Now if you obey me fully
and keep my covenant, then
out of all nations you will
be my treasured possession.Exodus 19:5
A prayer to act when directed by God
Dear God, I used to think that my faith was solely a personal, spiritual pursuit. But I keep hearing the word “obey.” I admit that obeying isn’t a comfortable word for me. It implies me giving up something for someone else. In your covenant world however, “obey” just means holding up my end of the bargain. You are always faithful, LORD, and I need to be faithful as well. James said it best when he admonished us to be “doers of the Word, not just hearers.” Sometimes I allow the world to drown out your Holy Spirit who speaks your will to me. Or I worry that I’m not worthy or ready to do your work. But I’m tuning in to you and listening, watching, and anticipating for your direction. Give me opportunities to be your hands, your feet and your heart. I will obey. In your Son’s name I pray this. Amen
One of my BSGs shared with us the other day how she was one of those Christians who claimed to never hear God direct her. That isn’t the case any longer. He’s been nudging her so hard she may almost have a bruise on her back! She shared how she bought 10- $5 coffee gift cards from a locally owned coffee shop. At random she is handing them out telling people, “God has blessed me so much this year and I want to share in the blessing.” She told us of approaching a policeman and giving him a card. He looked surprised. When she walked away, she heard him on his radio exclaiming, “You won’t believe what just happened.”
Isn’t that awesome! I want some of that God-goodness! He speaks to us through His Word, Jesus’ teachings, and the Holy Spirit. He tells us how to treat the poor, the downtrodden, the sick, our neighbor, our loved ones, and the stranger. When we feel that nudge and the nudge feels like God, it can never be wrong.
I love the story of Isaiah and his vision amongst the angels. He first sees himself unworthy of being in the presence of heavenly beings. So, what does he do? He cries out, “For I am a man of unclean lips.” In other words, he prays for help with his unworthiness. And an angel touches his lips with burning coal (ouch) to take away his guilt and sin. And then the real action takes place.
Then I heard the voice of
the Lord saying, “Whom shall
I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”Isaiah 6:8
He “hears to voice of the Lord” make an urgent request. God needs volunteers to spread His message of love and hope. And when we Christians accepted the covenant promise of Jesus, that left us a spot to sign on the dotted line to volunteer for that service.
When others step to the back of the line we need to learn to step forward. Not hang out waiting for thunder and lightning to give us a loud message. We need to be ready to jump at a moment’s notice – not only that, but be so excited to say, “Here am I. Send me!”
I want to wake up every day in anticipation of the work He wants done through me. And I want to go to bed looking forward to another chance tomorrow. I’m listening LORD. Send me.
If you want this too, add the prayer to your daily prayer list and watch and see how God works in your life!
But one thing I do: Forgetting
what is behind and straining
toward what is ahead, I press
on toward the goal to win the
prize for which God has called
me heavenward in Christ Jesus.Philippians 3:13-14
A prayer to live without regret
Holy God, it’s been many years since I accepted your gift of salvation, which along with that gift came forgiveness. And yet, so often I am unable to forgive myself. My heart still twinges when I think of the times I lived in sin. And once saved, I look back at the years I realize I wasn’t fully committed to obeying your Word. I’ve wasted enough time, however, not accepting your grace. I am learning how much you love me, LORD. And with that, I’m working to accept that I am a new person because of your son Jesus. The old me can’t take up any more precious time when you are filling up my heart with overwhelming love. I admit I sometimes need stern admonishment from you to keep me on track. But at other times please send me a gentle kiss or unexpected hug to remind to live in today, not the regrets of the past. I ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.
I don’t know about you but I’ve done some very non-Christian things in my life. I spent about five years of my younger life seeking inappropriate relationships with men. I thought that if I turned over my precious gift of intimacy that I would find love. We can watch endless movies, read countless novels, and dispense wisdom about how fruitless this path is and yet never seem to apply it to our own lives.
The first time I said a desperate prayer was when, at 19, I thought I was pregnant. I begged God to save me from myself. And He did. I don’t really know why since I know others were not. I bargained with God to do His part and I would stop such reckless behavior. And I did not. I wasn’t a Christian at the time – although I believed in God. So maybe He was giving me a few allowances. I won’t know until the day of my eternity when I can ask Him.
Fast forward a few years and I was a young mother with two kids. I was a Christian by then. And yet I continued, time after time, to disobey God. Boy did that lead to a lot of unnecessary hardship. Of these two situations it’s actually this second that I tend to regret the most. Because I truly knew better. I think of all the wasted hours of tears and painful relationships I could have avoided. I think of the times I could’ve been a better mother and wife and friend had I just surrendered myself completely to God.
If we confess our sins, he
is faithful and just and will
forgive us our sins and purify
us from all unrighteousness.1 John 1:9
I realize that by holding on to my forgiven past it’s like a log tied around one ankle. It hinders me to fully grab onto the joy of today and promises of God. It’s not that we need to forget our past. We can learn a lot from our choices and their consequences. But when we accept Jesus as our savior we must accept that we are now changed in our spirit. Sometimes we just need to remind our heart and mind of that change.
