Alright, I know, I like to get up on my soap box. I have lots of opinions. I'm also outspoken about them. That often gets me in trouble. At times it's something I don't like about myself and at other times I consider it a gift. It has to come out somehow. I know a large part of my problem is the presentation, because most people get annoyed with my "preaching" and give me that look. Anyway, here I go again.
Judgement of Teachers
James 3:1
NIV "Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will judged more strictly."
ESV "Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness"
The Message "1-2Don't be in any rush to become a teacher, my friends. Teaching is highly responsible work. Teachers are held to the strictest standards. And none of us is perfectly qualified. We get it wrong nearly every time we open our mouths. If you could find someone whose speech was perfectly true, you'd have a perfect person, in perfect control of life."
If we consider ourselves "higher" we will be judged accordingly. How come we teach and lead Bible studies but then go home to spend hours watching tv, arguing with family members, and starring at facebook. Not only will the Lord hold us to higher standard but Satan is after those who teach. He doesn't want teachers to have the Godly impact and growth in the church that they are capable of. Teachers must be on guard and preparing themselves! With greater spiritual maturity comes greater spiritual warfare.
Meekness
James 4:6
NLT "But he gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say, “God opposes the proud but favors the humble.”"
Matthew 5:5
NAS "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth."
NIV "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth."
To gain meekness we must pursue it. Meaning a mind set to find meekness, valuing it's importance and striving to achieve it. To be humble goes against our nature, in it we are giving honor, benefit, and privilege to others. Others who often are less committed than yourself. But it doesn't matter. Just avoiding conflict or holding your tongue does NOT mean you have walked in meekness but it is a start. Praying for the Lord to humble us is hard thing to do and actually want sometimes but wouldn't we rather be shown now how prideful we are rather than when we are standing in front of the Lord on that day when he returns? Here is what really gets me... It is IMPOSSIBLE to have meekness in the world and not have meekness in your family. If I can not be humble with those I love and live with, how can be humble towards those in the world?
Simplicity
1 Timothy 6:7-8
ESV "for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content."
The Message "6-8A devout life does bring wealth, but it's the rich simplicity of being yourself before God. Since we entered the world penniless and will leave it penniless, if we have bread on the table and shoes on our feet, that's enough."
To receive what we have as a gift from God. We must come to understand that even though we work, we live by the grace of God alone. He is the supplier of all that we have. We have to remember not to cling to and fear the loss of possessions, because we know that God will provide what we need. I would HIGHLY recommend the book Celebration of Discipline, the whole book is great but I especially loved the chapters on meditating and simplicity. He talks about how MUCH we have and how LITTLE we really need. We talk quite a bit about the importance of giving... and giving is important, but how often do we talk about how riches can distract us from focusing on the Lord. We need to walk away from or get rid of anything that distracts us from seeking first the Kingdom of God. This is ultimately where the heart of true simplicity lives.
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