James 1:12 "Blessed is the one
who perseveres under trial because, having stood
the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love
him."
Odd, how God changes our mind at the last minute about what He wants us to
say or do.... like today....
Yesterday, we were studying how faith develops
perseverance in us. In verses 6-8, James talks about asking God for wisdom to
walk in the way of the Lord. When we ask, to not doubt - there are two sins
that it seems all other sins hinge upon; one is unbelief and the other is
pride. If we doubt God is some areas and have strong faith in others, we are
divided... we are double-minded in out trust in Him. Thus, we our lives become
unstable - like plumb line swinging back and forth between pride and unbelief.
Pride in that we think we know better than God and hold onto our sin (whether
it's murder or self-hatred or lying or whatever). Unbelief because we just
can't seem to trust that God is for us and our greater good. No, that's not
entirely right - it's not that we can't trust Him, we WON'T trust Him.
Maybe we've been hurt once too many times in
certain areas that, we just won't open ourselves up again. Maybe we become
angry as a self-protection so that we won't be able to receive what He wants to
give us. Maybe we hurt so much that all of our sin and/or emotions (anger,
hatred, rage, malice, sadness, self-pity and a slew of others, including sin)
seem to be balled up in one big ball of rubber-bands that seems like it would
take forever to unravel. I'm not about the kind of colorful rubber-band ball we
can find at the store, but what we find when we take apart a golf ball - the
bland greyish brown rubber-bands).
The Bible says that the Word is a two-edged
sword. In Hebrews 4:12, God says, "For the word of God is alive and active.
Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul
and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the
heart."
I take this two ways:
One, while talking about the armor of
God, Ephesians 6 says that "the sword of the Spirit is the Word of God."
Two, John 1 says the Word of God
was/is Jesus. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning."
Who is 'He'?
Jesus. I my imagination, I see Him taking His Sword and cutting right down the
middle of that ball of rubber-bands - and pieces go flying everywhere. I think
sometimes, He does do that, but times than not, He gently slices through a few
at a time. This is where perseverance comes in and patience with the process,
with God and with ourselves. Once He gets through all the 'rubber-bands', guess
what He finds? A hard core that all of the rubber-bands were wrapped around.
This could be a stronghold, a vow, a demonic influence, a hardened heart, lies
that we've believed all our lives, the core trauma. All the rubber-bands were
just 'protecting' the core.
The trial in this
case going through the temptation to isolate, to medicate, to fight the Lord -
the process - those who genuinely are trying to help, to get as far away from
our Father, from Jesus - from whatever we THINK is causing us pain right now.
The rubber-bands breaking and exposing the vulnerable core only happens if we
say yes to freedom, if we want freedom there is a price to pay. To allow the
Lord the room to work out of us what and who REALLY caused the pain and to heal
and make whole. Standing doesn't mean we always have to be strong and tough,
standing sometimes means letting others in and around us to be the Body of
Christ in flesh... and to listen to the Lord as transforms that ugly scarred
core (like we find in the golf ball - because it does have all the lines from
the rubber-bands on it) and turns it into what He originally intended it to look
like - filling in those scars with different colors and making us into beautiful
brides of Christ.
THAT is 'the crown
of Life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him.'
Persevere, my
friends - please persevere - through the sin and all that the sin covered up.
There's freedom on the other side.
Dear X (You Don't
Own Me) - Disciple
Hold Fast -
MercyMe
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