Walking With Jesus

The Greater Work

“Afterward, when Jesus was alone in the house with His disciples, they asked Him, ‘Why couldn’t we cast out that evil spirit?’ Jesus replied, ‘This kind can be cast out only by prayer.” (Mark 9:28-29 NLT)

What do you consider the “greater work” of a Jesus follower? Casting out demons? Leading someone to the Savior? Healing the sick? Raising the dead? Speaking in an unknown language?

Each of those things demands faith, but is faith alone what fuels those activities of the Spirit? What grips the heart of God? What gets the Lord’s attention? Yes, of course, faith, but where does faith originate? According to Paul’s words in Ephesians 2:8 (NKJV): “For by grace you have been saved through faith.”

What does that mean? Grace is the unmerited favor of God, but grace alone doesn’t save us. Grace makes salvation available, but it must be activated by faith. What is faith? Faith is the exercising of our will to seek something that we deem valuable and worthwhile. But when it comes to faith in Christ, where does that faith originate? How is that faith activated? Appropriated?

There’s only one way: through believing, childlike prayer. God’s response to believing prayer casts out demons, enables someone to open their heart to Him, in essence, raising the dead to new life. Every faith-oriented goal of a believer originates and is launched through prayer.

No one is saved without prayer. No one is healed except through believing prayer. No one is sanctified without sacrificial and agonizing prayer. No one is called to Christian service, set apart for duty, save by the prayers of the righteous. No one stands (or should stand) behind the sacred desk to deliver God’s anointed messages to God’s people unless bathed in prayer.

As Oswald Chambers so rightly says: “Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work.“ Nothing of eternal value happens in the Kingdom of God unless and until it first originates in the heart of God and is accessed by believing prayer. We can spout words into the air day and night, but until our words align with the will and plans of God, we’ve babbled in vain.

Remember how Jesus prayed before Lazarus was raised from the dead: “Father, thank You for hearing Me. You always hear Me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe You sent Me.” (John 11:41b-42)

We want to believe that “we can ask anything in Jesus’ name” as we’re told in John 14:13, and we can, but unless that “anything” will bring glory to the Father, it’s empty and void of power. What brings glory to the Father? Faith activated by believing prayer, the kinds of prayers Jesus prayed.

The work of prayer is seeking the Father in quietness and solitude that the fruit of our relationship with the Him and the glory of His Holy Name can be made manifest in and through our lives. We don’t pray to get what we want; we pray to glorify the Father as He gives us what He wants. He wants to glorify His Son in and through our life the way He put His power on display so often in and through the life of His Son.

We can’t use prayer to make a name for ourselves, but only and always to exalt the Name that is above every name, the Name of our Lord Jesus. The work of prayer is bringing death to our old nature and allowing the resurrection of the new nature of our Savior to become preeminent in the ways we honor and glorify Him, not ourselves. Then when we pray, we’ll get what we really want – whatever the Lord wants for us!

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

The Purpose of Pruning

“I am the true grapevine, and My Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of Mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and He prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you. Remain in Me and I will remain in you.” (John 15:1-4a NLT)

If you’ve ever had a serious cut, you understand that it isn’t pleasant. There’s a lot of blood and pain and the healing process can be long and troublesome. Unfortunately, that’s not the kind of “pruning” the Lord does in our lives. I say “unfortunately,” because in many, if not most cases, physical pain is much easier with which to cope than spiritual and emotional pain.

The anguish caused by loss often involves a lifelong process of healing. Our own illness or that of a loved one can be stressful, painful, and hard to deal with its implications. Why does the Lord allow us to suffer in these painful ways? Why would He allow us to go through these often long and heart-wrenching trials?

As is often the case with the hurtful, painful issues of our walk with the Lord, His purpose is never to make us bitter, but to make us better. Gunner Gundersen says it this way: “The vinedresser prunes the branch not to multiply hurt but to multiply fruit.” What does that mean?

It essentially means the Lord allows us to struggle to make us stronger; He allows pain to make us more compassionate and caring for others; He allows disappointment to build our trust in Him, not in our own plans; and He postpones answers to our prayers to build our perseverance and confidence that He knows best, and His clock keeps perfect time.

In some ways it’s like learning to ride a bicycle. Few take off riding on their first try. It took me many times to gain balance and learn how to ride, but even after gaining some measure of skill, I still had “wrecks.”

The “pruning” process of learning almost anything is painful. It involves trial and error, learning what works and what doesn’t, who to listen to and learn from and who to ignore, where to find resources that are helpful and useful and where not to waste our time looking.

