I’m Baaaccckkk

It has been quite a while, but God needed to slow me down and shake me up a bit. The flu, an ear infection, and a sinus infection were His tools to force me to rest.

Rest is exactly what I needed, but in the rest I also discovered some things I needed His light to shine on in my heart.

Ugly things I harbor in my heart rear their heads when I physically feel yucky. Self-righteousness, bitter envy, and selfishness hover at the surface. Any slight irritation and the facade of self-control is gone. Selfishness, envy, and self-righteousness lash out. James 3:16 says, “For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.”

Disorder marked my life while I was sick. Evil practices were rearing their heads. Sure it is easy to say I was sick so it doesn’t matter, but I believe it does matter. God wants all of me, the sick me, the well me, the tired me, and the irritated me. He wants me to lay down my will no matter what is going on and choose His will. I need to act in the “humility that comes from wisdom.” (James 3:13)

It is against my sin-nature. Instead I need to allow God’s Spirit to work out His will through me.

How do I know it is God’s way? James 3:17 tells us, “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” Is what I am about to do pure? Is it peace-loving? considerate? submissive? full of mercy and good fruit? impartial? sincere? If not, I am not acting in wisdom that comes from God.

Today I am going to start asking myself those questions. Will you join me? Then we can live out the wisdom that God gives us.