Guilty By Association - Your Inner-Circle Could Be the Thorn in Your Side

You may be about to make a major decision in your life that could create fallout for years that you are unaware of at the moment. You may be angry at someone. You might be depressed right now because someone close to you
told you something that caused uneasiness in your mind about yourself or
someone else in your life that mattered deeply to you. Your relationship with
your father, mother, brother, sister, husband, wife,  aunt  or
uncle is strained and at the moment there is no two-way line of communication
open between you and that person you may have a problem with. The pain that you
are feeling is very real. You are confused because you just can’t understand
why things are the way they are.

It’s time to step back and ask these questions:

!) What is the root cause of the problem I am facing?

(If you reflect back - with clear lenses - on what was the initial spark that created the explosion, you may be in for a big surprise and an unanticipated awakening to a very painful truth)

2) Did I come to a conclusion about someone based on what I heard from someone else?

(Remove the self-righteousness and the pride right now and analyze how you got to this point. Were you influenced by someone close to you? It’s painful to admit that even someone as bright as you can be influenced by
someone, but that’s ok because even the smartest minds in this world have been
shaped by those who were in their inner circle. You may have made up in your
mind that the situation is what it is, but what you may not understand is conversations
you may have had with others could have subconsciously played a significant
role in shaping your thoughts and your actions. This is where most of us go
astray when we lean on our own understanding)

If you prayed for GOD to guide you as you HONESTLY answered those two questions, then YOU are now on course to Lean not on your own understanding and allow GOD to direct your path. The Bible teaches us to
surround ourselves with WISE COUNSEL. What this means is each of us should ensure
we are surrounded by people of faith who not only talk about their love for
GOD, but also show it in everything they do. We’ve often said it’s not what you
say, but what you do. It’s the fruit that one’s tree bears that can tell you
most about a person. So we ask you today - who do you listen to? Who do you
trust? Who do you confide in when the going gets tough? This is going to be
hard for you so take a moment and say this prayer.

“GOD give me the strength to see what the author of this message is trying to get me to see. Allow me to remove self from the picture and allow the Holy Spirit to move in me. GOD I want the truth. I do not want to
feel this way any longer. In your son Jesus name… AMEN!”

Take a deep breath and then continue reading.

Some of us are where we are because we have been influenced by a person or people we have placed in our inner-circle. We lean on our inner-circle when the going gets tough instead of LEANING ON JESUS.

When you lean on your inner-circle to give you advice or just listen to you about a
situation, you are depending on the thoughts of MAN (someone else) to guide you
and you don’t even know where those thoughts came from. For instance, the
person you may be leaning on to talk too could be going through some form of a
depression and are not happy with how their life has turned out at the moment.
Depression is NOT of GOD. GOD is of PEACE. Satan wants to wreak havoc on our
emotions through the flesh so that he can steal our joy. When Satan is working
on someone else who you have entrusted with your conversations… you have
cracked the door open for Satan to come in and cause damage in your life. Don’t
misunderstand what we are stating here. We are not saying that a person is deliberately
allowing themselves to be used by Satan. Satan uses many people and they don’t
even know it. Some people believe their thoughts are their thoughts. Whatever
comes in their mind comes right out of their mouth because they “FEEL” they
know it all and they are so bright that their mind has instantaneously produced
a very sophisticated thought and now they are going to drop it on you. That’s
why the Bible teaches us to be “SLOW TO SPEAK, AND QUICK TO LISTEN.”

People who rely on the word of GOD to guide them understand the wisdom that comes from GOD. They not only say they believe what the WORD tells us, but it’s very evident in their outward behavior. It does not mean
that person is perfect. What it means is they recognize their flaws and they
are leaning on GOD’s word to guide them. They are working every day to stay
connected to GOD.

That’s why it is so important for you to surround yourself with wise counsel. Wise counselors will NOT tell you what “THEY THINK” you should do or how you should respond to something, nor will they inject their
own feelings about your situation into the picture. They won’t tear you down
behind your back and make you out to be something you are not. They will NOT
cause you any undue pain and suffering by the words that come from their mouth.
They will NOT stir up your emotional pot that may be already at a boiling
point. They will simply tell you to focus on GOD in everything you do from this
point and allow HIM to guide you. They will tell you to listen to GOD… and do
not make any decisions until you receive an answer from HIM. They will tell you
to “BE STILL” and listen. That’s because they are disciplined in knowing that
GOD is in control and HE will direct your path. They understand it’s not their
place to tell you what to do. Wise Counselors may step back from you for a minute
to allow GOD to work on YOU. Wise Counselors will NOT be consumed with every
detail of your problem and then go behind your back and spread it to others.

Wise counselors are people who truly have YOUR BEST INTEREST AT HEART. Your
best interest is ensuring that whatever you do is lined up with the word of
GOD. Decisions that you make about yourself or your family is based on how
JESUS would handle the situation. It’s about restoration, peace, love,
compassion, and forgiveness. It will NEVER BE ABOUT CONFUSION!

So, we ask this question again. Who do you confide in when the going gets tough? Who do you trust? You now have the tools to determine if your inner circle is truly the thorn in your side that is part of what infected
your situation. You now have the tools to determine if that person truly has
your best interest at heart. We ARE here to tell you who to place in your
inner-circle. And what we have told you comes straight from the word of GOD.
WISE COUNSEL!  No weapons formed against
you shall prosper. It never said weapons won’t be formed against you. It simply
says they will not prosper. And the only way they will not prosper is when you
allow GOD to direct your path. The only way they will not prosper is when you
allow GOD to show you the truth and you are willing to take corrective action
lined up with the word of GOD. No one ever said this would be easy to do
because the person or people you are now removing from your inner circle could
be family, lifelong friends and even people who profess to love GOD… but their
fruit is really poisonous at the moment. GOD will heal them in HIS time. But
for now you’ve got to be careful.

So if you are angry with someone.  Step back again… and ask yourself what was the root cause of it and why did I react the way I reacted? Satan does not want you to ask that question… so he will try to cloud your memory. Think hard and ask
GOD to show you. When HE shows you… be prepared to do what HE says for you to
do. When you realize that someone close to you did not have your best interests
at heart… don’t get angry with them. Pray for them… but keep them at a
distance. Love them and have compassion for them for they know not what they have
done. Do not allow them in your personal life anymore and most importantly…COMMUNICATE
OPENLY AND HONESTLY WITH THE PERSON YOU MAY HAVE BEEN IN A STORM WITH. When
that happens the both of you will see so much clearer.