Faith Family Living: walk

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Lacking, by Edward

James 1:4 - "Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

If you were in the process of baking a cake, and in the middle of mixing it, realized that you were lacking one or two key ingredients, what would you do? If you really wanted to finish the cake you, would either go to your neighbor's house to ask for the missing ingredients or you would go to the store to pick up what you were lacking, right? This is what I would do, especially since I really like cake.

What would you think of a person who started mixing, was missing a couple of key ingredients, but acted like nothing was missing? Wouldn't you think it was absurd? Would you want that cake when it was done? It is as if admitting lacking an ingredient is somehow a bad thing. I know what I would say to such a person, "What's the big deal? Just go get the ingredients!"

You know what, though? As ridiculous as this example is, Christians do it all the time. As if somehow admitting there is a deficiency, error, misunderstanding, oversight, or even disobedience in their walk, is going to erase their entire walk with God. If you're lacking something, even something big, it does not necessarily mean that your entire walk with God was a lie, it just means that you are lacking something. What's the big deal?

Fill up where you're lacking. I know that I am lacking in my walk. If I admit that I am lacking, I can obtain that which I am lacking. However, if I refuse to admit that I am lacking, then I cannot obtain that which I am lacking. I will either remain deficient in an area of my life, or even worse, miss out on the kingdom entirely. Harm comes when we, in pride, refuse to admit that we are lacking.

Humility is a wonderful thing; it helps us to see our need before God. Micah 6:8 says, "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" Pray for humility before God, asking for help to see where you are lacking in your walk. I know that I need to pray for humility, because it is hard for me to be honest with myself sometimes. Though I have really had to wrestle sometimes throughout my Christian walk, admitting the deficiency has always built me up, making my walk with God fuller, it has never torn me down.

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Monday, January 23, 2012

A Snare, by Edward

The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted. Proverbs 29:25

Boy, that says it! During my time as a Christian I don't know if there is another lesson that has had such a huge impact on how I walk with God. It's a simple lesson really, but one that took some time to learn. The lesson is this, if I fear man I cannot follow God. I cannot simply obey what I see in scripture if I am always worried about what the brother next to me thinks or what everyone else in the church may be doing.

When I speak of the fear of man, that would include those outside the church, but I think more so includes those within the church. It was the religious leaders who killed Jesus and persecuted the church afterward. Most of the pressure I have experienced to go against my convictions has come from those within the church, even leaders. It is from these experiences that I came to learn that if I fear them I am a goner.

You obey who you fear. You are the slave to whom you fear. If I don't obey what God says because of a brother, guess whose slave I am. Not God's. I want to be God's slave. He is gentle and kind, even when I ere. His ways bring joy and peace, and the fear of Him lets me sleep at night.

The fear of man is an oppressive slavery that drives guilt, despair and shame into the innermost places, because in my conscience I know that when I fear man I have sinned against Him who loves me. The sooner you unload the fear of man from your shoulders the freer and happier you will be because then you will be able to simply abide with God unfettered by man's opinions. Here are a couple passages to consider.

"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell." Matthew 10:28

"He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me." Matthew 10:37