We must learn to view “pruning” as training. In our walk with the Lord, we must “train,” for example, to be students of God’s Word and spend time in prayer. It takes time to do those things, which means we’re going to have to “prune” our schedules. There’s only 24 hours in the day, so we have to work with what we have.

If I’m accustomed to spending “X” numbers of minutes or hours a day watching TV, scrolling through my phone, iPad or computer and conclude I don’t have time to read the Bible or pray, what needs to happen? I need to “prune,” I need to carve out time from my otherwise “busy” schedule to make time to do what I believe the Lord wants me to do.

In my life I’ve found there are few things as helpful, meaningful, and satisfying as allowing the Lord time to speak to me through His Word or have Him listen as I share my heart with Him in prayer. These bring nourishment to my soul, as important as eating is to my body.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Deliverance

“Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.” (Romans 8:12-14 NLT)

Are you a child of God? Upon what do you base that conclusion? If you’re basing it on how you feel in this moment you could be completely wrong, because salvation isn’t dependent upon emotion, it’s dependent on faith alone in Christ alone. However, there are other considerations.

Paul’s contention in the passage above and their surrounding chapters and verses, is that a child of God is no longer dominated by their sinful nature, but by the powerful Holy Spirit who now resides in our life. We’re sometimes so relieved and grateful for no longer having to bear the penalty of our sin, we too quickly forget the price of our salvation.

Charles Spurgeon helps us when he writes: “Salvation is not deliverance from hell alone; it is deliverance from sin.” Yes, of course, that includes the penalty of sin, but it also includes the power of sin. Christ’s deliverance includes the power to break the bonds of sin that held us so tightly before He freed us. As Paul declares in the verses above: “…you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges…”

What does our sinful nature urge us to do? SIN! To blatantly and willingly disobey the clear and direct commands of our Savior to live and walk in holiness of life, just as He did. The writer of the Hebrew letter makes this clear when he writes: “Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord.”

And just to be clear, our holiness is wholly of God, not of ourselves. The writer’s intent isn’t to put us under obligation to secure our own salvation, but to live the quality of life that verifies and gives evidence of the holy life we have in Christ. It’s all and only Him, but that doesn’t excuse or permit our laxness in seeking with every ounce of our being to live above sin.

Purity of heart, mind, soul, and body is our mandate, one for which we must daily strive, not simply for the sake of our own reputation and effective witness, but for the glory of our Master. He is the One to whom all glory, honor, and praise should be given for every inch of progress we make in our walk with Him.

To believe walking in holiness is a virtue that should afford us greater recognition with man or God is to be blind to our obligation to “put to death the deeds of your sinful nature,” not in our own efforts, but “through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature…” The Christian life is never accomplished through the energy of the flesh, yet, admittedly, it takes perseverance and effort to maintain our constant vigilance as we seek intimacy with our Savior.

Our walk with the Lord is a partnership, a companionship, a bond built and maintained by the Holy Spirit, between us and our Savior. I’m reminded of the verse from an article a few days ago from Ephesians 5 exhorting us to “Imitate God!” We will never be able to do that without a conscious awareness of our deliverance from the evil one and his favorite tool – sin!

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

A Legacy of Light

“You are the light of the world – like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.” (Matthew 5:14 NLT)

Even as followers of the Lord Jesus we can lose our love for and appreciation of His holy light. We don’t think of the light in our homes at night, until they go out. Groping in darkness to find a flashlight or matches can not only be frustrating, but dangerous, but not nearly as treacherous as groping in spiritual darkness.

Those of us who have walked with the Lord for many years are sometimes tempted to lose our appreciation for the light we bear, the light we are. No, it’s not a conscious decision, we just get lazy. Rather than keep the “wick” of our life clean and clear of interference, we get lax and allow our life’s light to grow dim, hardly noticing our ineffectiveness in positively effecting the lives of those around us.

“Steadfast Illumination” “Used by permission, © Ray Majoran, GlimpseOfInfinity.com”

Having grown to love and appreciate the heart of Ray Majoran, I pay special attention each Friday when he highlights someone he recognizes who carries the lamp of the Savior. Michaela Challies is such a person who inspires us when she writes:

“An autumn leaf, which once clung to a tree branch in summer’s fullness, falls to the ground, riding the gentle breeze to its end. Often, we pass by these without much attention given to them. It is easy to walk past the browning, crinkling leaves on the ground and forget what they really look like. This leaf (above) is that – fragile, faded, and forgotten. Yet, held up against the light of the sun, it transforms. The sunlight catches the faded colors and curled edges, and the true beauty of this dying leaf is revealed.

