Let My Ears Lead the Way
James 1:19Post this at all the intersections, dear friends: Lead with your ears, follow up with your tongue, and let anger straggle along in the rear.
Let's think this one through. Look at the way our body's are made up. The first thing we see is people's mouths. Our ears are often covered or we just don't notice them first. Our anger is often invisible until we let loose on somebody or something. This verse is telling us to lead with our ears, in other words we should listen first. How often do we actually do that? Do we read between the lines when someone is talking to us? Do we hear what they are actually saying to us? Sometimes the things people say are really a cover-up for how they are feeling inside. If we pray for God to help us lead with our ears, then maybe we wouldn't be so quick to use our tongue in anger. There's another thought - we use our tongue in anger. So that means we let anger lead the tongue. So humanly we hear, but we don't LISTEN so we are tempted to get angry and then speak in anger (or sarcasm). Maybe this is why we get hurt by the things others say. If we lead with our ears (or listen carefully) then we will be able to better understand what a person is saying. God can give us insight to their hearts. Then the words that would come out of our mouths would tend to be more encouraging - meant to lift others up. If we've already listened and then spoken to their hearts, then the anger will naturally follow behind. We would really have very little use for it.
20Your anger can never make things right in God's sight.
So, no matter how mad I get about something that doesn't make it right. Even if I have been justly hurt, anger still won't make things right. I guess that's why I need to listen with compassion.
21So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage, get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives. Humbly accept the message God has planted in your hearts, for it is strong enough to save your souls.
What do I have in my life that is filthy and evil? If I go back to verse 19, then my mouth is definitely filthy and evil. Virtue means moral excellence and righteousness; goodness. So do I have any spoiled virtue? I know that I lack goodness a lot of days. I don't think I always have moral excellence, either. It also says the evil is cancerous. Cancer - a pernicious, spreading evil. Malignant cells that tend to invade surrounding tissue and metastasize to new body sites. Pernicious - Tending to cause death or serious injury; deadly; Causing great harm; destructive. So this evil will affect other parts of my life. This is serious stuff. It's deadly and destructive. It will spread. I really need to get ahold of my anger and my tongue.
22Don't fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear!
I was just talking to someone today about weight. I have all kinds of knowledge about why I am as heavy as I am and why I can't lose weight. I have done so much research on weight loss. However, I haven't acted on what I know and therefore that's really the reason I can't lose weight. How many times do we read something in scripture and say, "Yeah, I really need to work on that" and then don't bother doing anything with it? We may know our scripture and even be able to quote it and therefore convince ourselves that we are listening. However, if we aren't acting on it, we are deceiving ourselves!
23Those who hear and don't act are like those who glance in the mirror, 24walk away, and two minutes later have no idea who they are, what they look like.
How many times do we look in the mirror and we aren't happy with what we see? What do we do about it? Are we actually willing to be disciplined enough to change? I often look at myself in the mirror and I'm not happy about the weight that I've gained. However, I walk away and put it out of my mind because it's too difficult to deal with. In my mind, I'm still the slender person I was at 25 years old. I think I'm much slimmer than I am. I need to accept reality and see things for what they are.
25But whoever catches a glimpse of the revealed counsel of God--the free life!-even out of the corner of his eye, and sticks with it, is no distracted scatterbrain but a man or woman of action. That person will find delight and affirmation in the action.
So, apparently because I don't pay attention to what God is saying to me, I am a scatterbrain! The definition of scatterbrain is: A giddy or thoughtless person; one incapable of concentration or attention. A person regarded as flighty, thoughtless, or disorganized. I don't want God to think of me as thoughtless or flighty. I want to be respected by God. And the verse doesn't even say that I have to do it perfectly. It says that even if I catch a glimpse of what God wants, even out of the corner of my eye, if I stick with it then I am a person of action. I will find delight and affirmation in that action. Of course, I will. There is blessing when I am obedient to God's Word. Why didn't I think of that before? If I stick to the weight loss program, then I will be delighted. I guess we need to think about whether we are actually happy with the way we are (whether physically or emotionally) and be honest with ourselves. If we change the way God is showing us, then we will be truly happy and have the abundant joy that God has for us.
26If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue, you are just fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.
If I can't control my tongue, then the things I do for the Lord are worthless. Just now as I'm writing this, I'm trying to convince myself that I can still reach some people on my good days. But, that's not what the scripture says - it says my religion is worthless. People are watching us and waiting for us to make a mistake. So, we can quote all the scripture we want, but if we aren't living it and controlling the things we say, then we aren't going to get through to people. Maybe that's why I can't seem to get through to my kids sometimes. I can't control my tongue and they know that - therefore, what I'm saying to them is worthless. I'm only fooling myself - I certainly am not fooling them.
27Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and refuse to let the world corrupt us.