Friend, I don’t know what sinful choices you may have made in your past, but Jesus came so we don’t need to live an entire life of repentance for our past regretful choices. We need to turn those sins over to God only once. And turn our faces toward today.
There’s a lot from my past that I’m still working on fully releasing to God. He has already forgiven me for them. I just need to let go of the string and allow them to float into the heavens. With His gentle reminders of His love for us we can be free.
If you want this too, add the prayer to your daily prayer list and watch and see how God works in your life!
“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; 20 but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.
Isaiah 1:18-20
Sometimes I feel like I’m in a bit of a tug-o-war with God. He’s trying to get me over that line and I keep resisting – pulling back to my way of doing things. Like a two-year old saying, “I can do it myself,” I resist the pull of God because I think I know better.
Have you ever been in a tug-o-war and the other side decides to completely let go? Your side is pulling so hard you all tumble to the ground. Even though the other side knows they’ll lose they think it’s hilarious to see the results. It’s a dirty trick. Thankfully God promises to never let go of His end. His grace and forgiveness keep me upright even when I pull on that opposite end with all my might.
When I am weak and give in to my earthly ways God gives me grace and forgiveness. I want to resist and rebel. He works in so many ways to pull me back toward Him.
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
2 Corinthians 12:9
The context of that verse is Paul writing to the people of Corinth and sharing a constant pain he endured. He pleaded with God three times to remove the thorn in his side (we don’t know exactly what the thorn was). And God replied that His grace is sufficient. How many times have we complained, maybe just today alone, to God to remove something from our lives? That’s not to say that He won’t. But He reminds us that sometimes we must be weak to truly rely on Him.
Sometimes God does meet the need by substitution (ie health instead of sickness); but other times He meets the need by transformation. He gives us His grace so that the affliction works for us and not against us.
Warren Wiersbe, The Bible Commentary, New Testament
At times when we pray for God to remove something awful in our lives and He doesn’t perform the way we expect, we then enter into that tug-o-war game. Pulling into our own ways of “fixing things” ourselves, complaining, or even turning our backs on God by letting go of our end of the rope. We give in to our idols, our wants and needs.
We should remember the saying that God, through grace, gives us what we do not deserve, and in His mercy, He does not give us what we do deserve. So, when situations do not turn out as we have directed God, we need to pray to God to help us see what He wants us to see. To help us understand what He wants us to understand.
God does not require us to understand His will, just obey it, even if it seems unreasonable. Life Principle # 5
Dr. Charles Stanley, 30 Life Principles
When we allow God to pull us back toward Him, He showers us with His mercy and forgiveness. He cleanses our crimson souls to be white as snow. And another covenant agreement is balanced at both ends of the rope.
In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:1
This week, on one of the Instagram accounts I follow, the site owner posed the question: What good thing happened to you this year? She added, “Let’s spread some gratitude vibes.” My answer? That my faith has gotten so much more in-depth and stronger. Amazing, given what’s all happened in 2020. I no longer have a home church. In fact, I haven’t been to church since the last weekend of February. When I questioned my church closing indefinitely, I was met with some pretty nasty responses. And when I asked to be removed from the rolls I received an email from the assistant pastor with a polite version of “don’t let the door hit you on the way out.”
So, it’s pretty amazing that without a body of faithful Christians to help in my growth that I am where I am today.
When I looked over this week’s post by Madison and myself, I realized that my growth was reflected in the lessons. The acceptance of God’s amazing interruptions – knowing He works all things for my good. The acknowledgement of His amazing authority over all situations – yes, even the ones that don’t seem to make any sense. The proof that He loves me by reading the Book of John. And how much my picture of Jesus has changed these last few months – from a historical figure to a spirit that lives inside me.
My devotional this week had a day titled, “What to do when trouble comes.” It’s based on 1 Timothy 6:17 which states, “Fight the good fight of the faith.” It went on to say that trouble is a part of life, so we simply have to be ready for it. (Joyce Meyer, New Day, New You). A friend told me the other day she wishes she could just fast forward to 2022. My response? “Why? There might be a nuclear fallout that year. So, you might as well find joy in today.”
How do we, as Christians, get prepared? How do we build up our amazing faith muscle for that day when trouble comes, because it most certainly will? And looking at this week’s blog posts the answer is clear – steeping ourselves in God’s Holy Word.
I find myself extremely blessed to have started a small Bible study group – they’re my BSGs (Bible study girls) – back in January. I was encouraged by one of the members to re-start a study group. On an urging by the Holy Spirit, I invited two other women from my gym. They eagerly said yes. So, the four of us embarked on a journey we had no idea would be an anchor for us this year. We started out with easy faith muscles and moved up to weightier topics. These three women became my church. My amazing sisters in Christ. It wasn’t just about having women that wanted to get together. We’ve put in the work. We’ve been diligent in our faith workouts. We’ve dug deep not only into His Word but into our own sins.