This is the pattern of life. In times of sorrow or difficulty, we long for answers, for clarity or healing. Yet we cannot force God to give us answers any more than this leaf can force the tree to release it before its time. We are invited to rest in the knowledge that God is shaping something beautiful, even when the path before us seems littered with decaying, browning leaves and nothing more.

God’s plan which can at times seem so dim can be held against the light of his promises to us, and the true beauty of it is shown. Whatever the season, whether the leaves continue to cling to the branches or if they lie on the ground, you are held by the one who brings light to all. Whatever you carry on this path, the joy, the laughter, the sorrow and the pain, hold it against the light of God’s wonderful love, and you will know a hope you’ve not felt before. He will make it all beautiful in his own time–and when he does, the beauty of this leaf held against the late autumn sun will pale in comparison to the result of his perfect plan.

Struggling physically, emotionally, mentally, financially, relationally, even spiritually can dim the light of Christ’s light and life flowing in and through us. We must intentionally make the effort to maintain vigilance in our godly disciplines, especially prayer, as we seek to keep the light of our Savior’s love shining brightly in and through our life.

The thought occurred to me today, lying in bed as I felt too poorly to get up, tempted not to spend my regular time in prayer, that I may be the only person praying for some for whom I pray every day. The Lord convicted me, reminding me that I cannot let down, regardless of how I feel. I must continue to allow the “wick” of God’s light to glow in and through my life.

Knowing that some who read these posts are also struggling, please press on. Please hold fast to the Anchor of your soul. Please hold fast to your faith and pray faithfully with the fuel of the Holy Spirit enabling your legacy of light to continue for the Lord.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Why Free Will?

“Then God said, ‘Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us…So God created human beings in His own image. In the image of God He created them; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:26a,27 NLT)

There is no one who has a greater measure of free will than God, yet He made the decision to share that gift with the crown of His creation – mankind; me and you! But why? It seems all we do is use it to make our own decisions, to go our own way, and to pull ourselves further from Him.

The simple answer is love. God is love. Love, ideally, gives and receives, but if we were robots or beings without a will, we have no means of giving or receiving love. It would be like having a stuffed animal rather than a living pet. Sure, they’re far less work. You don’t have to feed them or care for them, but you also don’t get to interact with them, play with them, love them, laugh with them.

C.S. Lewis spoke to this when he wrote: “Why, then, did God give them free will? Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having.” How does that speak to you? Seriously, think about it. What or whom in your life do you love? What brings you joy? What causes you to feel good? Why do you cry? Swear? Get frustrated and angry?

Love, while not in and of itself an emotion, certainly contributes to the long range of emotions we feel and experience from day to day. Think of the feelings you have during any given day. Why? What is the source or cause of those emotions? A hug as you leave for work? An increase in salary? A bonus for a job well done? A flat tire on your way to an important appointment? A refusal for a home loan? A negative report from your doctor or Accountant?

Life is filled with experiences that send us up and down on the roller coaster of our emotions, but when we’re grounded in God’s unchanging love, He gives us the resource of strength to deal with whatever comes. The love of God for us and our love for Him and one another serves as our “safety net” when life knocks us down.

When I first learned I had Alzheimer’s it was frightening because my dad died of dementia. He had Parkinson’s Disease, but it debilitated him until he was little more than a shell of the man I once knew. My thoughts immediately raced to the “end,” to the devastating finish to which my life was now headed. But in my fear the Lord reminded me of Jeremiah 29:11. And while I understand the context is completely different, God’s Words brought comfort and reassurance to my heart when the Lord said: “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for Me wholeheartedly, you will find Me. I will be found by you,’ says the Lord.”

I’m grateful God’s word to the exiles of Israel still rings true to the frightened spiritual “exiles” alive today. Because I have free will, I can choose to entrust my fear, doubt, and inability to clearly see what my future holds, into the capable hands of the One who can and does. And so can you, my friend, so can you!

Our free will gives us the choice and opportunity to be loved by the God who created us and to love Him in return. And when we do that, nothing, absolutely nothing, can cause us to doubt or fear anything, knowing our loving Father has our back and He will carry us through whatever life throws our way.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Our Highest Standard

“Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are His dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered Himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.” (Ephesians 5:1-2 NLT)

The Greek world in which the Christian Faith was born was a world devoid of moral purity. There was no standard available with which Paul could compare how we should live as a lover of God.

