Making Allowance

IDOK DEVOTION FOR TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2007

My calendar verse for today (this being the 17th as I begin) reads this way:
Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Ephesians 4:2 TLB
Initially, I asked myself what does it mean to make allowance? Is it to overlook? Pretend it does not matter? No, I don’t think so because it says making allowance for each other’s faults. That means this thing for which we are making allowance is real; it really is a not so good thing; he or she really has a flaw in judgment or conduct. Father, is not asking us to say it’s okay. He is not asking us to pretend it does not matter. He is saying we are to ‘make allowance’. And I ask again what does it mean to make allowance?
Lets try the New King James and see if we can gather more.
Ephesians 4:
1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,
2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,
3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Okay this making allowance has something to do with our calling and walking worthy of that calling and that’s a HUGE other lesson for further development – can’t chase that rabbit today. But it seems there are some spiritual gifts that enable us to make allowance – lowliness, gentleness, long-suffering. Does that mean if I am not making allowance that I am not walking worthy of my calling, that I am not walking in lowliness or gentleness and I am not long-suffering? Yes, I am afraid it does and I have just very recently been SO GUILTY!
What about that endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace? What does that have to do with making allowance? This is my experience: When I fail to make allowance for another’s faults; when I fail to demonstrate lowliness, gentleness and long-suffering even in the midst of my dissatisfaction with her flaws, my unity with the Spirit — MY PEACE with HIM is broken!! And all the time I spend with an attitude of dissatisfaction and/or even seasoning our conversations with subtle, harsh words, the unity of the Spirit is broken between she and I, in addition to my fellowship with the Holy Spirit. Can you think of anything worse? Talk about faults! Which do you think is the more loathsome — hers or mine?!
Bearing with one another in love. Here’s our key to making allowance: unconditional love. Love that says I will be kind to you even when I am dissatisfied with your conduct; love that says I will season my conversations with you with kindness even when I am so mad at you I want to scream at you, give you a piece of my mind, cut you down to size and shake some sense into you. I.e. How you feel when your kids fail to put away their clean clothes AND leave their soiled ones in the floor of the closet for the ‘ump-teenth’ time! Making allowance is love that finds a way to remain kind and teachable when nothing in your flesh wants to do it that way.
Lets face it – we are ALL flawed! And we ALL have more faults than we have even figured out yet. So lets refuse to compound our own faults by getting all worked up (a fit of our own) over the faults, short-comings, immaturity, stubbornness, short-sightedness, ignorance, blindness, willful disobedience, etc.etc.of someone we love — make allowance for Jesus sake – for the sake of your calling.
Thank you Prayer Report from Sharron to IDOKs: Also, please tell everyone who has been praying for Vikki and Jason that God does answer prayer. Jason is home and is healing very well and very fast. The skin on his face is all new and it is so beautiful!! Not one scar!! He goes to the opthamologist on Tuesday to make sure that his sight has not been affected. The skin graft on his chest and underarm is healing beautifully. He is staying at his mom’s for the time being. I am so grateful that God has used this situation to help my daughter and Jason see the true value in life. It is drawing them closer to Him and is helping my daughter to be more patient and focus on what is important in life. God never wastes anything, not one trial or tribulation goes without bringing good to us and glory to Him. Hallelujah!! Thank all of you for your prayers. God has heard everyone of them and has honored them with favorable results. Even in the midst of heartache and sorrow, He has brought forth great joy. To see His hand at work is so encouraging. I am grateful He chose to spare Jason’s life and am looking forward to seeing the great work He will do in Jason’s life and my daughters’. Pray on Sisters!!! Love, Sharron
And Mary Ann says: My biopsy is scheduled for this Friday, December 21. I have to be at the hospital at 7:00 am. We still believe that everything is okay, but it will be a huge relief to hear the doctors say they are 100% sure!
Father, we praise You for Your Mercy and Grace to Jason and Vikki and we thank Your for yet Your future plans for them. We praise You for the thus far good report for Mary Ann and we are trusting You for further good news for her. And Father, we have others heavily in our thoughts and we ask You for good reports for them too, for miracles Father. We are grieved at all the pain in the world, cancer and other fatal diseases, children who are ill and good people suffering so unfairly; we don’t understand all this and we pray to come through this stuff without the smell of smoke upon us. Forgive us our faults and help us forgive and love one another. Keep our IDOK Troops safe, protect them from physical, mental and spiritual harm; bring this war to a successful conclusion, bring Israel to Peace, America to Repentance, cause Your Choice for President to be elected and bring Revival to Your Church for Jesus sake. The Peace of Israel Charles and Renee’. Dall T. Dylan. Mark, Margie & Duncan. Marsha’s grand-baby. A care-giver for Emily Grace. Kathy N. Kyle A. Jason, Vicki, Sharron and other family members. Joseph Toomey and Family. Wheeler Family. Mary Ann. Mr. Nash. DeLois. Terri. Leah O. Patsy B. Kim T. Krystee. Rachel B. Kevin and the children. Lisa’s Mother. Janie B. W.C. & Family . Vickie. Lisa W. John Thomas. Cole. Taylor & family. Anita. J Lloyd and family. Janet and Steve. Cathy. Toy and family. Katelyn. Caleb and family. Bay and family. Jennifer B. John and Carolyn. Larry and Claudia and family. Jeanette and Earl and family. Libby and family. Callie. Madie. Ruth. Martha F and Bob. Rev and Mrs. Carpenter. Allyson and Glen and family and Kaitlyn. Brittney and Kersten and family. Sharron and girls. Frankie and girls. Sheila and Andy. Carrie and Rachel and Jacob and family. Billy and Gina and boys. Lance and family. Grace and family. Tressa and Brad and family. Cindy K and family. Chuck. Jessie L. Windy and Jared and families. Helen and Dan and family. Jen and Larry and family. Chad and Brittany and family. Mollie and family. Jenny. Julia. Bobbie. Tj. Zack. Phillip. Jessica. Larry. Kayla. Trey. Jacob. Ashely. Lance. Candance. Laura and family. John and Sandy. Bill and Judy. Adam & Family.
Every IDOK and every IDOK son and daughter and grandchild.
Every IDOK Pastor and Family.
Every IDOK church.
Revival in America.
IDOKs Military Families.
IDOKs Troops – Ethan. Christopher. Raul. Robert. Billy. Josh. George. Buddy. Mark. Josh W. James. Bryan. Nick. Hawk. Brant W. Lyndon A. Christopher R. Travis N. Joshua M.
IDOK Troops leaving shortly for foreign soil: Justin G. Albert R III.
Serving Stateside: Jonathan. Jasmine B. Tommy T. Shaun. Bay. Danny. Tim. Lee.
Injured and brought State side: Anthony. Hector
Injured Stateside: Edward J.
Hospitalized outside USA: Corpl. Light
Military at home adjusting – Mack. The 226. Troy. Drew. Brad. Tommy. Desi.
Civilian in Country – Mike. Lee.

As I post this it is 56°F and mostly cloudy in Al Asad, Iraq & the time there is 4:38 PM AST – on December 18, 2007
HIS MINISTRY TO YOU