James 2:1 "My brothers, do not show favortism as you hold on to the faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ" Wow - do you show favoritism in anything - your children, nieces, nephews, or friends? How about our lifestyles and those of others? I think God's word makes it clear that we are not to show favortism and that God sets that example. (Romans 2:11)
Even more often I think what happens in our day to day lives is that we look at things around us that we desire to have, or people that are different and things that they have and try to adjust our lives to fit, then we say, 'Oh God would want me to have this' or 'Oh God would want me to be like this'. What we are really doing is putting God into the box that we think He should be in, instead of living the life that He has put in front of us. God wants us to be who He made us to be. He wants us to be faithful to what He has called us to do. Yes we can have things. Yes we can do things. Yes we have give things to our family and friends. But, we are not to put ourselves, our families, our friends above anyone else.
When I teach in a classroom I stress to my students that we are all alike. I don't see one student as being any different than another. I don't see a different skin color, a different socioeconomic background, etc. What I see is a student that needs to learn. I work to build a sense of community within the classroom, a sense of respect and cohessiveness. Typically it takes 21 days to build the routine in the classroom. If you have a break in that 21 days, you have to start over. I have been blessed to hear from students years after they left my classroom room that they had been successful and that sense of respect and community was carried through with their mindset. Did this work everytime - no, but did we try - yes! Was there favortism - no! This is a securlar example, carrying out a godly principle.
I guess if you are going to show favortismis should be in one place - in our faith to Jesus Christ!
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Thursday, May 3, 2012
How do you view trials?
I have to admit that week two, day one's lesson really made an impact on me when I did this study the first time. Doing the study the second time, made me fall down on my knees and praise God for being my Savior and allowing me to learn something every time I open His Word!
It was late February when I was doing week two the first time, and one of the questions asked me to talk about a recent time of hardship. I felt I was in a period of down time in my life right then. A year before I took my mom to the hospital with a severe fall, which ultimately ended in the final two weeks of her life. So at the time I was doing this week of the study I was reliving the final couple of weeks of my mom's life. I had cared for my mom day in and day out for many, many months, before she passed away. It was difficult to lose her and a year later, I was defintely, and am still, missing her. One of the next questions asked me to describe in colors the hardship - I said blue and white - blue for the grief and white for the security of Christ's salvation and knowing that one day I'll be with my mom again.
Late in April, I'm doing week two again, with another group of ladies, and I come across these questions and as I answer this question and I think well, this time I'm facing back surgery for the second time in two years. The colors I chose blue and green - blue for safety of my home that God has blessed me with (the color of my living room walls) and green the color of the beautiful trees that I see each day as I am able to sit with my dad on the porch and look at God's creations as I recover!
James 1:2-3 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, becasue you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance."
Do you consider the trials, hardships, whatever you would describe what you have gone through, are going through or will go through, "pure joy"? As a child of God do you realize that these are times that we learn and grow. Do you realize these are times that God can prune us? Do you realize that as Beth Moore told us these are times that we become reapers! We have an opportunity to become reapers of God's blessings. A year ago, I sat beside my mother's bed and read John 15 to her over and over. I shared with her with I was going to say at a women's conference a month after she passed away. I was able to share with her what God was doing in my life and I didn't even really know what He was doing. What a blessing. I wasn't robbed. This year as I recover from a second back surgery, I am blessed by a family of sisters and brothers in Christ that have provided meals for my family so that my husband doesn't have to cook while I recover. I am blessed by a family of sisters and brothers in Christ that are praying for me to be completely healed from a problem that I have dealt with physically for some time. I'm not being robbed. I am reaping blessing upon blessing.
How will you view the next hardship or trial you face? Will your faith develop perseverance? Ask God to grow your faith! I'm praying for God to grow mine.
It was late February when I was doing week two the first time, and one of the questions asked me to talk about a recent time of hardship. I felt I was in a period of down time in my life right then. A year before I took my mom to the hospital with a severe fall, which ultimately ended in the final two weeks of her life. So at the time I was doing this week of the study I was reliving the final couple of weeks of my mom's life. I had cared for my mom day in and day out for many, many months, before she passed away. It was difficult to lose her and a year later, I was defintely, and am still, missing her. One of the next questions asked me to describe in colors the hardship - I said blue and white - blue for the grief and white for the security of Christ's salvation and knowing that one day I'll be with my mom again.
Late in April, I'm doing week two again, with another group of ladies, and I come across these questions and as I answer this question and I think well, this time I'm facing back surgery for the second time in two years. The colors I chose blue and green - blue for safety of my home that God has blessed me with (the color of my living room walls) and green the color of the beautiful trees that I see each day as I am able to sit with my dad on the porch and look at God's creations as I recover!
James 1:2-3 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, becasue you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance."