If I want my walk with God to be pure and lasting, then I need to reach out to others, including the loveless. I can't let the world corrupt me. Corrupt - Marked by immorality and perversion; depraved. Depraved - marked by immorality; deviating from what is considered right or proper or good; marked by moral corruption or perversion. I don't want to be perverted, immoral or depraved. I can't let what other people do or say to me affect my walk with the Lord. It's up to me to put my ears first and then my tongue and then my anger. Nobody can do it for me. I can make all the excuses in the world, but it still comes down to me. It's my responsibility. I have to make the change. Of course, God is always there to help me, but He isn't going to force me. God waits for us patiently until we draw near to Him. Today, Lord, I commit my life to You again. I renew my faith in You and my walk with You. I don't want to play the "blame-game" anymore. It's no one else's fault. Circumstances may affect my perceptions, but it's still up to me to overcome them. Lord, help me as I lean on You for strength. Help me to make the right choices. Help me to control my tongue and my anger and actually hear what people are saying, instead of just listening to the surface of the conversation. Lord, let me see into their hearts and have compassion for them. Thank You for being so patient with me as I mess up over and over again. Help me to get this right this time. I love you God!
Obedience
Matthew 18-25
18The birth of Jesus took place like this. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. Before they came to the marriage bed, Joseph discovered she was pregnant. (It was by the Holy Spirit, but he didn't know that.)
Can you imagine how Joseph must have felt when he found out Mary was pregnant? "Joseph, I'm pregnant. I'm not sure how it happened - I haven't slept with anyone." Joseph must have thought Mary was crazy to think he would believe a story like that. Imagine how difficult it must have been for Mary to have to admit this story to Joseph. It would take a lot of courage to muster up the strength to tell him, knowing that her story sounded crazy and he probably wouldn't believe her. The cool thing is that she trusted what God had told her and was obedient to do as He said. Do I trust God that much? Hmmm...
19Joseph, chagrined but noble, determined to take care of things quietly so Mary would not be disgraced.
Even though this was a very disgraceful thing, Joseph was a great guy and decided to keep quiet about the pregnancy. Or was he just afraid of getting everything out in the open? Was he afraid that he would be humiliated as well as Mary? Thinking that she has slept around on him would be a huge blow to his self-esteem. However, the scripture says that he didn't want MARY to be disgracedand that he was noble. Therefore, we need to assume that he didn't do it to protect himself, it was for Mary. He knew the consequences she would suffer if everyone knew. Would I be so quick to be that caring? Would I be willing to quiet about something that hurt me so deeply? Sometimes I want to actually SEE people suffer for their actions. What good does that do? Does it help me any? Not likely. I think that's more of a revenge thing - if I see them hurting, then I won't hurt so bad. I don't think that's how God has intended us to live. God wants us to be forgiving and remember their sins no more, as I said yesterday.
20While he was trying to figure a way out, he had a dream. God's angel spoke in the dream: "Joseph, son of David, don't hesitate to get married. Mary's pregnancy is Spirit-conceived. God's Holy Spirit has made her pregnant.
Can you imagine having a dream like that? Sometimes I have some really crazy dreams and yet they feel so real. Of course, once I'm fully awake I realize that it couldn't be real. But, here this crazy idea is real! God was letting Joseph know that what Mary said was true and that he was still to marry her. Imagine how you would feel knowing that you were going to be the parent of God's son?
21She will bring a son to birth, and when she does, you, Joseph, will name him Jesus--"God saves'--because he will save his people from their sins."
Wow! How awesome! They were going to have a son that would save the world from their sins. I don't know about you, but I'm sure I would question whether or not I was really hearing from God.
22This would bring the prophet's embryonic sermon to full term:
23Watch for this--a virgin will get pregnant and bear a son; They will name him Emmanuel (Hebrew for "God is with us").
Now the angel says that their son will be a prophecy fulfilled! What would I do if God told me that me or one of my family would fulfill the scriptures? I'm sure I would ignore it or question if that was actually God's voice. Lord, help me to be able to know when I'm hearing Your voice.
24Then Joseph woke up. He did exactly what God's angel commanded in the dream: He married Mary.
You see that? He did exactly what God's angel told him. He didn't question God's voice. He didn't think he was imagining it. He just listened and obeyed. Why do we question so much even in the scriptures? If the Bible says it is so, then it's so. That's it - we aren't to question, we are just to obey. I pray God, that you will help me to obey You without question. Too many times I say "But..." or "What if...". You have thought of all of those buts and what ifs and you are in control. If I could just learn to obey then I wouldn't have to keep repenting and starting over. If I could just learn to obey, then I could submit everything to Your authority and not take it back. Help me, Lord.
25But he did not consummate the marriage until she had the baby. He named the baby Jesus.
