How the Turning Point Came — Basilea Schlink

God lives and works today. If you can witness to his reality in your everyday relationships with people, you are really fortunate. But what if just the opposite is true? Listen to the testimony in today's meditation called, How the Turning Point Came.

Learning to Live in Fellowship Across Differences

When I came from Switzerland and entered the sisterhood in 1968, there were sisters from Holland, Finland, Sweden, and Germany who also joined the sisterhood at the same time. I'm not a very sociable type, and soon I thought I couldn't live with my sisters from these different countries.

The Dutch sisters seemed to me to be so loud, the Finnish sister was so slow, and the Swedish one so inefficient. And the way my German sisters could talk, how could I ever put up with them? A turning point had to come, but with my nature, it was inconceivable that the problem would ever be solved.

Confronted With Pride and Stubbornness

Previously, if I didn't like people, I would just stay out of their way. But here, there was no escape. And then the turning point came. Jesus told me the truth about myself. He showed me my pride and stubbornness.

Freedom From Judging Others

Now the faults of my sisters no longer bother me. When I look at my own sin of pride, everything else seems insignificant, and I can only be astonished and grateful that my sisters have put up with me for so long.

Now I no longer need to look at the faults of my sisters and let them bother me. No, now I can love my sisters. Only the Lord Jesus could do such a thing. If he had not set me free, I could never live in a fellowship with other people.

Loving Without Barriers

Ever anew I praise him for this wonder. God's love doesn't have any barriers. He calls to all of us, Come, follow me. Don't erect any barriers between yourself and other people. Don't set a limit to your love, no matter what the other person has done to you.

By doing so, you erect a barrier between yourself and God. You have been listening to a program written by Basilea Schlink of The Little Land of Canaan. To learn more about how God lives and works today, visit us at our website, www .canaan .org.

That's K-A-N-A-A-N .org. If you contact us, we would be happy to send you a free inspirational booklet. If you do not have access to the Web, please write to God Lives and Works Today, 9849 North Fortieth Street, Phoenix, Arizona, 85028 -4099, USA.

God bless you.