What filled Paul’s mind and heart was the only answer – “Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do…” Rest assured, that command fell on similar ears as it falls on today. Dr. William Barclay sheds light on this subject when he writes: “In the ancient world there was a line of thought called Gnosticism. Gnosticism began from the contention that spirit alone is good and that matter is always evil. If that be so, it follows that only spirit is to be valued and that matter must be utterly despised. Now a man is composed of two parts; he is body and spirit. According to this point of view only his spirit matters; his body is of no importance whatsoever. Therefore, some at least of the Gnostics went on to argue, it does not matter what a man does with his body. It will make no difference if he gluts its desires. Bodily and sexual sins were of no importance because they were of the body and not of the spirit.”

It seems we have more “Gnostics” filling the church today than we care to admit. We’re so prone to yield to our bodily urges it’s almost a laughing matter to pretend it’s against the will of God. But Paul says in essence, we shouldn’t even joke about such things when he writes: “Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes – these are not for you.” (vs. 3)

In the Greek world sexual immorality was taken so lightly it was not considered sin at all. The great temples in places like Corinth were staffed by hundreds of “sacred” prostitutes (sexual slaves) whose earnings went to the upkeep of the Temple.^[1] The world in which we now live is more like the Greek culture than we care to admit. Sexual promiscuity even among professing believers is hardly considered a sin, at least a sin to be stopped.

That’s why the reasoning Paul discusses in Romans 6: “Do you say that God’s grace is the greatest thing in all the world?” “Yes.” “Do you say that God’s grace is wide enough to cover every sin?” “Yes.” “Then let us go on sinning, for God’s grace can wipe out every sin. In fact the more we sin the more chances God’s grace will get to operate” was met with such a forceful response: “Of course not! Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey?” (vss. 15b-16a)

Dr. Billy Graham speaks, at least in my mind, to one of the biggest issues with which we wrestle in keeping God’s exacting standard when he writes: “Satan doesn’t need for us to fall into gross sin in order to defeat us. A large dose of laziness will do the trick just as well.” Have we gotten so lazy in our standards as a Jesus follower that they no longer matter?

Food for thought

Blessings, Ed

^[1] Barclay, W., ed. (1976). The letters to the Galatians and Ephesians (p. 161). The Westminster John Knox Press.

Living for Christ?

“This message was kept secret for centuries and generations past, but now it has been revealed to God’s people. For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing His glory.” (Colossians 1:26-27 NLT)

May I share a word from the Lord? Living for Christ is not an activity to which the Lord calls us! Yes, you read that correctly. The Lord isn’t nearly as concerned about our living for Him as He is in our allowing Him to live His life in and through us. It’s not OUR life and how we live it that’s the issue; it’s how effectively are we allowing Him to be revealed through us as we live out His life in our daily lives.

Is this simply semantics? Not according to Paul. The assurance of our sharing His glory, His ultimate victory over sin and death, depends on our understanding and living out this very potent truth. The way we know we have life in Christ, according to Paul in Romans 8:16, is that God’s Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are indeed a child of God.

The Spirit in us testifies on our behalf that God lives and reigns in our life. If there’s no Holy Spirit within us, there’s no testimony to give. Our “faith in Christ” is meaningless and worthless unless and until the Holy Spirit is invited to live in and work through us. Then His words are enabled and empowered to not only be heard, but to powerfully move the hearts of our friends and loved ones to invite the Lord who owns us, to live in their heart and life as well.

How do we do that? What’s the “key?” I love how Mark Driscoll sums it up: “The key to a victorious Christian life? Don’t just live for Christ, let Christ live through you!”

Yes, I know, that sounds catchy and great, but how do we do that? How do you breath? Yep, same concept. You breathe air into your lungs, then exhale it out. Like the Karate Kid: “Wax on. Wax off.” “Breathe in. Breathe out.” What’s my point?

As a child of God, we “breathe” the Lord’s Spirit into our life by an act of our will, a decision. We invite the Holy God to take up residence in us and live His life out through us. It’s exciting, energizing, life-renewing when that happens, but make no mistake – it happens at our invitation. Yes, of course, the Holy Spirit convicts, convinces, and draws us to Himself, but He will not overpower our will. What’s my point?