I’ve led other Bible studies before. There’s always a few that blow off doing the homework and not take it seriously. Then there’s others that aren’t willing to take the opportunity to open themselves up for conviction. If we truly want to know God’s character, not ours, and God’s will, not ours, we need to use His Divine Word as our touchstone. The world longs to cheat us out of the true, amazing, love God has for us. The world plays a shell game with morality. If we want to grab on to the more than 5,000 promises God makes in the Bible then we need to treat it seriously.
Did you need to re-read that last sentence? More than 5,000 promises. How many of them do you know? How many of them have you taken to heart? Those amazing promises are sitting right there in that book.
Jesus asked, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?”
Matthew 9:28
Let’s be a church together and dive deep into those promises. Let’s be a church together that accepts His interruptions with joy and peace. Let’s be a church together that places His authority over everything in our lives. Let’s be a church that needs no other proof of His love for us than our own existence. Let’s be a church together that sees Jesus for who He is – our Lord and Savior who loves us and wants for us to live apart from what the world throws at us. Today we can open up His Word and find joy right there on its pages.
And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’”
The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.
Mark 11:17-18
Recently, during a road trip my husband and I were listening to the Robertson’s Unashamed podcast. The topic was the concept of being “cancelled” by society. In 2014, GQ magazine contacted the Duck Dynasty patriarch, Phil Robertson, to delve into this bearded phenomenon. During the interview he was asked for the definition of sin. He went on to quote 1 Corinthians 6:9-10.
Or do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor men who have sex with men nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Cor 6: 9-10
And he got cancelled. Literally. The producers put the show on hiatus – for quoting the Bible. Now, of course, we all can imagine the uproar. The media quoted Mr. Robertson as though it were his own words, calling him a homophobe and all sorts of names. Very few, in fact only a newspaper out of London, made it clear he was quoting from the Bible. As we like to say now, it was a lot of fake news. The truth was so easily accessed and so readily ignored. Here was a man who had few, if any secrets – and absolutely none about his faith journey. He was on an internationally televised show praying and preaching. And yet amazingly enough the media seemed shocked he believed in, taught, and quoted the Bible.
Jesus, in Mark 11, walks into the temple in Jerusalem and begins driving out the street vendors. When questioned by the chief priests He makes it clear what God expects from the people and the use of His temple. The priests were so frightened by the truths being spoken to the people that they wanted Jesus “cancelled.” But do you notice the last part of the sentence? “…because the whole crowd was amazed at His teaching.” The people wanted to know the true Word of God and they listened with rapt attention. It frightened those in charge of their probable loss of power over the people.
What Phil Robertson is comfortable with is teaching the true Word of God to the people. Human sin is at the beginning through the end of the Bible. And much as we might like to, we aren’t to pick and choose from which sins God has spoken. The truth of sin is written in every single book of the Bible. When our pastors and faith leaders ignore these truths, it handicaps us in our full understanding of God’s character and His expectations of us.
My husband and I were talking about this after listening to the Unashamed podcast. If we never hear that we are all sinners, we are left with the impression that maybe only some people sin or there’s various levels of sinfulness. It isn’t just “those people” who are sexually immoral, who lie, who cheat, who create false idols. It’s all of us to one extent or another. That’s the truth. I’ve never met someone in all the various Bible study and small groups that hasn’t admitted to some kind of sin. But that’s only the first step to God’s amazing truths.
When the apostle Paul wrote to the church in Corinth he chastised them for their lax ways related to sin, especially sexual sin. It was being justified through false teachings. And it was tearing them apart. If we don’t learn about sin how can we then learn true grace and forgiveness? I want to be on the “right side” of God – not making up my own understandings. When our faith leaders avoid uncomfortable conversations like abortion, homosexuality, infidelity, etc how then are we lay people to fully understand how to treat people with grace, love, kindness and forgiveness? All are welcome to church but what does it mean to welcome someone who is sinning right now? What does it mean to have been sexually immoral or have had an abortion and now I want to live a Christian life?
I sin constantly. When I make a commitment to God to not use His name in vain and then turn around and cuss and use coarse language I’m sinning. I have a very difficult time honoring my parents and not trashing them to my inner circle (heck, even my outer, outer circle). I encouraged a friend to have an abortion. I lived with my husband before we were married. I’m prideful. I covet. I place idols above God. None of these make me any better or worse than those who commit the sins we tend to think as the “biggies.” And yet we dance around the truth of sin and its effects on our lives and the world.
God is the Alpha and Omega. He is always complete. He is always teaching us and bringing us full circle. We need to live in that completeness. The completeness that His amazing truths, as revealed in the Bible, tell us includes opening our eyes to sin AND our hearts to grace. Grace without the “what and why” is almost meaningless. It’s like a teenager tossing a snide “sooooorrrryy.” We want that teenager to understand what was wrong about their action and why. The apology, when spoken from the heart, means so much more. If we run around tossing out blind acceptance, thinking it is love and grace, we miss out on the opportunity to really dig into God’s amazing plan for us.
