Outer Collapse - Inner Strength Part 1

My OUTER collapses take place because my INNER strength cannot sustain them.

Outer collapses? I'm in pretty good shape compared to David. He had a few outer collapses yet it was said, by God that, "he was a man after God's own heart." Imagine a murder being a man after God's own heart." What part of adultery makes David a man after God's own heart? Certainly we don't have to dance naked in the streets to be a man after God's own heart? As I said, "I'm in pretty good shape compared to David." But as I've written before comparing myself to anyone else will only lead to incorrect conclusions.

This is all so God like. I was preparing another teaching last week and Galatians 5 was apart of it as a way to show the differences between the things of the flesh and the things of the Spirit. In light of yesterdays definitions I think these things would be considered outer collapses. Now the doings (practices) of the flesh are clear (obvious): they are immorality, impurity, indecency, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, anger (ill temper), selfishness, divisions (dissensions), party spirit (factions, sects with peculiar opinions, heresies), envy, drunkenness, carousing, and the like. Verse 26 - Let us not become vainglorious and self-conceited, competitive and challenging and provoking and irritating to one another, envying and being jealous of one another.

Well..... I must admit that one or two of those ......................... okay several of those have shown up in my outer life. I recognize that every time they do, I have an enormous sense a loss. I have known that those moments were not coming from a strength but from weakness but what can I do. It is obvious to me that those moments are outer collapses. The sense of loss was due to the collapse of something that means a lot to me. I say a lot, yet.... not enough to hold on to it. The enemy would have me believe that my whole life is just one big outer collapse. It's his character and nature to lie and deceive.

I was recently asked why I did not have peace. This is why. My lack of peace is actually frustration. Not with God, not with circumstances but with myself. I shared yesterday how Paul expressed his frustration with himself and his outer collapses. He says on other occasions that he has not mastered this "inner strength" thing, but that he was pressing in toward the prize of the High calling of God.

As God continues to draw me in closer to Him, more must be removed. It's not that I don't want that. Oh my gosh...... I heard these words this past weekend in some commercial and it was like a bomb going off in my head. I had no idea why until now. INSTANT GRATIFICATION. INSTANT GRATIFICATION! Is that what I want. INSTANT GRATIFICATION! Am I wanting God to give me instant gratification?