sisters improve every area in their lives where godly Wisdom, Understanding and Knowledge need to be applied.

Since Godly Wisdom, Understanding and Knowledge are closely related and well acquainted with each other’s characteristics, this truth is why God wants all believers in Christ not only to be intimately familiar with them but also to use them. God wants all dysfunctional believers to begin to function properly so that His Household of Faith only will have effective witnesses for Christ.

In order for all dysfunctional family members to become familiar with God’s divinely healthy and functional Family—the Bride of Christ—they first need to surrender to the Lord and to the Holy Spirit. Then they absolutely have to allow the Holy Spirit to baptize them. They need the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, because it helps all believers keep their spiritual eyes on the Omnipresent God; seek and apply His Holy Wisdom, Understanding and Knowledge; trust in His Righteous Instructions; and discern where they can fellowship with others who are doing the same. Shalom. 

Keep it real…Live it out…Watch it work!

~ from my one-year devotional published in 2015—Keeping It Real: Daily Renewing the Mind