I want to be held to account by God. I want to be amazed by the truths written in His Book. And if knowing and speaking those truths to fellow Christians or people asking me what God says about a topic then so be it. Because I am learning the complete truth. I am learning each day how to have open eyes tied to an open heart. His amazing truths about my sin are made complete with His amazing truths about His love.
A year ago I decided to take my weight gain seriously. My middle-aged hormones were wreaking havoc on my body. I had gained 35 pounds. And I was two months away from my daughter’s wedding. God wants us to take care of ourselves. 1 Corinthians 6 says, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit?” And so, along with the help of a weight loss app I finally decided to really do something about it. I was diligent. By the time my daughter’s wedding came around the dress that I had tailored a few weeks prior didn’t really fit me – it hung loosely in a number of places. About six months in I was 10 pounds away from my goal weight and decided I didn’t need the app anymore. Around that same time the Covid19 crisis struck. And here I am another seven months later with 15 pounds to lose. You got that – I, of course, gained more weight. So, at lunch today I sat across from my friend who also tries to watch her weight. I told her about a great dish the restaurant has that is low calorie. I knew exactly what to order and what not to order. And as the waitress took our order, I did exactly what I shouldn’t. I gave into my cravings. Not only that, I convinced my friend to do the same.
When we do what we shouldn’t do!
One of my favorite verses from the Bible is quite the tongue twister. When I heard a young pastor speak on these verses he could barely get it out without laughing.
“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree the law is good. As it is, it is no longer myself who do it, but it is the sin living in me.”
Romans 7: 15-17
And the do’s keep going for four more verses! James makes it a lot clearer:
“If anyone, then knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.”
James 4:17
We’ve probably all been there with the diet issue. But how many times do we not do what we know we should do? For some of us that might be every, single day. Sinning is our very nature. We Christians have allowed other people to use the word “sin” against us. They say it makes us judgmental. It makes us hypocrites. It shows we don’t love people. But sin is everyone’s nature – whether you are a Christian or not. You can thank Adam and Eve for that. Unlike atheists, Christians just recognize that we are sinning. But the enemy wants us to be prideful and say we don’t sin – it’s those “other people.” Throughout our day we need to recognize our sinful behavior and ask God for forgiveness. When I blame someone else for “making me upset” or I accuse others of “doing worse than me” that’s pride shining through. It also gives us cover to do the exact same thing over and over. Sinning make take the form of fear over faith, worry, improper thoughts, shame or gossip.
My daily sin is being impatient and annoyed with people. I know not to do it. But I do it. Sometimes I’m so caught up in my excuses I forget to take a moment and ask for that forgiveness – to ask for that strength not to do it again. But I had a recent revelation. I was living in transgression. That, my friends, is a sin that is done over and over for a hidden reason. After one of my prayers of forgiveness Jesus shined a light on it. My lack of humility. It was the root of my everyday sinning. I was making excuses and hiding it. And until I realized, it there was no chance of me stopping my bad behavior.
“Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.”
John 8: 7
You see all the accusers of this woman about to be stoned were hiding their sins, trying to sell everyone on their pious lives. But you really can’t hide from Jesus. Satan loves when we try to hide our sins. I’ve been telling my Bible Study Girls lately that living like that creates a visual of a dark, scribbly mass living inside of us – creating chaos and hatred and all things ugly. We have a hard time doing the right things for the right reason when we live with transgressions.
A soul filled with transgressions
And then we have iniquities – where those transgressions become a bondage to our transgressions. It drives us to repeatedly and continually commit sin. It perverts all our good intentions. For example, my sin of being annoyed with cashiers. When I do it time and again it becomes about a lack of grace, love and humility on my part (transgression). If I don’t repent and ask God to help this sin can move into an iniquity – where I actually hate cashiers. I might even call them names, or think of them as lowly people for doing such “menial” jobs. It becomes a soul crusher. And satan dances.
Because, as Christians, we make it a point to live with the mind of Christ and the knowledge of God’s Word, we know what “doing good” means. We can choose to give to the poor. Or we can choose to ignore God’s call to help the needy. And in doing so we sin. And if we consistently withhold God’s treasure from His people our sin transforms into transgression – maybe a fear of losing money, a fear of not having enough money. And those constant hidden thoughts about money may lead to an iniquity – greed, hatefulness to the needy, miserly behavior. And none of those creates a loving mind and heart.
Why do we not do what we know we ought to do? Because we have a sinful nature. We want what we want, and we want it now. The closer we try to live next to Jesus and the more we fill our minds and hearts with God, the harder it is to allow room for those sins to become soul killers.
God knows His children. He knows we need constant correction. Let’s just try to keep our lives on the slightly wandering path rather than taking the full off-ramp. Ask God right now to reveal any hidden sins in you — anything that you need to recognize that negatively motivates your behavior. He loves you and will gladly honor your request in a way that He knows you need. Don’t be afraid. Just ask. And then do what He tells you.