And now Joseph waits to consummate the marriage until after she has the baby. Again, he doesn't question why - he just obeys. You know, these days people say that it's too hard to wait until marriage. That is such a lie from the devil. Joseph shows that with God's help we are able to wait. He was married to Mary and scripturally was allowed to sleep with her but he waited as God had commanded him to do. And what a blessing they received for their obedience - giving birth to the Son of God! Imagine the blessings God would pour forth upon all of us if we just obeyed! Imagine the revival that would happen! God, let me be obedient to Your Word and to hear Your Voice. Take away the fear and the anxiety that exists in my life because I'm not willing to give You control. Thank you for Your grace and Your mercy when I am not obedient. You wait patiently for me to come back to You and You always forgive me. Lord, I praise You for Your awesome power! You are magnificent! Help me to remember this everyday when I wake up and to hold on to it all day long. Help me to remember this when I am struggling and I am tempted to disobey. Amen.
Forgiveness
Yesterday I talked about showing respect for my husband. I realized that I need to be able to forgive him for the things he has done to hurt me (most of them unknowingly).
Genesis 50:...I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.'.
Jeremiah 31:34..."For I will forgive their wickedness and will
remember their sins no more."
Remember their sins no more - have I done that? Or do I harbour his sins? How many times have i brought things back up that I should have forgiven long ago? I use the old excuse that I can forgive but it's not easy to forget. This verse tells me that I shouldn't even
remember his sins. Ouch!
Matthew 6:14For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
Matthew 6:15But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
This is tough to take. If I can't forgive him for the things he's done to me, then God can't forgive
me. That's really harsh. I have to forgive if I want to be forgiven.
Mark 11:25And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."
Maybe this is why I sometimes feel like my prayers aren't being answered. I pray for things in my marriage to change, but I'm still harbouring unforgiveness towards him. I need to make it a priority to forgive BEFORE I pray.
Luke 7:47Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven-for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."
I like to think that I'm a loving person. However, if I only forgive a little bit then according to this verse I only love a little bit. Maybe I'm not as loving as I thought.
Luke 11:4Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation. ' "
Does this mean that if I don't forgive, then I am open to temptation from the enemy? I think that's been a lot of my problem. Sometimes I feel as though the enemy is attacking me from all sides. No wonder!
Acts 8:22Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart.
Lord, I repent right now of this unforgiveness that I have had in my heart. Help me to
forget as you forget. I am sorry for holding on to the past and not letting it go. Help me to look to you for support and the encouragement I need.
2 Corinthians 2:10If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him. And what I have forgiven-if there was anything to forgive-I have forgiven in the sight of Christ for your sake,
So, I've been telling my husband that I don't think he accepts Christ's forgiveness. I wonder if my unforgiveness has anything to do with it? If I hold on to it, then it's a constant reminder to him of his shortcomings. It's really hard to accept forgiveness when someone else is constantly throwing it in your face. Forgive me, God. Allow my husband to know that he is forgiven by you. Help me not to do anything that will hinder that.
Colossians 3:13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
God, you have forgiven me for everything I have ever done. I love you and praise you for your mercy. Help me to show mercy and grace as you have shown to me. I choose today to forgive and
forget. (That was hard to say...part of me still wants to hold on to it.) This is the
choice I will make to let it go and let God!
1 John 2:12I write to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.
Thank you, Lord.
Respect
Esther 1:20... all the
women will respect their husbands, from the least to the greatest."
This is such a hard thing for me to grasp. I desire to respect my husband, but then he does something that I think is wrong (in my eyes) and then I treat him with great disrespect. I expect him to respect me, but I don't do the same in return.
Proverbs 11:16A
kindhearted woman gains respect
Well, I guess if I want him to respect me, then I need to be kindhearted, right? That definitely puts the responsibility on me. I hadn't noticed this verse before today.
Romans 13:7Give everyone
what you owe him: ...if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
See? It's up to me. I can't wait for him to do things right before I respect him. I owe it to him to respect him.
Ephesians 5:33...the wife
must respect her husband.
This doesn't give me a choice. This is a command. I MUST respect my husband. It doesn't say
if he deserves it. It just says respect him.
1 Thessalonians 5:12...respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you.
According to this verse, I should just respect him because he works hard. That should be reason enough. Also, God has put my husband over me as the head of our household. I can't make excuses anymore for not respecting him.
1 Timothy 3:2Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled,
respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
This is talking about overseers, but notice the word respectable. Feeling respected is very important to men. I need to remember that.
1 Timothy 3:4He must manage his own family well and see that his
children obey him with proper respect.
There's that word again. This time it's the children who must respect him. How can my kids respect my husband if I don't demonstrate it? My kids are going to do what I do, not just what I say. Am I setting a good example of respect towards their dad?
1 Timothy 3:8Deacons, likewise, are to be men
worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain.
Deacons must be worthy of respect. Wow! This respect thing is really important! Notice it says
worthy of respect. How can he be worthy of respect in his church if I can't respect him at home? I need to help him. God made me to be his helpmate.
1 Timothy 3:11In the same way, their wives are to be women worthy of respect,
not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.
This is really hard to take! If I'm not malicious, but temperate and trustworthy, then I won't have a problem being respectful to my husband. So this is what I'm going to commit to - being temperate and trustworthy and not malicious! Pray for me and I'll let you know how it goes!
