My daughter calls it my "wise hair." I just call it gray...and believe me, I have lots of it. I used to toy with my brothers when their hair color changed to varying shades of salt & pepper, but this time when I see them again, I'm afraid the tables will be turned. What I could hide, at one time, underneath my dark brown covering, is now gloriously white and shining in the open for all to see.
That's okay. I think I'm gonna keep my "wise hair." It's growing on me...emotionally and literally.
Yet, no matter how much "wise hair" I have, it seems I'm always lacking on the "wise side." Sometimes I can't believe how I can make such ridiculous decisions in the heat of the moment. Because of that, I can't tell you how thrilled I am that Scripture has an answer for my lack of wisdom. James 1:5(NAS) tells us that "if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him."
"Ask for it," God says, "ask Me, and I'll give it to you."
How does that translate into real life? Well, here's a few examples. When kids are sick, ask for the wisdom on how to make them better. When kids are rebellious, ask for the wisdom to know how to draw their hearts back to God. When jobs are difficult places to be, ask for the wisdom to figure out how to make the workplace better. When there is no job, ask for the wisdom to know what to do. When all hope seems lost, ask for the wisdom to see the bigger picture. Or in my case, when you have a newspaper column due by Tuesday morning, and it's late Monday night, and you have nothing written, ask for the wisdom to know what to write about!
Oh, and get this - I love it that when we ask, He doesn't look at us and remind us that we haven't had our quiet time that day. He doesn't turn His head and stick His nose up in the air until we "do something" to appease the fact that we haven't spent any time with Him. Instead, He encourages us that He "gives to all generously and without reproach." That's just another way of saying that He doesn't point His finger at us. He LAVISHES His wisdom on us without "finding fault," - without an "I told you so" on His lips.
God has given us a beautiful invitation to come to Him and receive what we need to know. But there is one little catch - we simply have to believe that He will give us wisdom, when we ask for it. "But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord" (James 1:6,7).
There's a whole other blog post wrapped up in those verses. Maybe that will be for next week, but for now, I think I'd better stop here. But before I go, I have one question for you and for me in light of these verses we've looked at today - what's keeping you and me from asking for wisdom right now?
I agree - absolutely nothing.
Jesus, we know that You know all things and are fully aware of the big picture. However, we don't see it. We need wisdom today, Lord to be able to see with Your eyes how to respond in the situations that come about. We need Your help to "do life" today. We need to see clearly through the muddied water, and we trust that you will give us this wisdom generously and without reproach. Thank You that you love to respond to the prayers of Your children. We love You, Father, and we praise You.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Whom Do You Choose?
The World says, "It's okay to get angry and stay angry."
The Lord says, "Be angry and sin not." (Eph. 4:26)
The World says, "Pay back those who hurt you."
The Lord says, "Don't return evil for evil." (I Pet. 3:9)
The World says, "Hold a grudge, after all, they deserve it."
The Lord says, "Forgive as I have forgiven you." (Eph. 4:32)
The World says, "Hate those who hate you."
The Lord says, "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you." (Luke 6:27)
The World says, "There's no need to apologize. What's done is done."
The Lord says, "Leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift." (Matt. 5:24)
The World says, "Gossip really never hurt anyone who didn't deserve to be hurt."
The Lord says, "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. From the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way." (James 3:9,10)
The World says, "Christianity is rubbish...foolishness."
The Lord says, "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong." (I Cor. 1:27)
Father, help us to choose You today. When everything around us and in us screams, let us listen hard for Your still small voice that contradicts worldly advice. Thank You for communicating through Your Word and Your Spirit. You are truly amazing.
The Lord says, "Be angry and sin not." (Eph. 4:26)
The World says, "Pay back those who hurt you."
The Lord says, "Don't return evil for evil." (I Pet. 3:9)
The World says, "Hold a grudge, after all, they deserve it."
The Lord says, "Forgive as I have forgiven you." (Eph. 4:32)
The World says, "Hate those who hate you."
The Lord says, "Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you." (Luke 6:27)
The World says, "There's no need to apologize. What's done is done."
The Lord says, "Leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift." (Matt. 5:24)
The World says, "Gossip really never hurt anyone who didn't deserve to be hurt."
The Lord says, "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. From the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way." (James 3:9,10)
The World says, "Christianity is rubbish...foolishness."
The Lord says, "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong." (I Cor. 1:27)
Father, help us to choose You today. When everything around us and in us screams, let us listen hard for Your still small voice that contradicts worldly advice. Thank You for communicating through Your Word and Your Spirit. You are truly amazing.
Monday, September 12, 2011
Let the Graveclothes Lie
I've been thinking about graveclothes a lot lately. That might seem a little strange, but I promise there's a reason.
It all started when I read the account of Lazarus found in John 11. Scripture says Lazarus was Jesus' friend - His buddy, His pal, His comrade. So, when Lazarus got sick - to the point of death - his sisters did the only thing they knew to do. They called for Jesus. They knew the Savior wouldn't let His friend die, if He were there.
