James 1:1-8
This letter is written by James, the brother of Jesus, to the Jewish Christians not living in Israel. James does not "pull rank" as the brother of Jesus but identifies himself as the servant of Jesus. I wonder what it would have been like to grow up with Jesus as your older brother. I wonder if his siblings resented him. I wonder what role Mary's faith played in their eventual belief in him as the Messiah and as God.
From these verses, it would seem that the Christians James is writing to have not "been scattered" of their own free will - they have faced trials of many kinds, likely persecution that has forced them to relocate. James uses a progression: trials develop perseverance which brings maturity and completion to the believer. I wonder if the reason that I am seeing such immaturity of belief in North America is because our faith costs us nothing. Because we have not developed much in the way of perseverance, we are rather immature.
It seems strange in the short term that we should have pure joy about the trials we are facing but when we can step back and realize what these trials will do for us, then we can have joy. If my desire is to fall more deeply in love with God, to know him more fully and trust him more completely then I can rejoice in my trials because I know that he is using them to bring me to maturity. It's kind of like growing pains - they hurt a lot but if living without them meant I was going to be a short weak person...
James also uses a word picture to describe a person who asks God for wisdom but does not have faith that God will provide: he is like a wave in a stormy sea - going back and forth depending on which way the wind is blowing.
I know I need wisdom. When I first started as a youth pastor I prayed this prayer a lot but over time I have come to rely on my experience, my "expertise" and my own resources. I believe that God has given me wisdom in the past and that I still have some measure of wisdom today. What I don't want is for that wisdom to make me independent and sure of myself. I need to keep relying on God to provide that wisdom for me.
God, I know I need your wisdom. Without it I am lost. Please give generously to me.
Showing posts with label God's wisdom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's wisdom. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Friday, September 14, 2007
deep
Romans 11:33-36
Paul ends this section with an outpouring of spontaneous praise. This could be a hymn that the early church sang or it could be a Paul original. In any case, what Paul sings about is the incredible depths to the mind of God. He is entirely beyond figuring out - not because he is inconsistent (although from a human perspective he can seem that way) but because he is so completely different than we are and anything else that we've ever experienced is. Paul also sings about the fact that God does not owe anyone anything. No one has ever given to God what God hasn't given to him in the first place. No one holds God in his debt. He is the source of all things and the giver of all things.
My heart bursts to sing of God's greatness! Even though I can't understand him and even when he seems dangerous and untame I know that he is good and he is great. Sing with me?
Paul ends this section with an outpouring of spontaneous praise. This could be a hymn that the early church sang or it could be a Paul original. In any case, what Paul sings about is the incredible depths to the mind of God. He is entirely beyond figuring out - not because he is inconsistent (although from a human perspective he can seem that way) but because he is so completely different than we are and anything else that we've ever experienced is. Paul also sings about the fact that God does not owe anyone anything. No one has ever given to God what God hasn't given to him in the first place. No one holds God in his debt. He is the source of all things and the giver of all things.
My heart bursts to sing of God's greatness! Even though I can't understand him and even when he seems dangerous and untame I know that he is good and he is great. Sing with me?
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
On Display
Ephesians 3:7-13
Paul continually expresses his amazement that he was chosen by God in the first place and then called by God to preach the gospel to the Gentiles above that. His humility seems genuine (like I have any reason to doubt it!) but I know that if I spoke those phrases - the chief of sinners, the least of all God's people, etc. - it would not be true humility but reverse pride. I'd be looking for someone to say, "You're not so bad." When I realize how pervasive my pride is, I begin to recognize just how much of a sinner I am.
The verse that blows me away is v. 10. We, the Church, display the manifold wisdom of God to the rulers and authorities of the heavenly realms (which I think are angels and spirits). Specifically, in the context, the wisdom of God is seen in the uniting of Gentile and Jew. I think that we can take the principle and apply it to our context: we display God's wisdom to the degree that we, the Church, are spiritually united. I can't get over this: that the "show" that God decided to put on for the spiritual rulers of the heavenly realms was the church. I wonder how many standing ovations God has received based on the "show" the church puts on. I wonder how many times the spiritual rulers of the heavenly realms have wondered if God really knew what he was doing based on the behaviour of the church. But God has committed himself to this choice. He will reveal the wonders of his wisdom through the Church.
What an amazing responsibility we have! No wonder Paul prays in a different epistle that we would be worthy of the calling that we have received. This calling is not just to represent Christ to the world but to display the wisdom of God to the heavenly realms. This should make me fall to my knees and ask God to help us, his Church, to live up to this. There is no way we can do it on human effort (which is maybe why Paul immediately breaks into prayer for the Ephesian church after this section).
Paul continually expresses his amazement that he was chosen by God in the first place and then called by God to preach the gospel to the Gentiles above that. His humility seems genuine (like I have any reason to doubt it!) but I know that if I spoke those phrases - the chief of sinners, the least of all God's people, etc. - it would not be true humility but reverse pride. I'd be looking for someone to say, "You're not so bad." When I realize how pervasive my pride is, I begin to recognize just how much of a sinner I am.
The verse that blows me away is v. 10. We, the Church, display the manifold wisdom of God to the rulers and authorities of the heavenly realms (which I think are angels and spirits). Specifically, in the context, the wisdom of God is seen in the uniting of Gentile and Jew. I think that we can take the principle and apply it to our context: we display God's wisdom to the degree that we, the Church, are spiritually united. I can't get over this: that the "show" that God decided to put on for the spiritual rulers of the heavenly realms was the church. I wonder how many standing ovations God has received based on the "show" the church puts on. I wonder how many times the spiritual rulers of the heavenly realms have wondered if God really knew what he was doing based on the behaviour of the church. But God has committed himself to this choice. He will reveal the wonders of his wisdom through the Church.
What an amazing responsibility we have! No wonder Paul prays in a different epistle that we would be worthy of the calling that we have received. This calling is not just to represent Christ to the world but to display the wisdom of God to the heavenly realms. This should make me fall to my knees and ask God to help us, his Church, to live up to this. There is no way we can do it on human effort (which is maybe why Paul immediately breaks into prayer for the Ephesian church after this section).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