She was rarely “late.” With each passing day she began to worry more. She and her boyfriend knew better but they were young, just 15 and 16. They frequently met up for sex while his mother was at work. And they didn’t use protection. So, five days after she should’ve started her period, she found herself sitting on the toilet, with a small Tupperware bowl waiting to catch her urine. She had never been to a clinic before and had called to see if they could do a pregnancy test. As she sat there, she prayed. She wasn’t a church-goer. In fact, her parents never spoke of God. Yet she regularly was moved to pray. She didn’t know what it meant to trust God or receive justification through faith in Jesus. She just knew she needed to pray. She had prayed for a lot of things over the years. For her mom to stop hitting her. For her dad to speak to her. For her brother to stop tormenting her. She didn’t know if God was listening but she kept praying.
As she sat there praying for mercy – because that’s what would have to happen – she swore she would change her ways. She made empty promises, begging to not be pregnant. And just as she began to capture a sample, her period started. God had not only granted her mercy but also mercy on her potential child. For had she been pregnant she most assuredly would have aborted it.
That girl was me. I didn’t deserve His mercy. I was living in sin, regularly. I created my own set of rules – a false sense of “righteousness.” I deserved the punishment. I deserved to have to face a difficult choice and live with it for the rest of my life. But He showed mercy. I’ve remembered that day for the past 39 years like it was yesterday. But how many times have I failed to show others that same mercy?
“Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom, because judgement without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgement.”
James 2:12-13
I was recently listening to a podcast by Joyce Meyer. She spoke about not being mediocre. Mediocre is halfway between being a failure and being successful. The work of not being mediocre is constantly seeking knowledge, constantly improving ourselves. So, the other day I set about creating a Christian definitions list. We sit in church, listen to podcasts, read devotionals but how many times do we hear buzz words or theology that we just don’t grasp? Here’s my starting list:
Righteousness: our outward appearance of God’s truth. Our actions and our words. It’s important to note that without the ingredient of God’s truth we create a “false, man-made righteousness.” (2Tim 3:16)
Sanctification: the process by which the Holy Spirit molds us into Jesus’ image (1Thes 4:1)
Justification: when we pronounce our faith in Jesus Christ and we are instantly saved. (Gal 2:16)
Grace: simply put, God’s favor and kindness towards us. And He shows us grace in different ways:
Salvation Grace: is when our freedom was purchased through Jesus’ blood (Eph 2:8)
Numerous Grace: God forgives me each time I sin (Rom 6:14)
Forgiveness Grace: When God helps me to forgive others (James 4:6)
New Grace: each day I have the opportunity to begin again (Heb 13:25)
Freedom Grace: I am free to forget about other people’s opinions and just be me (1Cor 15:10)
Future Grace: God has promised to be with me at all times (Heb 4:16)
Mercy: when we are not given the punishment we deserve. (PS 40:11-13)
When I wrote all this down I received clarity of the amazing work God, through His Holy Spirit, does in each of us. But most of all I thought about mercy. I understood that God forgives us each time we fall into the traps of sin. We all have been in the situation Paul lamented when he wrote the following:
Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am!
Romans 7:21-24
Each and every day we find ourselves sinning – worried about money, hoarding our gifts, being judgmental and unkind to others, unforgiving of our loved ones or even strangers. Gossiping, stealing, or even hating or causing injury to others. There is only one being to have ever walked this earth that didn’t need God’s grace, forgiveness and mercy – Jesus.
Charles Spurgeon wrote in his prayer “Deliver Us From Evil about mercy.
“We come for mercy, great God. It must always be our first request, for we have sinned against a just and holy law of which our consciences approve. We are evil, but Your law is holy and just and good. We have offended knowingly.”
Charles Spurgeon
I knew having sex outside of marriage was wrong. I knew having unprotected sex outside of marriage was stupid. And yet I did it time after time. God gifted me with mercy over and over. He also gifted me with mercy when He delivered the right man to me to become my husband. I didn’t deserve him. I was a mess. After 31 years of marriage I still thank God my husband has stuck with me as I erase the ways I learned while outside of God’s justification. And I know now, it’s time for me to pick up my part of the bargain.
Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy.
Matthew 5:7
I’m grateful that God flipped this admonition. He has done it with so many of us. He has shown us the mercy we didn’t deserve. We need to pass that glorious gift along to others. There are those in our lives that we hope to fail, that we wish ill will, that we hope will “get their just due.” Aren’t we thankful that God doesn’t think the same about us?
For about two years I worked as a substitute in a high school office. I job-shared for a woman who was completing her counseling certification. There were two positions like mine. When the other position was filled with a young woman I was encouraged by her enthusiasm. She was full of ideas and brought a cheery face to the job. And then she started being late every day. At times she wouldn’t even show up. When she did show up, I would find her on Facebook or on personal phone calls. Her failings impacted my job. I became bitter because, hey, I was just a substitute. Why should I have to make up for her issues when she was an actual employee? I found myself driving to work dreading what was to come. I actually prayed she would get hit by a bus so I wouldn’t have to deal with her anymore. Yes, I did that.
