Wisdom Wednesday — Soft Hearts

Picture of a teddy bear with a cloth heart.

My son, do not despise the Lord’s discipline,
    and do not resent his rebuke,
 
because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
    as a father the son he delights in.

— Proverbs 3: 11-12

Discipline is almost always a little bit painful. Not because it involves physical pain, although that is sometimes a part of discipline. Instead, it is because it is painful to see ourselves as we really are.

The whole point of discipline is to correct someone’s behavior or attitude. To do that, we have to be made aware of what we were doing wrong. Our underlying character is what determines how well we take correction.

Continue reading “Wisdom Wednesday — Soft Hearts”

James 4: 11a – Slander

Detail shot of an old pickup front fender.

Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another.

What do you think of when you hear the word “slander?” Does it jump out at you as a bad thing? Do you know anyone who has ever been slandered? Have you ever been slandered?

Slander is a difficult word in English. If it is used at all it is either used in its legal sense which is very formal, or in a very casual sense that carries very little weight.

Continue reading “James 4: 11a – Slander”

James 4: 9-10 — Preflight Checklist

An airplane waits while the pilot checks it over before taking off.

Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

What kind of person are you? Are you extremely sensitive to the people around you? Are you sent into spasms of guilt simply because someone gives you a stern look? Or, are you one of those people who need to be whacked upside the head with a 2×4 so someone can get your attention? Whatever your personality type, God has some scripture written just for you.

As I look back over James’ letter, his passion for serving God correctly is clear. His understanding of God is acute and sharply honed. His method of sharing that understanding is somewhat akin to a Marine Corps Drill Sergeant barking orders at recruits.

Some people take offense at the bluntness of James’ approach. Yet everything he says is completely in line with the rest of God’s Word. The only difference is how he says it.

Continue reading “James 4: 9-10 — Preflight Checklist”

James 4: 8b — Cleansed

Close up picture of hands being washed in a sink.

Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

Way back in chapter 1, verses 6 – 7, James writes about the double-minded person. He says a person who doubts is “double-minded.”

The Greek for “double-minded” is interesting. The word is, “dipsychos.” The prefix, “di-“ means two, or double. To say one is “double-minded” is a very literal way of saying a person has divided interests. More than that, James suggests the division is spiritually debilitating.

As I look back on my life, it seems to me that I have always suffered from some form of dipsychos. This world is very convincing. It claims to be the only thing that matters. It clammers for my attention every day. Yet the clues God has given us to His presence are very real. They have tugged at me my whole life.

Continue reading “James 4: 8b — Cleansed”

James 4: 8a — Closeness

A man's hand touches a child's hand, fingertip to fingertip.

Come near to God and he will come near to you.

I’ve always thought this statement to be a little bit odd. But then, I don’t think I have always thought about God the right way. If God is a stationary object, it makes sense (in a worldly sort of way) that if I get nearer to Him, He will be closer to me. But that is not what James says.

God doesn’t just wait for us to come to Him. He wants to be united with us. So he is very willing to come to us. Like the father in the parable of The Prodigal Son (Luke 15: 11-32) when God sees us coming home he comes out to meet us.

Continue reading “James 4: 8a — Closeness”

James 4: 7b — Running Scared

A stone gargoyle looks like the devil flees.

Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Do you believe in the devil? As a kid, I remember being told “ghost stories.” Some of them were pretty scary! Some were scary and funny at the same time. All of them challenged my thinking about ghosts.

It was very common for little kids to challenge each other by saying, “You don’t believe in ghosts, do you?” It was always said in a taunting way that mocked the idea of ghosts. Many a time I agreed that I didn’t really believe in ghosts. The problem was when I was in church they were always talking about this being called the “Holy Ghost.” Everyone at church seemed to believe that the Holy Ghost was real, but … well … what was a ghost, anyway?

Continue reading “James 4: 7b — Running Scared”

John 4: 7a — Goads

A man stands next to two oxen with a goad.

Submit yourselves, then, to God.

Since God opposes the proud and favors the humble, do the right thing. As Jesus said to Paul in Acts 26: 14, it is hard to kick against the goads.

Goads are not something we know much about these days. They are common in rural areas where people still use animals for pulling carts or plows. If you want an animal to move when the animal doesn’t want to move you goad it. Basically, you poke at it with a sharp stick or a stick with an iron point. Wanting to get away from the pain, the animal moves. If it still doesn’t want to move, it might try and kick the goad away. That tends to hurt more.

God’s opposition to the ungodly is a goad. It is a pain that is intended to drive us toward God. More accurately, towards reliance on God. If we resist, we are kicking “against the goads.”

Why do we do that?

Continue reading “John 4: 7a — Goads”

John 4: 6b – Pride

A peacock showing off his colors.

That is why Scripture says:
“God opposes the proud
    but shows favor to the humble.”

This scripture passage is a bit of a puzzle. James writes, “That is why…”

What is why?

What did I miss??

James was talking about fights and quarrels. About not receiving what we ask for, about having the wrong motives. He talks about being an enemy of God and adulterous. Then he writes, “That is why scripture says God opposes the proud…”

Why?

Why does God oppose the proud?

Like so many words in our language, “proud” has more than one meaning. The common usage is to feel pleased with what one has done. A blogging example might be, “I feel proud of the post I wrote yesterday.” The other definition has to do with having a high opinion of one’s self. This kind of pride leads to arrogance and an unwillingness to listen to others. It is this second kind of pride that God opposes.

The prideful person does not accept correction. They do not see a need for help. They do not think they need God. When it comes to God’s gift of grace, they reject it.

The humble person sees themselves for what they are. They know they need help. When God offers them grace, they accept it gratefully. (I wanted to say ‘gracefully.’ 🙂 )

If God opposes the proud, it is because the proud oppose God. James lists our shortcomings and points out our need for God. The humble recognize the truth in James’ words and are thankful for God’s grace.

Application: Take a personal inventory: What kind of pride do you see in your life? The pride of self-importance, or the pride of service rendered to God?

Food for Thought: How does God oppose the proud and favor the humble?

Please click ‘’Continue Reading” for comments.

Continue reading “John 4: 6b – Pride”

James 4: 6a — Grace

A female ballet dancer appears to float in the air as others look on.

But he gives us more grace.

In my post a few days ago called, “Troubleshooter,” we noted the pattern that James follows in his writing: Problem – Analysis – Solution. The problem James sees is that God’s people are fighting and quarreling. They are adulterous people. They ask things of God and do not receive anything.

Why are people like this?

James’ analysis is that our desires battle within us. We covet things we cannot have. We fight and kill. We have the wrong motives. We are, in fact, enemies of God.

Continue reading “James 4: 6a — Grace”

James 4:5 – Paper Mirror

A man's face in a small mirror.

Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us?

Sometimes when I talk people look at me like I am speaking a foreign language. My wife will testify to the fact that sometimes my words just don’t make sense. They do to me, in my head, but they only “count” if they make sense to the person I am talking to.

As a writer, I have a kind of paper mirror that is always in front of my face. I don’t always look at it, but it is always there. My words, once written, stop moving around. Given a little time, they start to take on a life of their own. Later, when I look at them again, I see them as others do. Sometimes they make sense. Sometimes they don’t.

Continue reading “James 4:5 – Paper Mirror”