Neither will He force us to allow Him to live His life out through us. It’s a constant decision, almost like breathing. In the beginning it’s all fresh and new, so, we don’t have to “force” anything. A lot of our “commitment” is emotional, so we coast on that a while until one day we wake up and realize: “I must have had a dream, because all the emotion is gone. This ‘Jesus thing’ must be a lie!” When, in reality, it’s like starting a new job, buying a new house, having a baby – it’s just the beginning of a new chapter in our life.

We learn to adapt to challenges and changes, and becoming a child of God is no different. It takes time to learn how to let the Lord live His life out through us, but the key ways to walk that journey effectively are to pray often, literally moment by moment; feast on God’s Word, the Bible. Don’t simply read out of obligation, but as a starving person eating a healthy meal; and by partnering with other God-pursuers who are just as hungry to learn as you.

The key to me is to “breathe” Jesus in with every breath and let Him have outlets for His life in every detail of ours, as naturally as allowing the air in our lungs to escape. Every thought, action, and attitude. Yes, of course, learning to live effectively for Christ takes time, but it’s well worth the effort.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

In the Midst of the Storm

“My heart pounds in my chest. The terror of death assaults me. Fear and trembling overwhelm me, and I can’t stop shaking. Oh, that I had wings like a dove; then I would fly away and rest! I would fly away to the quiet of the wilderness. How quickly I would escape – far from this wild storm of hatred.” (Psalm 55: 4-8 NLT)

How often when assaulted by the “storms” of life have we wanted to “fly away and rest?” It’s our instinct to want to avoid trauma, trials, tribulations, yet isn’t it in these very storms that we see our Savior’s face most clearly? Could it be in our haste to avoid pain, we miss opportunities for healing?

David’s words ring loud and clear for those of us in the midst of perilous storms. How often I’d like to wake up from the “nightmare” of the issues I now face and fly to a distant place devoid of pain, heartache, and suffering. But even as I consider those thoughts, it occurs to me that I don’t need to fly anywhere. But why? Because the Lord meets me IN the storm, not away from it or even on the other side.

That’s the beauty of the story of Jesus walking on the water that we looked at a few days ago. In Matthew 14:27 the Bible says: “But Jesus spoke to them at once, ‘Don’t be afraid,’ He said, “Take courage. I am here!’” The storm is raging, their boat is sinking, all hope is lost, but they didn’t realize that Jesus was on the scene. He didn’t tell them He would “fly them away.” He simply said, “Don’t be afraid.” But why? The storm is still raging; the waves are still crashing! Because “I am here!”

In the midst of our storms we don’t need deliverance, we need Jesus. We don’t need to fly away; we need to walk to Him “on the waters” of whatever storm is raging. Help, healing, and wholeness will never be found anywhere but in intimacy with the Master.

Beth Moore addresses this when she writes: “We want Christ to hurry and calm the storm. He wants us to find him in the midst of it first.” How often do we prolong our own pain because we persist in making our own way? We think “I just need a better doctor or a more effective medication!” when what we need is more intimacy with the Savior.

We want things to be better, then we’ll spend more time praying, be more faithful at church, and serve the needs of others. But God’s plan is to “bloom where we’re planted,” in the soil of hardship, pain, and turmoil. We can’t forget the Lord has allowed us to be in this circumstance and He never allows anything except He has purpose. Christine Caine gives us insight when she writes: “Allow God to work and shine through the chaos.”

Where do we get the notion that we should have a trouble-free life? It’s certainly not in the Bible. Jesus clearly said in John 16:33: “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in Me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” Did you catch that: “peace in Me!” Wherever the Lord is there is peace, including in the midst of our storms.

Yes, of course they’re hard, trying, difficult with which to cope, anger-inducing, spirit-challenging, frightening, and a hundred other scary things, but when we choose to focus on those things rather than on Jesus, we lose our peace. HE IS OUR PEACE! He IS our deliverance! He is the One to whom we “fly away” in our heart and mind to escape the traumas of our predicaments. When will we learn to trust Him in the MIDST of our storms, not wait until they’ve passed?

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊

Marriage Bleeders

“Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.” (Proverbs 19:11 ESV)

*Please read these powerful words of Janel Breitenstein (Family Life). Her words stimulate my mind and force me to consider her words are coming from the Lord Himself. Please read carefully and thoughtfully. Blessings, Ed 😊

I read last year there were five medical dramas on the big four TV networks alone. Makes sense. Hospitals feel so … dramatic. Everyone rushing around! Everything life or death! Tears and blood all over the place!