The turmoil got so bad I considered quitting. But I knew that would leave others, whom I considered friends, in a difficult situation. Three months in, I sat at an intersection on the way to work. It was a long red light. The Holy Spirit descended on me in the car. I had my Perspective Change Moment. What I should have been doing all along was praying for God to intervene positively in her life. I could have left her to do two people’s jobs and/or complain endlessly to the supervisor, but I needed to show mercy and love. So, I prayed every day for the next week that God would resolve the problem. For God to help her. For God to take control. The peace that came over me was amazing!
After that one week she resigned. And a good friend of mine who had been a finalist for the job previously was hired. God is good. God is forgiving. God, thankfully, is merciful. I love this quote by Christopher Columbus about mercy:
I am a most noteworthy sinner, but I have cried out to the Lord for grace and mercy, and they have covered me completely. I have found the sweetest consolation since I made it my whole purpose to enjoy His marvelous presence.
To whom do you need to show mercy? How has God been merciful to you?
My husband used to watch The Sopranos religiously. I for one, have never enjoyed any mob-related tv show or movie. The reason being is in order for the “Mob” to be successful it requires a willing citizenry to, at best, look away or at its worst, show favoritism. Never has there been more a blatant example than the Italian Mafia and the Catholic Church. Until recently the mafia had unfettered access to the church in Italy. Many priests would almost be part of the “family.” And why? There lies the question of favoritism.
“My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism.”
James 2:1
James goes on to ask the reader what they would do if you saw a beggar and a rich man enter your church. Who would get the seat of honor? And why? It’s typical for churches to seat VIPs front and center. But did you know churches didn’t have places to sit for about 1,400 years? During the protestant reformation, churches began selling boxes to the wealthy for them to sit in, along with their families and special guests. The poor still had to stand at the back. And of course, there’s the private wings so common throughout Italian churches where wealthy families have their patriarch’s painting and own altar. It’s as though the entire biblical message about favoritism had been lost.
The underlying theme of favoritism comes down to a perceived value — real or imagined. Yes, we can say people are afraid of the mob. But they sure did love the money those mafia families provided the Italian churches and other communities in which they currently operate. Favoritism also is born of the desire for power or fame. Which results in, typically, more money.
“Privileged groups work for greater power consolidation through favoritism.”
Bryant McGill, Voice of Reason
In other words, we humans love to have other humans adore us and vice versa. We favor those we think can provide us more wealth and power. This is not based on race, color, etc. If someone has what we desire, we’ll cozy up to them. It’s not reserved for just adult relationships. “Stage moms,” “dance moms,” “band dads,” “pool parents” are just some examples of how we adults use children to elevate ourselves. We make sure our kid is friends with the best athlete on the team so they can be “in.” Or we just promote our kid to anyone who will listen, thereby rubbing some shine on us.
Love of wealth can foster the sin of favoritism
The dangers of favoritism and the sins it fosters can been seen throughout the Bible. Stories of brotherly jealousy (Joseph and that coat!), wives wanting to be favored (Rachael and Leah), kings worried about losing power (Saul vs David) and whole churches fighting over leadership (Corinth) all include favoritism within.
And yet it’s God’s words that tell us to treat people equally – even our slaves. We are admonished to “Treat your slaves in the same way (as the slaves are to treat their masters). Do not threaten them, since you know that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven and there is no favoritism in him.” Note, the subject of slavery was different at that time. Many people sold themselves into slavery to pay off debts or even to be under a “master” who would take care of all their needs. Even professionals – such as doctors, artists, etc – sometimes made this choice.
The funny thing about God is He is always looking for ways to teach us and get us to see His truth of Love, Mercy and Forgiveness. Like showing favoritism to a mobster, the true consequences are what we would normally wish to avoid. Frequently the person or group receiving the favor will then wield that power and authority over you. We see this when Jesus speaks in the synagogue.
“Beware of the teachers of the Law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.”
Luke 20:46
And all the people bowed to them as they walked around like “cock of the walks.” Showing them favoritism while spitting on Jesus. But here’s the result:
“They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished severely.”
Today we favor celebrities, overlooking all their sins. For a glance from them some would pay any price. We favor famous pastors and pretend we don’t see how they twist scripture. We favor politicians because they know how to say just the right things to make us feel good, even though their years of actions are in direct opposition to us. We favor certain races because its “socially aware.” We might favor one of our children or a teacher, a student in our class, a player on the team we coach, or someone with a higher status. But we must also be aware that favoritism toward what we’d think wouldn’t be in this category is wrong — toward the perceived “lesser.” Those that expend hate for the rich because of a supposed love for the poor are still in the wrong. What they get out of this type of outrage is a sense of piety. Even being a champion of the disabled while having disdain for able-bodied is not equality. It doesn’t matter if the subject of your favoritism is rich, poor, black or white, high or low in status, young or old, the Bible is clear — it’s wrong. The sin comes in what we expect out of that favoritism and what have we done to those “out” of our favor. It creeps into our lives sometimes without us being fully aware. And what’s worse, it can bring out hatred. We can feel jealously while still favoring others. People outside our little “clicks” feel left out, ignored or even abused.