Do you consider the trials, hardships, whatever you would describe what you have gone through, are going through or will go through, "pure joy"? As a child of God do you realize that these are times that we learn and grow. Do you realize these are times that God can prune us? Do you realize that as Beth Moore told us these are times that we become reapers! We have an opportunity to become reapers of God's blessings. A year ago, I sat beside my mother's bed and read John 15 to her over and over. I shared with her with I was going to say at a women's conference a month after she passed away. I was able to share with her what God was doing in my life and I didn't even really know what He was doing. What a blessing. I wasn't robbed. This year as I recover from a second back surgery, I am blessed by a family of sisters and brothers in Christ that have provided meals for my family so that my husband doesn't have to cook while I recover. I am blessed by a family of sisters and brothers in Christ that are praying for me to be completely healed from a problem that I have dealt with physically for some time. I'm not being robbed. I am reaping blessing upon blessing.
How will you view the next hardship or trial you face? Will your faith develop perseverance? Ask God to grow your faith! I'm praying for God to grow mine.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
How would you have reacted?
How do you think you would have reacted living in a household with Jesus? Do you think you would have known that something was different about Him? Do you think there would have been signs that He was God? Would you have asked questions? Would you have been jealous? I don't have answers to these questions, that's why I'm asking them!
When we first learn about James we see him as an unbeliever. He's the brother of Jesus - raised in the household with Jesus, under the same roof, yet he does not recognize Jesus as the Son of God. We know that after Jesus is resurrected He appears to James (1 Corinthians 15:4-7). What we don't know is what took place at this meeting. I can't wait to hear about this acount. What turned James around. Was a something like you and I encountered? Was it more? We know in Acts 1: 4-15 James is with others that followed Jesus - others that had followed Jesus for a long time.
How would you have felt in a meeting like this group of followers? Bring it to a real life today group - say you are asked to join a Bible study with a group of people from a church where you know a lot of people, but you don't attend the church where the study will be held. Do you feel apprehensive walking in the door? What holds you back? What makes you feel comfortable? My hope would be that in the situation of the Bible study, that the group, no matter where it's being held, would be open and welcoming, and would make all feel welcome to attend the Bible study to hear and learn the truth of God's word so they walk away changed. Don't you think that Jesus's followers' would desire this so much more! Who would have the problem at the meeting James or you, the one coming in. If James or you are being led by God to be in a specific place, that's a piercing of the heart that only God can do and only God can fill.
Sometimes being outside of our comfort zones is required in order for us to grow and become the leader that God intends us to be. I don't know how I would have responded to Jesus living in the same household with me. I would like to think I would have recognized Him as my Messiah, but I can't say that with confidence. What I do know, is that I have recognized Him as my Lord, my Savior, my Messiah, and I can't live a moment without Him. When He pierces my heart I have to move and I know He will fill every part of the opening.
When we first learn about James we see him as an unbeliever. He's the brother of Jesus - raised in the household with Jesus, under the same roof, yet he does not recognize Jesus as the Son of God. We know that after Jesus is resurrected He appears to James (1 Corinthians 15:4-7). What we don't know is what took place at this meeting. I can't wait to hear about this acount. What turned James around. Was a something like you and I encountered? Was it more? We know in Acts 1: 4-15 James is with others that followed Jesus - others that had followed Jesus for a long time.
How would you have felt in a meeting like this group of followers? Bring it to a real life today group - say you are asked to join a Bible study with a group of people from a church where you know a lot of people, but you don't attend the church where the study will be held. Do you feel apprehensive walking in the door? What holds you back? What makes you feel comfortable? My hope would be that in the situation of the Bible study, that the group, no matter where it's being held, would be open and welcoming, and would make all feel welcome to attend the Bible study to hear and learn the truth of God's word so they walk away changed. Don't you think that Jesus's followers' would desire this so much more! Who would have the problem at the meeting James or you, the one coming in. If James or you are being led by God to be in a specific place, that's a piercing of the heart that only God can do and only God can fill.
Sometimes being outside of our comfort zones is required in order for us to grow and become the leader that God intends us to be. I don't know how I would have responded to Jesus living in the same household with me. I would like to think I would have recognized Him as my Messiah, but I can't say that with confidence. What I do know, is that I have recognized Him as my Lord, my Savior, my Messiah, and I can't live a moment without Him. When He pierces my heart I have to move and I know He will fill every part of the opening.
Preplanned, Flexible, or Available - What is your Life Like?
Is your life preplanned? I mean down to every tiny detail? As a mom, you might think so. As a teen, you might think so. As a young adult, you might think so. But, really is your life preplanned. Do you do exactly what your mother did? Does your husband, or father, do exactly what his father did? Probably not. So to some degree, our lives are similar to what Mary and Joseph experienced - unexpected! Joseph and Mary were a typical Jewish couple that were to follow typical Jewish traditions with everything being planned out for them; Joseph would do what his father did as for a trade; Mary would do what her mother did - keep home and bear children! But then the unexpected happens - Mary is going to be the mother of the Messiah - the Lord Jesus Christ and Joseph was going to have to follow God's plan and be available for His leading.
What does flexible look like in your life? How does that differ from Mary and Joseph's life? What do you think God desires for your life? Does He want all flexability or availability?
What does flexible look like in your life? How does that differ from Mary and Joseph's life? What do you think God desires for your life? Does He want all flexability or availability?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)