Tag: Wisdom

That Feeling Might Be God

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            When God calls you into His arms through Christ, you become set apart and adopted into an eternal family where love is meant to lead you and the stain of sin cannot linger anymore. You soon realize what the words of the Bible mean and how true and real they are when seen through your new spiritual eyes. Worship music sounds so different through your spiritual ears and the love of God is reflected through your softened spiritual heart. When you realize the Father has called you into His family to be one of His children the world around you feels darker and more foreign. You soon realize that you are truly not of this world.

            The difficulty lies in the fact that we still inhabit this foreign world so that we can share our new family with the lost and grow it as we seek new siblings to introduce to our perfect Father. Our old nature and the lesser things of this world scream for our attention. The comfort we use to have in temporary, earthly things calls to our fallen nature to return to what is familiar. But your Heavenly Father has a provision for you that far exceeds anything in this world. What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him (1 Corinthians 2:9) His eternal, unconditional joy and peace will sustain you as the things on earth tarnish and fade.

              First Corinthians, chapter 2 talks about the wisdom of God that becomes available to us in our adoption. We have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. (1 Corinthians 2:12) We are given a view of the world that the Creator has provided to us. We must be willing to hear the still small voice that echoes in our spiritual ears, see the world though spiritual eyes, and love the people God puts in our path with our God filled hearts. But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. (1 Corinthians 2:7)

           The wisdom of God will not fit into the fallen nature of this world. His wisdom will not always make sense to us or those around us. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. (1 Corinthians 2:14) We have to let our faith drive us to be strong in our difference. We have to be willing to stand out as we show the nature of our Father to the world. Allow His wisdom to lead you and He will draw His chosen to you. You will face rejection just like He did when He clothed Himself in flesh and walked the earth to be our Savior. Realize that the world will not understand a family to which they do not belong. Be strong enough to stand up for your adopted family and draw the lost in. Let God’s wisdom manifest in you and see what unimaginable things the Lord has in store for His willing children.

The discerning sets his face toward wisdom, but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth. (Proverbs 17:24)

Meekness of Wisdom

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Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. (James 3:13)
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. (Matthew 5:5)

As I read through the book of James the Lord stopped my heart on the phrase “Meekness of Wisdom.” I felt the desire to revisit the concept of meekness and feel fortunate that I was led to do this.
People mistake meekness for weakness. The exact definition we find when we look is: submissiveness. Now ask yourself: submissive to who? Our inclination toward a definition of weakness means we see this as a submission to others. The bible indicates that our submission is to God! Biblical meekness is confidence in God which allows us to submit to His rule over our lives. Psalm 37:5-8 breaks this down into pieces: waiting on God, committing our way to God, trusting in God, being quiet and still before God, and not allowing anger when others prosper. The bible tells us: “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (2 Corinthians 12:9) We are also told: He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. (Isaiah 40:29) We have to decrease so that God can increase. Meekness goes against our sinful nature which seeks to enforce our beliefs and lash out under criticism or reproof. A spirit of meekness calls us to be slow to speak, quick to listen, and slow to anger. (James 1:19) Jesus tells us that the meek will inherit the earth. Seeing as the universe is God’s to give along with all of its provision, wouldn’t submitting to Him allow you to receive the inheritance as one of His children?
Meekness is not weakness. It is allowing the power of God to rule your life thus making you stronger than you could be on your own. It’s in submission we find peace. It’s in letting God fight our battles that we find closure. It’s in trust that the world has no hold on us and His joy can fill our hearts.

Marks of a True Christian (12 of 12)

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Never be wise in your own sight

Being wise in our own sight grows arrogance in our hearts. True wisdom accepts reproof and direction. (Proverbs 9:9) Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning Being wise in your own sight will not only slow your ability to grow closer to the infinitely wise God, it’s outward manifestation will draw people away from us preventing us from being able to speak God’s truth into their lives. People who profess a quality about themselves prevent the true admiration and connection found in humility. This goes for the admiration and connection of people in need to us as well as our admiration and connection to God.  The haughty nature of self-professed wisdom breaks the flow of God’s spirit through a believer as a vessel. We reflect the light of God. If we allow ourselves to get tarnished in arrogance, the light doesn’t brighten the world the way it is intended to through His faithful.  