“God does not show favoritism.”
Romans 2:11
It reminds me of a children’s book I once read and it helps me to put it all in perspective. It’s a reminder that everyone that day will poop. A very “undignified” and messy action that everyone, no matter their status, wealth, race, color or creed will undertake. The pope, the US president, Lebron James, Tom Brady, Oprah, Lionel Messi, Christina Aguilera, the mafia boss, your mayor, your pastor, your mother in law, the homeless person, you. Everybody poops. God did that. I think it’s one of His little winks.
Write down all the people or groups you tend to favor. Pray about how you can flip that script and treat people equally.
Even though I can pretty much talk to anyone at anytime I don’t particularly like to talk to people when I’m coming home on an airplane from visiting my daughter. I only get to see her about 4 times a year and when I leave her, I’m sad and contemplative. I prefer to put my headphones on and read a book. On one trip home, I sat next to a man who immediately started talking to me. I’m not sure how we got on the subject of God, the Bible and faith but he was prepped. He was ready to make sure I knew how much he knew about the “truth” of the Bible. He could quote any scripture that would back up his point of view. The trinity was false, according to him, because it promoted multi-theism. And on and on he went. When I would disagree, gently, he peppered me with more questions for which he already had answers. He was looking for ways to “catch” me with improper theology. It didn’t bother me. I’m always interested to hear more about the Bible. And I’m sure he wasn’t completely wrong. He just seemed to be taking scripture out of context. Towards the end, he started telling me about his church journey. He jumped from church to church based on obscure theological differences. He went from a large church, to a medium one, to a small gathering. He finally landed on his perfect church – the church of one. He called himself a “sabbathist.” He didn’t practice the sabbath on Sunday. It had to be Friday through Saturday. So, if you were thinking you could join his group of one, you’d better make sure you worshipped and followed the rules on the right day.
When we arrived in San Diego and exited the plane, I had one thought. I had just met a real life, modern day Pharisee. I had one regret. I realized, squeezed into that packed airplane there had to have been multiple people hearing our conversation (or at least him talking since he did most of it). The opportunity I missed was to stop talking doctrine and scripture and ask him the most important question, “But do you love Jesus?” In that 3 ½ hours on the plane he never spoke of being a true disciple of Jesus. He only spoke of following the Mosaic law. I missed the chance to introduce him to the Royal Law – the Law of Love.
Pharisees cared more about strictly following Mosaic rules than they did about the idea behind God’s Word
This week James takes us through additional, difficult subjects: favoritism (yes, we all do it), loving our neighbor (even the gay couple), mercy (we all want it), and deeds (without being a “church lady”). He recognizes that when we try to live by Mosaic Law alone, it’s like playing a game of “whack-a-mole.” When we stop doing one thing another sin pops up. We can never feel fully successful at living a sin-less life. But what we can do is love one another.
Warren Wiersbe says this about James 2 and the steps we are to take to go from being a “baby Christian” to a mature Christian:
“Immature people talk about their beliefs, but the mature person lives his faith. Hearing God’s Word and talking about God’s Word can never substitute for doing God’s word.”
Warren Wiersbe, New Testament Bible Commentary
Each of last week’s topics — trials, wisdom, listening, and living a clean life — were the personal building blocks for what James calls us to this week. Without faith that God is ever present in our trials, without wisdom to discern what God calls us to, when we don’t listen to God, and when we give into immoral situations we continue to live by this world’s standards.
“Show me your faith without deeds and I will show you my faith BY my deeds.”
James 2:18
James tells us we are called for something better. We need to be living outside the box, not trapped inside. First up tomorrow we will delve deeper into what following Jesus’s Law of Love looks like when we treat people like God does – equally.
Have you ever met a modern-day Pharisee? What was your reaction? Do you find yourself trying to adhere to scripture but forget that one of the most important commandments is loving others?
One of my favorite types of tv shows are the ones where brave souls go in and clean out other people’s houses. In one show, just one room was to be completely re-done. The host would help the homeowner remove all the items from that room and put them out on their front lawn. There were three piles: Keep, Toss, Sell. I’m a confessed tv “back talker” so I yell at and talk to the tv all the time. What typically happens during these shows is I yell at the homeowner saying, “What on earth do you need that for?” or “That is the ugliest chair I have ever seen! Get rid of it!” I’m always mystified by the amount of junk people pile up in their homes and how difficult it is for them to get rid of it all – even under the threat of eviction or possibly social services removing their children.