But by the time Jesus arrived, Lazarus had already been dead three days. The people were mourning. Lazarus' sisters were beside themselves. All seemed lost...UNTIL Jesus told them to remove the stone from the entrance of the tomb. Martha, Lazarus' sister, was shocked. Evidently she didn't think Jesus realized that Lazarus was beyond hope, so she decided to let Jesus in on a little secret, "Lord, he stinketh." I love the way the King James Version doesn't mince words!
But that didn't deter the Savior. He directed His attention to the dead man's abode and "cried with a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come forth!' And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, 'Loose him, and let him go.'"
Yeah! Lazarus was alive! Whoopie! BUT he came out of the grave still wrapped in his grave clothes. Look back at the verse above. He, "came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth." There was no doubt about it. Lazarus was definitely alive, but because he was still wrapped in the clothes of death, he wasn't really an accurate representation of life. He still had evidence of his death ON him, and that evidence bound him from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet and kept him from moving freely, as a resurrected man should.
Now, that's why I've been thinking about graveclothes. For you see, even though Christ through His blood has made me alive together with Him and clothed me in the royal robes of righteousness, there are many times that I reach down and pick up those old graveclothes of mine and wrap my aliveness with death. I choose to speak harsh words and say things to hurt my family, when I should be speaking kindness and being patient - wrap. I hold grudges against those who hurt me, when I should forgive them as Christ forgave me - wrap. I let the root of bitterness grow within my heart unchecked, when I should be ripping it out root by root with all the force I can muster - wrap. What Christ has freed me from, I return to, binding myself all the more with graveclothes that are fit only for a dead man, not a resurrected one.
Scripture says to "rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips." Jesus tells us, "Take them off." Take off the graveclothes and instead, "clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, bearing with each other and forgiving whatever grievances you may have against one another, forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."
Let's do it. Let's choose to let our graveclothes lie in the dirt where they belong. Let's not bind ourselves all over again. Let's choose not to "stinketh."
Deal? Deal.
Dearest Jesus, Thank You for clothing us with Your righteousness. Help us to choose to be an example of that. When we feel like binding ourselves again, prick our hearts to remember to leave the graveclothes where they life. Thank You that not only WILL You do that for us, You WANT to do that for us. We love You, Father.
It all started when I read the account of Lazarus found in John 11. Scripture says Lazarus was Jesus' friend - His buddy, His pal, His comrade. So, when Lazarus got sick - to the point of death - his sisters did the only thing they knew to do. They called for Jesus. They knew the Savior wouldn't let His friend die, if He were there.
But by the time Jesus arrived, Lazarus had already been dead three days. The people were mourning. Lazarus' sisters were beside themselves. All seemed lost...UNTIL Jesus told them to remove the stone from the entrance of the tomb. Martha, Lazarus' sister, was shocked. Evidently she didn't think Jesus realized that Lazarus was beyond hope, so she decided to let Jesus in on a little secret, "Lord, he stinketh." I love the way the King James Version doesn't mince words!
But that didn't deter the Savior. He directed His attention to the dead man's abode and "cried with a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come forth!' And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, 'Loose him, and let him go.'"
Yeah! Lazarus was alive! Whoopie! BUT he came out of the grave still wrapped in his grave clothes. Look back at the verse above. He, "came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth." There was no doubt about it. Lazarus was definitely alive, but because he was still wrapped in the clothes of death, he wasn't really an accurate representation of life. He still had evidence of his death ON him, and that evidence bound him from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet and kept him from moving freely, as a resurrected man should.
Now, that's why I've been thinking about graveclothes. For you see, even though Christ through His blood has made me alive together with Him and clothed me in the royal robes of righteousness, there are many times that I reach down and pick up those old graveclothes of mine and wrap my aliveness with death. I choose to speak harsh words and say things to hurt my family, when I should be speaking kindness and being patient - wrap. I hold grudges against those who hurt me, when I should forgive them as Christ forgave me - wrap. I let the root of bitterness grow within my heart unchecked, when I should be ripping it out root by root with all the force I can muster - wrap. What Christ has freed me from, I return to, binding myself all the more with graveclothes that are fit only for a dead man, not a resurrected one.
Scripture says to "rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips." Jesus tells us, "Take them off." Take off the graveclothes and instead, "clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, bearing with each other and forgiving whatever grievances you may have against one another, forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."
Let's do it. Let's choose to let our graveclothes lie in the dirt where they belong. Let's not bind ourselves all over again. Let's choose not to "stinketh."
Deal? Deal.
Dearest Jesus, Thank You for clothing us with Your righteousness. Help us to choose to be an example of that. When we feel like binding ourselves again, prick our hearts to remember to leave the graveclothes where they life. Thank You that not only WILL You do that for us, You WANT to do that for us. We love You, Father.
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