Even I, who (true story) nearly fainted from a clearly painted-on black eye in a college play, love the gravitas hovering over a human body. As long as I’m not, y’know, eating a salad or something.

Any veteran watcher of medical dramas will tell the onscreen doctor that, should you find yourself in the middle of surgery, and a pool of (fake) blood begins rising in the (fake) body cavity, you need to find the bleeder, STAT. Or your fake-patient is going to fake-die.

It happened on the drama I was watching last night: The doctor himself actually died from his own internal bleeding. (Shouldn’t he have seen this one coming?)

Then again, when I look at marriage, it seems an environment ripe for internal bleeding. (Metaphorically speaking only, of course.) Real life doesn’t leave us unscathed.

I’m not talking about self-healing injuries in a healthy relationship: the argument where you need to overlook an offense (Proverbs 19:11). The hangnail of irritation—his constant over-talking, her forgetting to unload the dishwasher again.

I’m talking issues that keep causing damage: Her lack of organization in finances or doing what she said she would, which means he can’t trust her. Abuse from a past that she never speaks of. The breach of trust when you first married. The way he treats her stepkids.

Lesson from Medical Drama Land, and very real life: You must locate the bleeders in your marriage and actively address them (tips in today’s further reading).

They’re leaching life from your relationship. And the consequences might be more dire than you’d imagine.

Struggling to face the ongoing conflict in your marriage? Read on for six steps.

THE GOOD STUFF:
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (James 5:16) ACTION POINTS: What’s one below-the-surface issue, current or past, “internally bleeding” in your relationship? Make a doable plan to actively, tenderly, and firmly address your bleeder. Stick to your plan.
I want these in my inbox daily!

When We Can’t Trust Our Tongue

“If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.” (James 1:26-27 NLT)

James’ obvious context when he writes of “religion,” is the best version of the Christian Faith. Caring for others, especially those who are struggling to care for themselves is and always has been a key element for those of us who love and follow Jesus.

It’s interesting to me that James speaks of controlling our tongue in that same context when he writes of “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father.” Isn’t that our heart as earnest seekers of the Lord Jesus? To be pure and genuine in our pursuit of our Savior? What does that mean? What might it look like in practical ways?

Photo by Guduru Ajay bhargav on Pexels.com

Might it mean being quiet when what we’re about to say isn’t uplifting, encouraging, healing, hopeful, or helpful? Perhaps we’re angry because of something that happened in another context, but now we’re home and we’re feeling like we need to “let it out!” And that can be fine if handled in the right way. But when our anger and bitterness ignite our tongue, and like wildfire, burns up all in its path, it’s wrong and dishonors the Lord.

Craig Groeschel speaks to this when he writes: “Never trust your tongue when your heart is bitter.” Much of the heartache over which I agonize is the result of speaking when I should have remained silent; when I’ve said hurtful things in the wrong context, in the wrong way, or in the wrong spirit. And here’s the kicker, if I’m truthful, I wasn’t seeking to hurt anyone, and what I said was the truth as I saw it, but when even truth is spoken in a harsh, thoughtless, angry, or inappropriate way, it can cause far more harm than good.

Controlling our tongue isn’t a simple human endeavor. It requires Holy Spirit intervention and control. A simple technique I learned can save us a lot of heartache if we’ll practice and learn its value. Simply pause before we speak. Lift to the Lord a 10-15 second plea to help us say what is helpful and to not say anything that would be hurtful, but most importantly, anything that would be dishonoring to Him.

If we’ll take a deep breath, turning our thoughts to the Lord, it can make a huge difference in the outcome of our conversation. That same process has also proven helpful at times when I’m beginning a project, beginning an exam, starting out on a trip, and many other circumstances. Getting in the habit of seeking the Lord’s input in every circumstance of our lives will not only prevent us from making a lot of mistakes, it will also deepen our love and appreciation of our Savior and best Friend.

Controlling our tongue is a spiritual exercise that not only protects our relationships but builds our character and enhances our witness for the Lord. Think of the relationships that may have been salvaged if we’d kept quiet in those critical moments.

One additional thought. Sensitivity to a person’s needs, not simply their words is often a key. Sometimes the venom that flows in a conversation with us, that we tend to take too personally, isn’t even about us. If we’ll just be quiet and listen, we can be a soothing balm to a scorched and hurting spirit. When conversations fuel our anger and stir our emotions, those are critical times when we can’t trust our tongue.

Food for thought.

Blessings, Ed 😊