Most of us look at a hoarder’s life and recognize how destructive it is. The filth, the squalor, the sheer quantity of stuff is appalling. We sit in judgement thinking, “I would never get to that point in my life.” The truth is a hoarder’s problem isn’t with the “stuff” it’s with their heart. Even on shows such as “Biggest Loser” we find most contestant’s real issues lie within their hearts, it’s just that they have turned to food to fix their pain.
“Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the Word planted in you, which can save you.”
James 1:21
Now doesn’t that sound easy? Just about as easy as a hoarder having to let go of the paper their 40 year old son wrote as a second grader. On day 1 James made it clear we would have trials and tribulations. Some of us have been physically or emotionally abused. Others have been neglected by loved ones. While others have experienced unbearable loss – of a child, a parent, a friend, a job, a home. And there are the multitudes whose dreams and hopes have yet to materialize. And yet none of those gives us license by God to sin, to bring “moral filth” into our lives.
Warren Wiersbe says this about filling our lives with immorality:
“For God to be able to use us as vessels we must be empty, clean, and available. He will take us and use us for His glory. But if we are filled with sin or defiled by disobedience, He will first have to purge us.”
Purge us. That is the death we read about frequently in the Bible. In Matthew 16: 16, Jesus states this, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” We purge the world from our hearts and minds and live a life worthy of being God’s vessel.
Some might think this means we take away freedoms, we remove fun and laughter, we become like monks or nuns. But think back to a hoarder’s house that is now cleaned out. Or even your own house after a good purging and cleaning. We breathe a sigh, put our hands on our hips and declare, this is good, this is real good. We even start imagining being able to invite our friends over for dinner, new uses for that now empty cupboard, or how easy it is to find what you need. We feel a sense of freedom, of joy, of completeness.
It may be hard work but a clean house sure feels good!
Now take that same feeling and apply it to our other actions or decisions. Do you have that same sense? When we are unforgiving, rude, vengeful, deceitful, unfaithful, untrustworthy, does that give you the same feelings of joy?
One of the reasons we might not take a stand against the filth infiltrating our lives is the fear of man. In fact, the disciple Peter was a great example of this. He talked a good talk about being faithful to Jesus and the other disciples. But when it came time to stand firm, he chose to protect himself. He was afraid of what servant girls would think or do to him if he confirmed he was a disciple. And yet, in John 18:15 the story clearly states “another disciple” also stood with Jesus in front of his accuser. That unnamed disciple wasn’t afraid of man. He wasn’t afraid to declare himself a follower of Jesus. What in your life do you know is wrong, is moral filth, and yet you are afraid of the people around you attacking you or judging you should you declare it would no longer be a part of your life?
Dietrich Bonhoeffer once said about constantly fighting the battle against the moral filth of the world, “When all is said and done the life of faith is nothing if not an unending struggle of the spirit with every weapon against the flesh.” Meaning just like a severely overweight person who needs to battle their demons to help them lose weight, the road to cleaning our hearts and minds is constant and challenging.
Even Nelson Mandela said,
“I am not a saint, unless you think of a saint as a sinner who keeps on trying.”
So how do we go about this cleansing? We definitely don’t want to be like the Pharisees that Matthew admonishes in 23:25, “You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.” Remembering that James is written to people who profess to be Christians, we need a heart and mind change, not just a physical one.
Have a conversation with God: We already know some of the areas of our life that don’t measure up to God’s desires for us. But He may also reveal other areas that we have hidden away, possibly underlying causes for our behavior and actions. Ask Him to shine a light on your “moral filth.” Ask him to take it away. Ask him to strengthen you. Ask Him first thing in the morning to set up your day for success. Ask Him to help you as you encounter your trouble areas, thank Him for His protection.
“In the morning Lord you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.”
Psalm 5:3
Listen to God: He speaks to us through His Word, the Holy Bible so read it and study it like any other self-help book. Write down passages that speak to your particular issues and needs. He speaks to us through other people. There are probably people in your life already telling you what areas need to be cleansed. Stop being defensive and start being thankful! God whispers to us directly and guides us. If, as you’re walking into the bar you know you shouldn’t and that voice keeps telling you to go home, then go home. Stop ignoring Him.
“I will listen to what God the lord says; he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants.”
Psalm 85:8
Act on His Words: We all know people whose lives are a mess. They’ve heard the message over and over about how to fix their lives. The part that’s missing is just doing it. When we absolutely know we shouldn’t text that person and yet do it anyway we dismiss God’s will. The recognition that God is the most powerful, all seeing, all knowing being must be part of our lives. We can’t hide from God. We can think we are deceiving Him but we aren’t. He is our “over watch,” – He looks ahead and see the enemy’s position and provides us protection. But if we choose to take a different path we put ourselves in danger.
“Turn from evil and do good; then you will dwell in the land forever.”
Psalm 37:27
What is distracting you or holding you back from fully following Christ? What rooms in your life need to be purged and left clean? Ask God for his loving spotlight to shine in every recessed area. Listen for His guidance. And walk with faith and strength knowing He is guiding you.
What is an area that you are struggling with the most when it comes to following Christ?
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