Friday morning, Friends. It’s a sunshiny day in lower Alabama!
So! Happy plans for the weekend anyone?
I’m about blank of anything to write this morning, So, I again went to my JOURNEY magazine. Revolt or Respect? It read.
Good message in our political climate.
Good message in a work environment.
Good message in family dynamics.
Good Message.
It talked of a school principal having made a decision his teachers did not understand, nor did they agree was good and reasonable. Short tempers flared. Words were flung. Conspiracies for dissensions were devised as the teachers began to file from the room. Except for one.
Listen in with me (again) as our heroine is described:
“Amidst the arguing and accusations, I began to hear the voice of the HOLY SPIRIT beckoning me to show Mr. Tate respect and honor, even if I didn’t agree with his position. By the time the meeting had adjourned and other teachers began to exit in small groups, huddling together and murmuring about their plans of dissension, I had determined to steer clear of the angry talk. If I needed to address Mr. Tate about his decision it would only be later after I’d prayed about things and could speak with gentleness, self-control, and respect.”
I know of NO relationship wherein this is not the proper action! And in this very moment, the precious HOLY SPIRIT brings to mind a verse of Scripture for us. Excuse me while I go find the reference to copy and paste it for us here.
Oh my! Verse 19 is where He starts us —
James 1: 19 This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger;
20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.
21 Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls.
22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves.
23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror;
24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.
25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.
via James 1 NASB – Testing Your Faith – James, a – Bible Gateway.
Who does not want to be blessed in what she (he) does?
For sure, for sure the HOLY SPIRIT is saying to us today if we want to be blessed, we must be quick to hear and slow to speak. And that’s only the beginning.
JOURNEY concluded with a poignant question and counsel.
“Is the LORD asking you to act contrary to the way of the crowd?
Yield to Him and He will strengthen you.”
The Word stings, ABBA, but it’s a good sting to me. Good as a scalpel that cuts away what is harmful. HOLY SPIRIT, do Your perfect work here in us with Your Word. Indeed You are asking, commanding, us to act differently than the crowd and You have promised to strengthen us. We accept Your command and Your strength to be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to get angry, quick to hear and do as You have written, to look intently at Your perfect law of liberty and receive Your blessings. Thank You, ABBA. Thank You.
And, ABBA, thank You. We see Your hand in this and we wait to see Your glory revealed in this. I am mindful in this moment of another trial of another sort, it’s a cancer of another kind, the kind that eats a person’s soul and hurts others; You know the parties in mind and even others I do not know and I pray You will lead them all, guide them to proper counsel, legal and Christian, to process this. I pray for restoration. For all the suffering(s) that has been brought here, HOLY SPIRIT, we pray for Your intervention and Your glory. Amen and . . . . .
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