Its a scary thing when there's something we choose over God. Today we have to choose whether to sleep longer or to get up and be with the Lord. Today we have to choose to share with those who annoy us. Today we have to choose to respond in love to those who cut us off. The scary thing about this passage is that the more we have been given - clearly the more we will be held responsible for - v. 50 "held responsible...".
James 3:1 says, "Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly." Preachers love to skip that verse in the wonderful book of James but this verse isn't just speaking to preachers and Sunday School teachers. If we claim to be a follower of Christ - our lives are a text book to others - either for good or bad. The more this is true the stricter our judgement will be.
v. 52 bothers me because I pray I never hinder others from entering relationship with God. I want to ask the Lord if and how I've done this. One thing clearly seen here that leads to this is when we put expectations on others that we refuse to follow.
v. 53 Ah - the problem of confronting pride. Pride can't be confronted well - by its nature is refuses to listen. It plays the victim and tries to kill the messenger without ever really listening to the message. It rationalizes, sympathizes, justifies but pride is blind to itself - unteachable because it has it all figure out. It reacts with vengeance not realizing its killing itself along with the message and messenger.
questions: ask the Lord these questions and listen
1) Holy Spirit would you who me show me where I have been given much but have not been faithful.
2) Holy Spirit would you show me what rules I have enforced that I don't follow well.
3) Holy Spirit would you show me where my pride has kept from me being teachable.
Pray
Today's pray is listening for the answers above and repenting.
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