Oh Be Careful...
May I slip in and offer up a sincere and heart sent plea to followers of Christ Jesus? Please, please, please be careful of what you say and do. These are new days, seasons, and times in which we live. Days, seasons, and times in which wisdom and grace expressed through love are vitally needed.
Please, please please dear ones be careful, be aware, be alert. Now is the time to know and live Jesus every day in every way. Jesus said a house divided against itself cannot stand. He also said the sheep would be separated from the goats. May we follow our Good Shepherd Jesus closely that we not be led astray and become goats. These words from a childhood song are so wise:
"Oh be careful little mind what you think...
Oh be careful little mouth what you say...
For the Father up above is looking down in love
So be careful little one what you do"
Often a song says it better than mere words ever could.
Much is being spoken about many within the Body of Christ right now. A lot of it is being spoken by fellow members of the body, brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus, about other brothers and sisters in the Lord. Harsh, critical, angry voices are lashing out.
An observant onlooker might be tempted to compare some of today's Christians to children whose mother didn't teach them how to be kind to each other. A loving sibling might wonder whether or not their brothers and sisters have read the letter of instructions about love one for another their Father God has given them to read. If they have read Father's Words (the Bible), some certainly don't seem to be obeying them. It can make a Christian brother or sister concerned and sad to hear all of the fault-finding among their siblings in Christ.
An explanation of the importance of love to faith I heard recently ministered to me a lot. I think it can help us all, if we will consider and learn from it. A woman of advanced experience in faith shared that the Lord showed her that faith is like a high-voltage power line. The line contains great power and will zap any and every one who comes in contact with it. Love is the insulating cover placed on the power line. It allows the power to be utilized while protecting the users. Just as the insulating cover on the wire makes the electrical power available for use, love is an essential covering for the application of our faith. Love is what prevents the great power of faith from being used incorrectly or to hurt another. The wise woman also shared that using discernment without love is being judgmental and critical, not discerning. If we who profess Jesus as Lord say we are discerning such and such a thing about another yet are harsh and unkind, our lack of love testifies otherwise. It really doesn't matter what Christian terminology we use to validate/justify our behavior and/or words, if there isn't love, it isn't of God. Period. For God is love. (1 John 4:7,8)
Psalm 103:14 lets us know that God knows our frame and knows we are but dust. He isn't surprised by our shortcomings, weaknesses, or failures. 1 John 1:9 was written to the church. Likewise, Galatians 6:2 was also. A number of verses and testimonies within the Bible make it clear that God is well aware of our human weaknesses. Yet, knowing this, He still commands us in Ephesians 4:32 to be kind to one another as well as telling us to honor each other and be courteous, not rude, in 1 Corinthians 13.
The book of James teaches that mercy always triumphs over judgment, and that the person who does not show mercy will not have mercy shown to them. In addition to this, we are also shown the principles of seedtime and harvest, reaping what we sow, throughout the scripture. God has given us instructions and examples to follow. God has also said that if we love Him we will obey Him. Will we?
Will we allow God's love that has been placed in our hearts (Romans 5:5) to be greater than what we see and feel about others?
Will we imitate Him by extending His love and grace to our brothers and sisters in Jesus as God has freely given His love and grace to us? (Eph. 5:1)
Will we forgive as we have been forgiven? (Eph. 4:32)
Will we be merciful and love the unlovely? (Luke 6:27-36)
Will we bear up under any and every thing that comes without weakening always ready to believe the best of every person? (1 Corinthians 13:7)
Will we speak words that are always seasoned with grace? (Colossians 4:6)
Lately it has felt as if every day the Lord speaks to me the words spoken by Moses to the Israelites recorded in Deuteronomy 30:19 "I call heaven and earth to witness this day against you that I have set before you life and death, the blessings and the curses; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live."
Every day, over and over again, I am given opportunity after opportunity to choose life or death in my words and actions. Every day, over and over again, I am allowed to choose for myself whether I will build up or tear down. Every single day. All of us. Every single day. We choose. We either choose with deliberate intention or by defaulting to whatever comes most easily out of our mouths. As we go through our days may we remember the words to that sweet childhood song above. May we truly be careful what we think, say, and do. The world needs Jesus, and He is in us. May we choose Him. Every day in every way.
In Christ,
Shalom
