The person in the mirror

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.  James 1:23-24 NIV

The person in the mirror, who is this individual? Is this person the one who speaks a truth but does not apply it to their own life? Is it the person who corrects another with a swift tongue, poignant word, and focus goal but does not accept this from another? Maybe this person is the one who, believes it is important and necessary to follow all the rules, policies, procedures, until it does not benefit them? The problem is we have all been this individual, at one time or another. But let us look at this phenomenon in light of the verses above.

The verses speak of a person who listens to the word but does not do what it says. Taken literally, it means you don’t apply the information you say, you gained and understood. It does not stick or stay with you after the impartation takes place. We are not doers. The questions that comes to mind, then what was gathered, gained? Why do it? We Christian are a funny lot; we have not understood the Father is looking for doers of the word, not just gathers of the word. Looking for those who does knows and applies, not just have it to say, ‘I know’. Neither is He looking for the person, who only does when they feel like it because Christianity is not about a feelings, although it evokes cornucopia of feelings in us.

The problem does not lie with the word, it lies with the people. We want to teach, preach, or be exegetical, without having to apply, implement, transform. For some reason, excuses are provided for why we didn’t, why we don’t, or unable to do so. Yet, the bible states this -  "To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified." Isa. 61:3 KJV. So, what are we afraid of, ‘man’s, response, or we do live with a lie about who we are, therefore, we cannot be true to no man? So, who is the person in the mirror? Is it the person who lives in duplicity because it easy, and no one ever bothers you? Or you the person who, gets this statement made by the Son - Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— ²⁸ just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. Matt. 20:26-28 NIV – with such gravity warm tears form from the depths of your soul, the body quakes, the mind hears the angels sing GLORY, and the heart knows, I am here to serve what you will, I will!. …Your choice, your life…choose well

Standards and Expectation: Yours, minds, and ours

Isaiah 55:8-9 – “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Standards and expectations - yours, minds, and ours, what we all use to justify our behaviors, works, and/or deeds done. But there are times, more than I would like to count, we speak with fork tongue, or with a double standard- ‘do what I say, not as I do’ – this has not work in years but it is still being used...(shaking my head)… We have create these standards and expectation for our life, as if we have the market on what should or should not be, and become horrid if someone challenges us by not following or adhere to what we believe should be. However, I am not saying there is not some universal truths out there for all to follow, but I am talking about those things that keep friends/family/races/faith apart. The things, we cannot substantiate with nothing but ‘this is just right’, or ‘this is the way it done’ , or traditions because far too many people are going to jail, the grave, and hell over this, and living in enmity with one another for these reason…really, I thought did or did not the word state…Romans 12:9 – Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord… The sad thing is, as time passes, we forget why, we only have the anger, the pain, the hurt, the separation, the negative feeling keeping us company, as our pride keeps us from crossing the great divide. As Christian, we got to do better…(shaking my head).   

See, despite our desire, we can only control one thing: our actions. Nothing more. Nothing less. The same goes for everyone else. As humans, all we can truly control are our actions. The difference between where you are right now and where you want to be as an individual, in life is your thoughts, your belief, your heart, your actions. They are all under the individual’s control, but that's enough. To change your life, or change the world you must control and change you from the inside out.  But here is the problem: most of us don’t truly control those things in our life. Instead we relinquish the control to the natural flow of the world around us- we react to stuff as it comes instead of thinking and responding – based on the some past story or a generational or negative cycle that has been unconsciously and seamlessly interwoven into our lives. And we sit waiting for everyone else to see, we are the right ones and they are wrong. The problem is we all have short comings. We fail to realize, if the other person changes, and we don’t, we still have the problem. We must do the changing, each and every one of us. And us religious folk, we got it bad.

Religiosity gives people some belief they have the market on good, wise, right, true, and important. Really!? The problem is we are not perfect. How can we have the market on this….sigh…What I do know is this, our ways are not God’s, and we cannot decipher His infinite sagacious majestic wisdom.  For we cannot hold to this truth, that would keeps us Christian out of the madness – John 3:16-17 -  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. How did we get it so wrong!...If we just get these verses instilled in our minds, hearts and souls, our personal life would change tremendously. ..It is important, it is wise… I am working on it, how about you?... Your choice, choose well?

Criticism

I receive an email from a friend today of a daily devotion, and it spoke of Godly response to criticism using Proverbs 15:31-33. The first thing the author states is no one like criticism…lol…Yeah, he is right. However, I have long accepted it to be part of God’s refining process in order to develop us into the person, He designed us to be. As well as it comes from the learned and the unlearned, the expected and the unexpected, and also, from those look up to me…smiling… My issue, pet peeve is not the criticism. It is today and always been (once I understood) the timeliness of the delivery, the intent of the person providing it because they provide the stinger, not the words.

