Some time back a friend of mine posted something on social media as “Food for Thought”. I told her the thought was a good one and I was going to share it on my blog. She even told me she was going to start charging me for the ideas I get from her for my blog. Good luck with that Deanna M! Ha. Ha.
Her thought was a very serious thought. It’s one each of us could probably ask ourselves. Her thought was, “ How many times did we know better but didnt do better?” Think about that. Be honest with yourself and give that some deep consideration.
As I contemplated this thought in my own life, a verse of Scripture immediately came to mind.
The instructions, earlier in the epistle of James, cover a wide range of topics, that enable the believer to live a life that is pleasing to God.James 4:17 CSB - So it is sin to know the good and yet not do it.
He warns against conceiving sin in our heart, and the devastation that can be caused by an unguarded tongue. He exposes the dangers of allowing partiality to influence our judgement about other people, and teaches on faith and works, justification and the dangers of an unstable mind. James also teaches about the effects of true and false wisdom.
James teaches that to know what is good but to do what is not – whether in thought, word or deed, dishonors God and hurts our testimony. He warns to the one who knows the right thing to do yet does not do it – it is sin.
Living the Christian life as God intended and instructed, should be the main focus of the Christian, and failure to do so is identified by James as a sin which should be confessed to the Lord and addressed in our life if we are to remain in fellowship with God, and grow in grace.
My friend went on to state, “I would not want God to ask me that because the answer would not be good.” Wow. After careful search of her heart this was her truth. This was her reality.
She was in good company though. Paul, the apostle, had this to say:
Romans 7:15 CSB - For I do not understand what I am doing, because I do not practice what I want to do, but I do what I hate.
Paul, the great apostle, wasn’t always the great apostle. He was Saul, persecutor of the church. Paul still had struggles as we see here. Now we see in Romans 8 he gets the victory. But just knowing Paul struggled much like we do lets us know we are not alone in this.
As children of God, our whole life and attitude should be to live our life for Jesus, every moment of every day. We are to present ourselves as a living sacrifice to Him (Romans 12:1). We are to trust His word and walk in total dependence on God, moment by moment, day by day.
The new testament epistles give specific guidance and instruction on living the Christian life. We have the Holy Spirit, who indwells us. He will lead us and guide us in all things. We also have the assurance of Jesus that His grace is sufficient for us. In our weakness He is made strong. When we are weak in our own abilities, we have His promise, that His strength will enable us to be strong.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 CSB - [9] But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness." Therefore, I will most gladly boast all the more about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may reside in me. [10] So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and in difficulties, for the sake of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
We are not to rely on our strength but rather His. When I am weak then Jesus can come on the scene and do His work. It is then that I am truly strong.
Until next time...enjoy the journey!
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