In addition to these amazing sources of wisdom and discernment, I would like to add two verses to your toolbox: James 3:17-18 and 1 Timothy 4:4-5. I'll cover them in separate blog entries and give some advice on how to handle each one.
First up: James 3:17-18:
17 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. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.This list of adjectives has guided me through very perilous times and can correct what might seem to be the right answer for you. First of all, purity is more than just being free from lust, although it must certainly include that criteria. Purity, I've found, is better thought of as having a pure and undistracted focus on God. Think of this: While it might be your freedom to work on Sunday, will it take away from your walk with God? This answer will be different for each person. As in 1 Corinthians 10: 23-24, where it says,
23 “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive. 24 Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others.we can see that there are several things that we are free to do as Christians, but will not benefit or build us or others up.
Second, peace-loving is that which seeks to build peace between people. As much as healthy conflict is needed in the church, this kind of healthy interaction is done with much thought and preparation. A verse that helps me with this concept is James 1:19-20,
19 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 20 for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.Anger is not a sin, but it should be approached slowly and controlled. If you saw my last blog entry, you can see how the emotion of anger can lead to good things in your life, but it should be done after the fire has died down and you have taken time to consider why those emotions flared up in the first place.
Thirdly, being considerate involves empathizing with others. We need to do this even with our enemies. Every evil person in history, from Hitler to Bin Laden, has experienced God's common grace. They had functioning bodies, enjoyed good food and relationships, and had freedom to use their gifts of leadership for good or evil. Check out Proverbs 29:13:
13 The poor man and the oppressor have this in common:
The LORD gives sight to the eyes of both.
God loved them enough to let them enjoy these things. He knows the desires of our hearts intimately, like in Psalm 38:9:
9 All my longings lie open before you, O Lord;This may be hard to swallow, but we need to consider the needs and desires of those whom we hate. This is part of loving others. We shouldn't deprive people of needs or wants without a reason.
my sighing is not hidden from you.
Fourthly, submissiveness is disdained in American culture, but it has its place in the body of Christ. Now, submissiveness between husbands and wives isn't in the scope of this blog post. I'm talking about the submissiveness between Christians. Note Ephesians 5:21:
21 Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.We, as Christians, need to humbly submit to each other as we seek God's will for our lives. If you aren't feeling led by God to take a path and have Christian brothers and sisters getting a prayer-led direction from God, submit to their discretion if you haven't found scripture or conviction that contradicts it (more on this from 1 Timothy 4:4-5 in my next post). I've found that we Christians have little trust for the relationship that other Christians have with God. Don't get me wrong: dialogue about the issue and be sincere about your misgivings, but let other Christians take the lead if they win out. Don't pull them out of God's will without reason.
Fifthly, full of mercy is the unending well of mercy that we can tap into through the Holy Spirit. Jesus told Peter that we are to forgive people seventy times seven times. If this is a struggle in your life, find a Christian friend who is better at this and observe them in action. From personal experience, I can tell you that people will open up their hearts more freely to that person of mercy. Face it sooner or later, mercy doesn't make sense, and it never truly will. God affirms this in Isaiah 55:7-8:
7 Let the wicked forsake his waySixth, good fruit is seeking out what is good in someone's life. This may not be what they want (which, as mentioned earlier, is still to be considered) or easy, but is what is beneficial for someone else in the long run. We follow God's example in Hebrews 12:10-11:
and the evil man his thoughts.
Let him turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him,
and to our God, for he will freely pardon.
8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the LORD.
10 Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11 No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.Seventh, we are to be impartial in our decision making. Do not let emotions or relationships be the deciding factor in your decision making. As I mentioned in my last article, there is a place for emotions in the life of the believer. We need to include them in our decision making process and they are often a place of enlightenment among believers. To use this resource, though, we need to thread it together with our mind. Emotions alone will ruin and consume you. Jeremiah 17:9 says,
9 The heart is deceitful above all thingsContrast this verse with Ezekiel 11:19-20, which says,
and beyond cure.
Who can understand it?
19 I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. 20 Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God.God can redeem our naturally broken emotions, but we still have a sinful nature. We can still be easily mistaken about what is right or wrong. Being impartial is the middle ground. It allows emotions to shed light on a situation, but tempers and evaluates these revelations with prayer, scripture, and sound council.
Finally, sincerity is one of the hardest qualities to find and display. There is a big difference between wearing one's emotions on one's shoulder and being open about your thoughts and feelings. Flattery and understating issues to maintain relationships is not peacemaking; it is peacekeeping. Peacemakers are open and responsible about issues and confronts them in a peaceful and loving manner. Peacekeepers cower from the possibility of conflict and will hide emotions and internalize concerns for that end. The first is healthy; the other is destructive. Consider Proverbs 27:5-6:
5 Better is open rebukeThese guidelines have helped me past several obstacles in my life so far and I wish for you to receive the same blessings that I have. If you are concerned with a particular issue, take this list to a friend and work through these criteria as a team. I've found that friends with different personalities will handle this list differently, but will generally come to the same conclusion. When you apply this list, it is my hope that you will sow in peace and raise a harvest of righteousness. Thank you so much for your time.
than hidden love.
6 Wounds from a friend can be trusted,
but an enemy multiplies kisses.
In Christ,
Simeon Snow
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