Tame the Wild

My blogger friend at Spirit of Adoption, asked some really good questions that got me to thinking... She wrote...
"I just want to hear what the Lord has taught you over the years. I want to hear how you tame the wild in your heart. I want to hear how you use your personality to serve and not hinder others. I want to hear how you use your personality to encourage others and not make them feel like you are being condescending. I want to hear whatever has been significant growth in your walk with the Lord and sanctification of your personality!"
I think that I have finally come to accept "the wild in" my heart as part of who God has made me to be...when I was younger, it got me into plenty of trouble and I was often misunderstood. I am enjoying where I am now...I have learned to accept myself and who I am. I know that I have weaknesses and accept them better now because I know that if I will allow it, they can lead me to a deeper relationship with God as I rely on His ever redeeming work in my life. I am learning...
-to take the recklessness and turn it into a reckless faith in our God,
-to take those passions and submit them to the LORD and then walk with them, learn from them, let them teach me,
-to take weaknesses, like very little patience, and see how God has given me greater patience as I do the great work he has for me each day (no one ever thought I would be the mother of 10 - LOL)
-to know that I am sensitive, out spoken, passionate about my beliefs, stubborn for what is important to me, and to give all of those things that are good, and bad, to the LORD and have faith that He will help me to serve him and love him by serving and loving others...I can't do it without Him.
A quote from My Utmost For His Highest, by Oswald Chambers (one of my favorite authors), is "if our motive is love to God, no ingratitude can hinder us from serving our fellow men." I say to myself that I want to do _____ for Him because I love Him, and let him worry with my "wildness"; He is taming it, but I think that there is a certain part of those passions that are from Him and He delights in what He has made.
And always, I keep learning about humility, but that doesn't mean that I will not stand on the Truth of Scripture. And part of humility is to ask forgiveness when I need to or when the LORD shows me that I need to.
I have also learned to not get devoted to a cause, in place of being devoted to Jesus Christ...who's first obedience was to the will of His Father.
And I think we must be careful to not become complacent, as many in our culture are...complacent and comfortable, not wanting to give up their controlled worlds. There are to many people and children in the world who are hurting, to much that we can do to help.
So thank you so much friend, for your questions, that got me to thinking...may we all walk in the passions of our hearts for His Glory!