I'm sitting in my new home office right now, enjoying the sound of Hillsong playing on my Ipod, and the not too distant bark of Zac, our neighbor's (ugly) dog. And wait, I think I hear some work being done on the house behind me, a car zipping by, and a pesky bee that won't leave me alone.
Yes, I am sitting in our courtyard. I have reclaimed it as my sanctuary, my haven, my place to be alone with my thoughts, a cup of coffe, and Jesus.
Speaking of our Saviour and Best Friend, here's what He's teaching me this morning.
James 3:13-18
"Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and every evil practice. 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. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness."
These verses are right in sync with what the Lord has been doing in my heart the past couple days. (You gotta love that Holy Spirit and the consistent way He works!) For me, these verses are about a heart of repentance and grace. Who of us hasn't had bitter envy and selfish ambition in our hearts at some point - and watched it ruin relationships? It can be a painful process to come to a point of repentance, because it involves humility and admitting when you are wrong. But if the whole point of this relationship is more of Jesus, then I no longer want to be right. Does that make sense?
When we are full of envy and selfish ambition, we are only thinking about ourselves. How sorry we feel for ourselves and how unhappy we feel towards others who we see as more successful or more pretty or more happy or more whatever. And when we're thinking so much about ourselves, we aren't focused on Jesus and Who He is and how He feels about us.
Thankfully, after our eyes have been opened to our sinful thoughts and motives (once again, thank You Holy Spirit), and we once again acknowledge Him as all we need and not ourselves, I think it is simple to follow the next step and ask for forgiveness, which He is so overwhelmingly willing to give! That's when we receive the wisdom that is from Heaven.
And that's the wisdom I want.
Yes, I am sitting in our courtyard. I have reclaimed it as my sanctuary, my haven, my place to be alone with my thoughts, a cup of coffe, and Jesus.
Speaking of our Saviour and Best Friend, here's what He's teaching me this morning.
James 3:13-18
"Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and every evil practice. 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. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness."
These verses are right in sync with what the Lord has been doing in my heart the past couple days. (You gotta love that Holy Spirit and the consistent way He works!) For me, these verses are about a heart of repentance and grace. Who of us hasn't had bitter envy and selfish ambition in our hearts at some point - and watched it ruin relationships? It can be a painful process to come to a point of repentance, because it involves humility and admitting when you are wrong. But if the whole point of this relationship is more of Jesus, then I no longer want to be right. Does that make sense?
When we are full of envy and selfish ambition, we are only thinking about ourselves. How sorry we feel for ourselves and how unhappy we feel towards others who we see as more successful or more pretty or more happy or more whatever. And when we're thinking so much about ourselves, we aren't focused on Jesus and Who He is and how He feels about us.
Thankfully, after our eyes have been opened to our sinful thoughts and motives (once again, thank You Holy Spirit), and we once again acknowledge Him as all we need and not ourselves, I think it is simple to follow the next step and ask for forgiveness, which He is so overwhelmingly willing to give! That's when we receive the wisdom that is from Heaven.
And that's the wisdom I want.
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