Marks of a True Christian (11 of 12)

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Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly/ so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all

The absence of harmony and the presence of arrogance create an uneven terrain with which we identify with the people around us. Not only are we prevented from growing people but we are prevented from personal growth as well. The ‘lowly’ have a point of view that has great value. The lowly of spirit draw us closer to God in their desperation and need. The lowly of wealth rely on the provision of God in a much deeper manner than the more successful. The lowly in years exude a child-like faith that we are all called to and can learn from. The ability for all of God’s children to find harmony can grow in the power of their diversity. The mingling of views and the intertwining of spiritual gifts draw us closer to the infinite God in understanding and praise for the depth we can never truly comprehend. Live peaceably as much as that depends on you. Don’t let your anger or pride the determining factor in the harmony of your life. Leave that to the Lord and watch the amazing people He brings into your life so that together we can mature in spirit and see Him better.

Marks of a True Christian (10 of 12)

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Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep

When we are invited into someone’s life we must understand what that means. We are trusted to receive their inner most feelings. We are also chosen by God to be there for the opportunity to share His word to someone as their emotion blocks out logic and truth. We need to be in that moment with them in sympathetic submission to their struggle or praise. Sympathy creates patience, closeness, and connection. Allow the spirit to overflow from you. Reflect God’s light into a dark moment or allow your light to combine with their praise and focus them toward the only One worthy of their delight. The Lord puts people in our lives to mold us and for us to mold them as well. Don’t walk past the opportunities God as groomed you for, through your personal struggles. Let the testimony God has blessed you with fill the heart of those you have the amazing opportunity to walk with. Focus on the love of God and your ability to show it regardless of circumstance. The love in the rejoicings of life and we love harder when the darkness begins to creep in. Let God’s strength support you and His word guide you. The God’s light on the roller coaster of life as He stabilizes His chosen for His purpose.

Marks of a True Christian (9 of 12)

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Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse them/ Repay no one evil for evil/ never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God/ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good

It’s in the depraved state of selfishness that people have to make situations even or get vengeance. Some people are evil and some good people have moments where their human nature takes over and evil is the byproduct. Some believers will even act poorly causing frustration to others around them. Nobody is immune. It’s in moments of persecution and in the sight of evil that we can truly show God’s glory to the world. Repaying evil only pays into a cycle of darkness that will have no end unless God’s light is allowed in. Not allowing us to see and act on the good of our God will eventually make it difficult to find good. We cannot allow ourselves to be lost in anger and evil where God’s power is masked in our humanity. We must leave vengeance in the hands of God who will bring about change when the hearts involved are ready to receive the needed council. God’s timing is perfect just like His wisdom and vengeance. We need to give to God what belongs to Him and assume our duties as image bearers and reflections of His light. We are called to love. In love we bless, we love, we repay with good, we overcome!

Marks of a Ture Christian (7 of 12)

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Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer

Biblical hope is the anticipation of a favorable outcome under God’s guidance. More specifically, hope is the confidence that what God has done for us in the past guarantees our participation in what God will do in the future. [Holman Bible Dictionary] Based on biblical hope, we must rely on God through trust in His plan. We can rejoice in hope because we know that God will do for us what is best and walk with us in tribulation. God’s timing is perfect. When things get tough times slows to a stop. God uses that time to draw you closer to Him as He moves things into place to bring about His will. Be patient as He mold both you and the situation to glorify Him. Our rejoicing and patience is made complete in prayer. Our favorable outcome is in God’s guidance and not our own. We must rely on prayer to let God fill us with His peace and communicate His truth. Reaching out in prayer makes rejoicing and patience possible as God provides all that we need to sustain ourselves in any storm.

Marks of a True Christian (6 of 12)

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Serve the Lord

Service of the Lord is an abandoning of self in its most complete form. Serving God requires that we keep our eyes on our purpose in His kingdom. We must allow God to fill us with His spirit and allow Him to mature the spirit and guide us. Our fallen nature inclines us to try and lead ourselves by what we can see and understand. How much more fulfilling is our service to God if we accept what our all-seeing and all-knowing Lord leads us in? How much joy and peace can we find than if we rely on a God whose love for us will bless us beyond our own imaginations? Truly serving God requires a selflessness that looks out of place in this selfish world. The light that shines from a selfless believer draws attention to the focus of our servitude. Our service gives glory to God. We were created to give God glory. Do it in service to the Lord.

Marks of a True Christian (5 of 12)

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Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit

We are asked not to be lazy in our devotion to God’s kingdom. We should be devoted to a life lead by the Holy Spirit. It’s human nature to get caught up in the things of this world, the things we can see and feel with no effort. Focusing on our devotion to, and the way of the spirit, requires not only faith but real effort. We have to spend time in prayer in order to hear the voice of God as He whispers into our heart. We must spend time in God’s word to increase our knowledge and discernment of God’s will. We must not fall prey to the things of this world. We must realize that we are citizens of a perfect kingdom sojourning on earth as children of God. Our eyes must be continually on the Father. Don’t put off any moment to be with the Lord. He wants your heart, all of it, all of the time.