The stiff necked ‘I’

'A man who hardens his neck after much reproof will suddenly
be broken beyond repair'. Proverbs 28:1

The stiff-necked 'I' is prone to be broken...it is just a
matter of time. We must be ever so sensitive to correction and not be too proud.
If the point is been made on a regular basis that 'I should change', then
change. Don't fight the Holy Spirit because you will win.

The Holy Spirit will not overstay his welcome. The Holy
Spirit is God's forerunner...to forewarn us, to reprove us, to convict us to
change. If we win the battle with the Holy Spirit, we become prone to being
broken, for we are hardening our necks. The Holy Spirit will never harm us. Nor
will God for that matter. Our best interests are God's interests. We on the
other hand tend to harm ourselves by not listening to God. Because we do not
know what's best for us, we do not have our best interests at heart. When we are
reproved in the name of God, our hearts become softened. Change your ways.
Comply with your wife, your husband, your brother, your boss. For what we loose
in the process of reproof is gained on the eternal plan for life.

Be careful of pride, for it will bring us down. Pride is a
self-inflated sense of self worth. The evidence of pride is a stiff neck...the
stiff-necked "I". "I" is right in the middle of 'sin'. Battle pride with
active humility, for that will bring you honor - honor not amongst men, but
honor between us and our Father in heaven.

How do we remove the "I" from the Father-son equation?
First have a vision for righteousness. Without that righteous vision, there will
be no restraint. A part of your righteous vision could include holding back your
temper. Patience is a virtue and fruit of the Holy Spirit. Holding back a temper
requires discipline and restraint. None of this can be attained without a
righteous vision. A visionary is someone who is practical. A visionary is not a
dreamer. The difference between a dream and a visionary is the outcome of their
mental concept. A vision has impetus to birth an action. A dream only becomes
evident in the virtual world. Most of us are dreamers. Very few of us are
visionaries. But that is because we chose not to step out our of our dream
world. Dare to do it. Dare to discover God's practical vision.

Secondly, the "I" gets removed the moment we display
genuine concern for others. When we become genuinely concerned for the 'rights
of the poor'...their issues, their dilemmas, their concept, we realize how small
the "I" really is. We don't need half as much as what we have. Don't let the
constraint of debt hold you back from giving. If you are too much in debt to
give, release that debt. Believe me, there is an "I" in debt!! Be the giver
God meant you to be and free yourself up to give.

Be aware of the danger of being broken beyond repair, for
this is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Don't dare to go where you can't turn
back...you will be broken forever.

If there is any best time to change your attitude, your
actions, your mind...that time would be now!!

Other Scriptures:

'The righteous is concerned for the rights of the poor. The
wicked does not understand such concern'. vs 7 'A fool always looses his temper.
But a wise man holds it back'. vs 9 'Where there is no vision, the people are
unrestrained'. vs 18 'A man's pride will bring him low. But a humble spirit will
obtain honor'. vs 23