Friday, January 25, 2008

Shade Tree Wisdom 1/25/08

It was just as cold today as yesterday, but it felt quite pleasant because there was no drizzle with it. Later the drizzle started and the cold went to the bones, but early on, when I was walking, it was nice.

Today is our youngest daughter’s birthday. It brings back so many pleasant memories of growing up and visiting and watching her grow and making her way in the world as Christ’s child. And Mom’s poppy seed cake with cream frosting.

How the time flies. The time is past to look for someone to blame, isn’t it? It always is. And yet we seem to be living in a time when “It’s not my fault” is the norm. What happened to responsibility. What happened to taking charge of my own life, instead of blaming anyone or everyone else for my mistakes, my errors, my failings.

Let’s be on guard. When push comes to shove, think independently. Think biblically. Lead with your head, rather than your feelings. It is easy to lose our ethical compass somewhere between longing to be liked and wanting to do what is right.

As an example, when Christian believers gather in churches, everything that can go wrong sooner or later does. And outsiders, seeing this, conclude that there really is nothing good about religion. Insiders see it differently, they see a hospital where sick people come to get well. And that is what a Church is.

So Christian Churches are not, as a rule, model communities of good behavior. Instead they are places where such behavior is brought out in the open, and dealt with. James has some good advice here. He is a Pastor going about his work, confronting, dealing, forgiving in Jesus name, as one of God’s Shepherds does.

James starts with this, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds, because you know the testing of your faith develops perseverance” which leads to a mature faith. He speaks of asking God for wisdom, for seeing temptation for what it is. Then he urges them to really listen to the Word, not just in one ear and out the other. In chapter 3 he speaks of the tongue, and how hard it often is to tame that. Then this bit of wisdom in chapter 4,7 “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil. And he will flee from you. Come near to God, and He will come near to you”.

As I said, this is the wise Shepherd looking after this “Flock of God, which He has purchased with his own blood”.

In Our day we can do no better than to look to this rich letter for guiding and steering in the troubled world we live in. Here lies the wisdom that God offers. We do well to listen, and do. And may God bless the doing.

GPD 1/25/08

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