James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
Such a challenge all wrapped up in one verse. A call to action. To take care to the orphan and the widow, to care for those in the world has forgotten and left behind. Such a challenge. There a so many times when we are caught up in our own world to even notice those the world has forgotten much less to take the time to care for them in some capacity. So challenge number one CARE. care for those forgotten by the rest of the world. Show them that God has not forgotten them and they are loved.
the second half of the verse what a struggle keep from being polluted by the world. How can I do this the world is all around. I mean I live in the world how can I stop from being polluted by it. Well I have no answer for you. I struggle with this daily. How fitting I read two things today that may help. One was a friends status Colossians 3:2 and the other was a friends blog post check it out here. Read those things but the bottom line is we have to find a way to elevate our thoughts to the things above. Set our sights on God and don't let the world change that.
It is a hard balance if you can even call it that. To live here and care for people here but try and be unaffected by the evils of this place. I love the call of the first half of the verse and the challenge of the second is something I will continue to struggle with. But the struggle is a good thing it means I am fighting to stop the pollution and that is better than giving up and allowing it to cover me. So accept the call of the first half and fight for the second half.
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Words
Still camped out in the beginning of James. James 1 & 3 both talk about the power of the tongue and the importance of taming it. Here is the thing I think I often read this and think I shouldn't swear. How can praise for God come out of something made impure by "bad" words? But it is deeper than that. So many other things also flow out of my mouth gossip, talking about about a co-worker, ect. James 1: 26 takes this serious it says those who cannot control their mouth deceives themselves and their religion is worthless. Later in James 3 it says the tongue is restless evil and full of deadly poison.
Words are powerful, they can build up or kill a person, they can bring God praise or hurt someone created in His image. Our words are meaningful as much as we like to think they can have a limited impact words are far reaching they stick in peoples mind. We all have things we wish we didn't say or can't forget someone said to us.
Challenge for life: control your words, let only the productive, uplifting, praise worthy words flow from our mouths
Words are powerful, they can build up or kill a person, they can bring God praise or hurt someone created in His image. Our words are meaningful as much as we like to think they can have a limited impact words are far reaching they stick in peoples mind. We all have things we wish we didn't say or can't forget someone said to us.
Challenge for life: control your words, let only the productive, uplifting, praise worthy words flow from our mouths
Belief
Lots of random things going through my head this morning. I have the morning off and wanted to spend some time reading the Bible. I am trying to read through the Bible in chronological order right now and have been working on this task for quite some time now. Anyway today I was to read the first part of James. I love the book of James it is one of my favorites.
I am reading James and within the first few verses I am hit with something. Belief. This is something I learned a lot about when I was in Kenya. This mornings reading took me back to it. We have to believe. In James 1:6 It is talking about asking for wisdom from God. It says we must ask and believe and not doubt. But that is had to do. We so often doubt that God will deliver on the things we ask. We put little clauses or outs in our prayers, such as "if it is your will..." But were is the belief in that. WE are just creating outs incase it doesn't happen (because we think it might not this is also known as doubt) then it is ok because it just must not have been his will. But what if it didn't happen because you were doubting. I think a better solution to creating outs is to dig deeper in the the word and fellowship with God. The deeper we go the more we know him and know his will. If we are asking for things that are of him and that he promises us in this word then if we ask with confidence and belief we will receive. I have seen it happen.
We have to get past out disbelief and start to believe in the power of God always. Have confidence in this Word and His promises and he will deliver. So go give it a try find the things God promises in the Bible and pray confidently for those things you will receive.
I am reading James and within the first few verses I am hit with something. Belief. This is something I learned a lot about when I was in Kenya. This mornings reading took me back to it. We have to believe. In James 1:6 It is talking about asking for wisdom from God. It says we must ask and believe and not doubt. But that is had to do. We so often doubt that God will deliver on the things we ask. We put little clauses or outs in our prayers, such as "if it is your will..." But were is the belief in that. WE are just creating outs incase it doesn't happen (because we think it might not this is also known as doubt) then it is ok because it just must not have been his will. But what if it didn't happen because you were doubting. I think a better solution to creating outs is to dig deeper in the the word and fellowship with God. The deeper we go the more we know him and know his will. If we are asking for things that are of him and that he promises us in this word then if we ask with confidence and belief we will receive. I have seen it happen.
We have to get past out disbelief and start to believe in the power of God always. Have confidence in this Word and His promises and he will deliver. So go give it a try find the things God promises in the Bible and pray confidently for those things you will receive.
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