It is sometimes hard for us to see the sin in what we do. To do so requires us to scrutinize our own hearts very closely. Satan is so subtle that we can fail to see his workings within us. He is able to substitute an evil motive for what should be a good motive, and by doing so to lead us in completely the wrong direction. Yet we are deceived and think that we are acting rightly. Christ sees into our hearts and he sees more clearly than we do why we act as we do. ‘Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of’, says the Lord. How careful we constantly need to be. How cautious we must be as we proceed. Even things that seems obvious to us must be prayed about.
Sometimes, when men think they are acting out of love for Christ, they are really working against his interests. How many have felt they were being driven by zeal for God, when in reality they were doing nothing of the sort! How many have taken up some course of action which they were convinced was what Christ would have them do, when in fact they had not studied his word carefully enough to determine his will! So often we overreact, when what is called for is a gentler approach.