James 1:19-25 "My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to
listen, slow to speak and slow to become
angry, because human
anger does not produce the righteousness that
God desires. 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. Do not merely listen to the word,
and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it
says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away
and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives
freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what
they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do."
Wow.... I shutter to think how many times I've
open my mouth to speak without REALLY listening to the other person... and most
of the time, it was in anger. Then when I actually listen to the what the other
person is trying to say, I have to apologize (open mouth, insert foot - because
I just became a heel). The fruits of the Spirit are what? Oh, love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. "WHAT!! But, You don't
know what they did or said to me, God!! They deserved all of that and them
some. You expect me to just take that crap from someone without fighting
back???" And the Lord comes back with, "I did." Oh.....
So what Father wants is for us to empty ourselves
of all the junk we've been carrying around with us all our lives - 'get rid of
the moral filth and the evil' that's inside of you. Why would we WANT to keep
that stuff anyway? For protection, for self-medicating, for our own comfort....
for what?? The Lord has been planting His Word in us from the moment we started
reading His Word and listening to Him. Those seeds are GROWING into beautiful
plants and all that other stuff is going to have to go somewhere... it might as
well be out! If not, all that junk will begin to choke out the beauty that God
has already given us.
Is it scary. Yep. Some of us have carried things
for so long, we think it's who we are.... those things have just become a part
of us like our eyes and hands are a part of us. "Well, what is it going look
like if I give Him these things? Who am I going to be? What will happen to
me... the emptiness, the confusion - it will overwhelm me and I won't be able to
handle it." Jesus says, "You can do ALL things through ME - because I am
strengthening YOU (Philippians 4:13) for such a time as this (Esther 4:14). You
are not alone (Hebrews 13:5). I will not leave you comfortless (Isaiah 66:13).
You will be filled with ME (Ephesians 5:18). You will have MY mind (I
Corinthians 2:16 YOU are MORE than a conqueror through ME (Romans 8:37)!"
Well, alrighty then. That about sums it
up.
Our God is FOR us, not against us. Read His
Word, but don't just do it 'because I have to do my devotions' :) Do it because
you want to learn more about how we're supposed to live out this new life that
God has put in us through Jesus. Do what He says to do. Don't do what He says
not to do. His Words are ALIVE and bring FREEDOM.
For Such A Time As This - Wayne Watson
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