Matthew 4:1-25

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple …

Braving the Wilderness……………… I don’t know about the wilderness geographically but I’ve definitely wondered through my own personal wildernesses.  Never like Jesus was in Matthew, never have I been led to a wilderness, alone and hungry for 40 days and 40 nights.   My own have been varied, varied in length and varied in circumstance but all were filled with temptation brought to me by the tempter himself.  Some of those temptations did not win over my soul but others did.  And the Spirit continues to help me with braving the wilderness.

I was reading/audio the book by Brene’ Brown called “Braving”.  I found the acronym she uses for Braving has a very applicable process.

B – Boundaries – Have respect, expect respect, say no, be willing to ask

R – Reliability – Do what you say you will do

A – Accountability – Accept responsibility for self and make yourself open to others

V – Vault – Confidentiality, be a safe place, don’t share things that are not yours to share

I – Integrity –  Practice values, stand for courage over comfort

N – Non-judgmental – I can ask. You can ask. Talk it through.

G – Generosity – extend understanding

These words will help us weather any wilderness that we find ourselves in.  Make it personal.  We can not expect this behavior from others if we don’t practice ourselves. To have Trust we must be Braving.

Does the acronym Braving encourage application that is clearly spelled out in the bible?

Yes!

Galatians 6:5

For each will have to bear his own load.

Luke 16:10-12

“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?

Galatians 6:1-5

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load.

Romans 14:12

So then each of us will give an account of himself to God.

Proverbs 11:13

Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered.

Proverbs 20:7

The righteous who walks in his integrity— blessed are his children after him!

Proverbs 12:22

Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.

Matthew 7:1-5

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

2 Corinthians 9:6

The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully.

 

Braving the Wilderness can be hard.  I pray that this will help you walk braver.  Listen to the Spirit and follow the words of the Lord.

Help me Lord was each day braver.  Amen!