When I first understood what it really meant to be a Christian, I sur-rendered all my heart to God, with all of my heart sins. I told God, "I give up my right to become impatient or irritated with my children. I especially give up my right to resent my husband, no matter what he does. He may not do things according to my way of thinking, but I have no right to resent him. Why should I yield to Satan's spirit to correct others. I want to yield to your Holy Spirit and allow God to work in me His love for my children and my husband, and pray for them instead of allowing Satan to use me to bring his spirit into our home.

When I surrendered fully to God, I believed that He would take away my resentment, and give me an understanding attitude toward my husband and children. And He did! I also believed that He could then keep me from falling as He had promised.

The next day as I went about my work, I don't remember any temptation coming to me until the evening. We were having worship and I was reading from a book on prayer. Suddenly my husband, who was an editor, corrected a sentence problem in the book. There is nothing wrong with doing that, but I did not like it when he did it while we were having worship, because it distracted us. And so I would reprove him in a wrong spirit and worship would be spoiled. But I would blame him for spoiling worship!

This evening, as he corrected a sentence problem, I immediately reacted. Immediately the Holy Spirit strongly convicted me that I had sinned, and immediately I exclaimed, "I have sinned! " The family was surprised at my confession. Later, when I shared the story with someone, my son, who was present, remarked, "O Mom, how well I remember that night! That was the first time I heard you take the blame! "

You see, I had learned from my father always to blame others when I got upset with them, even though it was my spirit that was wrong. It is so easy to blame others when we allow ourselves to become irritated by something they do or say. But there is no excuse for sin!

That evening I again asked God to forgive and cleanse me, and to restore me to Himself. Then I pleaded with Him to show me the way of escape so that I would not react again in a wrong way. I believed He would teach me how to keep from falling, because He had promised that He was able to do that.

The next day I went about my work and again I don't remember any temptation until the evening. As we were again having family worship I was reading from the same book. Again my husband corrected a sentence problem. Instantly I felt the temptation to react.

We read that the Christian will feel the prompting to sin. Here is where Christ's help is needed. Instantly the Holy Spirit reminded me, in my conscience, "You gave up the right to resent your husband no matter what he does, don't you remember?" Instantly I responded, "Yes, and I really meant it! " Immediately the Holy Spirit so controlled my spirit, that I did not say a word. No one even knew that I was tempted! And I knew I had found the way of escape!