What I have come to understand is this, things look the same but they are not. However, we emotional are beings who have ravished on the plate of protecting, not showing weakness, or fear of being wrong, we miss the importance of proper usage of criticism. We tend to run from it when it involves someone we love, until we want to make a point to them about something. Yet, when it is someone we don’t care about, we use it to hurt them, to show them up, or to show our superiority. Finally, we use it to show how smart or gifted we are.If you have prove it, will it matter to the person who does not believe... I think, Christ taught us that...wink

God never meant for this to be the case. Reproof yes, but not intentional hurt. We have once again taken what God meant for good, and used it far too many times, for evil. We broken, lost, and confused lot are we, let our man’s logic supersedes God divine order. Then we wonder why does it hurt so bad to hear, to endure, to accept, or to deliver. We have lost the true intent of the reproof. See it is like this, me asking you to do what I want you to do, and me seeking the best for you. They may look the same, but they are not the same. One desires your best for you, while the other does not. Or when we have to hurt to help, rather than hurt for destruction. We have to say no, because we know it is the best, but it hurts the receiver.Yes, all things work together but no one likes to be beat up everyday, at every encounter with us...

The same is correct of criticism. Constructive criticism and condemning criticism are clothed in the same, but their intent is as different as Godly love and man’s.  As Christian, we got to do better because iron sharpening iron but it also give off sparks. Who wants to constantly live like that, not me! When will we learn to love, with the love we were commissioned to give; you just have to live to get it. Hold a trust that is unshakable because of its depths, and a hope which silence any spectators wondering, if it is real. Then, and only then shall we see criticism in it true form, and accept the reproof with an attentive ear, an open heart, and silence mouth….

For is this not true – John 3:17- For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (NIV).. So should we, as Christians.. just sayin’… J

My rambling

As I look the debates of the day over sexual orientation, faith, race, etc, and it is mostly coming from people who say they are believers. I struggle, I sit back in amazement, and mull over the audacity of our arrogance. We seem to pick and choose what in the holy script, inspired word of God, the bible, is applicable to us, me. If we really read the bible, we would see the worse of worse, and the best of the best.

 We ostracized, when we should tryto find a way in, to win souls toward God. Yet, we seemed to be willing to be best known for our negative position, rather than our godly disposition. We are willing to fight, go to war, and live in enmity, than to cross the line to reach in toward another to teach one because he or she does not meet up to our expectations. The question I have is – who are we to put up a standard, when we ourselves have fallen short, and each day we fall shorter as we build our lives on a foundation riddle with self-doubt, veneer beautiful covering a narcissistic, self-involved spirit. Where we cannot reach beyond what we see, what we have been taught, or what we feel, because it challenges who we are as a person, or it means people will questioned my truth. See, we don’t get it, light drives out darkness in a room, and in a heart. The question is not whether we should let others who are different than us, whether it is SGL or another faith, it whether we are willing to  do what God has commissioned every person  who are followers of Christ to do – John 13:34-35-  “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (NIV).

The simple fact is, we can’t because there is no room in our world or word to release us. We are not sold out to Christ.  See when you are sold out to someone or something. No one changes you, ask any sold out Dallas Cowboy or Houston Texans or Chicago bull, or Boston Red Sox fans. Come hell or high water, they are not moved. Yet, us Christian, we stop short of giving all when it come to the Father's will which is not our way or on our agenda of right. See, when you love there is no room for hate, there is no room for pointing fingers because if the truth be told your biblical belief stand is found more on your personal preferences, upbringing, and fear of the unknown, more than it does on God’s word. See the lion and the lamb can sit together, and if they are taught from babes…wink….God is great, and amazingly awesome.

So, I petition God to give me the wisdom to see beyond my visible eyes to embrace His spiritual wonderment and truths. And though no one go with me, I will follow… How about you…John 20:29 - Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” NIV

'Follow me'

Matthew 4:19 - And he said unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men (KJV)

I heard this sermon about baptism this past weekend, but the thing that stuck with me was the ‘follow me’ statement quoted from the bible in the verse above. ‘Follow me’ two words which means a lot more than we think. When you tell someone, you will follow them, it does not mean if all my friends go, it’s popular, and/or it will make me part of the new trending ‘thing’. When you commit to follow, you go when no one else goes; you go when it is not popular, and when it gets you no cool points. However, it is not a decision you make because an emotional high, where you felt good because there will come a time when the high is gone. Follow me is a commitment to go, because it represents an outward expression of an internal compass drawing you to a truth within you.

I don’t believe Christ meant for his words ‘follow me’ to result in an identification of a group who would not work for Him, or without furthering the agenda of the Father. For the rest of the verse speaks of making you do something. It does not speak of just being, but also doing. See, when we commit to following Christ it not something you can hand down through generations and generations, it is a personal choice; we all must make. The only thing that can be handed down like an heirloom is the teaching of righteousness through our living, giving, and being. How we live everyday in real time day-to-day, owning our imperfections. Where we show our truth, the willingness to forgive others of wrong doing, and the heart to walk away without keeping bitterness, disappointment, and hurt as souvenirs of the many battles encountered at different interactions. Christ teaches, and taught us after fallen, forgiveness follows because it frees. Follow me is the relinquishing of fears and doubts, and walking in the promise of the inheritance of the blessings of Abraham.

‘Follow me’ is the awareness of what is important to the Father, is important to me, and I will pursue it though no one comes with me. Following Christ is a solitary decision resulting resulting in a group association but all still have freewill to do, or not to do; our choice. It is not considered groupthink, but rather God-focus.