romans 12:2
"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
first, i must apologize. i lied about waiting another 3 months to write another blog. ill be honest, i think i put way too much pressure on what to say and how to say it. i get nervous. so now i'm not making anymore promises about when my next blog will be... but lets all hope it wont be in december...or january.
second, i have decided to change things up. i hope this is ok.lately i have had some good conversations and it has made me want to discuss many different things... not just james. even though i really like james and recommend getting to know him. he has some good stuff to say.
recently i have been thinking about thinking. i've been thinking about where my mind is and how it completely affects everything i do, say, and believe. ill be honest. i have a critical, insecure, worried, and doubtful mind sometimes. i hate it. but this verse has started changing that for me.
see paul tells us to literally be transformed by the renewing of our minds... not our heart, actions, words, or people... but by our minds. paul starts with the mind. that's usually where it starts with me too. whatever is going on in my mind eventually comes out in my life. if im thinking negative and critical thoughts, slowly i start becoming negative and critical.
the word paul uses for "transform" is the Greek word, "metamorphoo" which translates to our english word "metamorphosis." a metamorphosis is essentially when one object changes into a completely different object. there is no resemblance of the old object. like a caterpillar changing into a butterfly.
our minds should have this kind of extreme transformation. but this is hard. sometimes i feel like my mind naturally gravitates to things i shouldn't dwell on. its almost like i have to fight to make myself think about the things i am supposed to think about. i guess real transformation isn't easy.
but sometimes i wonder if i am missing a huge piece of what this life is supposed to be like. i wonder if i am missing sunrises and sunsets, the amazing people that surround me, or even the little things God wants to say and do when i am too busy thinking about my to-do list, getting through the day, being upset at the days unplanned events, or obsessing on where and what God wants me to do. i wonder if when i give up fighting, i give up living... living the kind of life i was meant to live.
when i think about it this way, i kind of want to fight. i want to fight to think about what im thinking about... i want to fight to live the kind of life i was meant to live. one filled with joy, peace, love, and hope... the kinds of things that are worth fighting for.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
james 2:1-7
playing favorites.
"My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. 2 Suppose someone comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor person in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the one wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the one who is poor, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?"
first, i must be honest, i almost gave up on this blog. in January i started seminary and thought i didn't have time for a blog. but a friend of mine encouraged me to keep it up... and now here i am 3 months later keeping it up. so, for all my 12 faithful followers i am sorry it has taken me 3 months to write another blog. i promise to not wait that long again.
and now to the good stuff... playing favorites. i admit, i have done it. but here's what i continue to love about James, he tells us like it is, "My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism (verse 1)." it's that simple, believers- don't show favoritism.
but that makes me wonder, why do i show favoritism? why do i sometimes treat people who look, talk, and act like me better than i do those who are different than me? for me, it's about comfort. i'll be honest, i can be awkward at times. and so when i think about interacting with someone who is different than me, i get nervous and fail miserably under the pressure... this causes me to not want to try.
lately, this has changed for me, though. in class i have been learning a lot about different races, genders, and social classes. i have had some incredible discussions with and about people who are different than me. and because of these conversation i have started seeing things through different eyes. i have begun seeing the things we all have in common and have started forgetting what is so different... really, i have stopped showing favorites because i have stopped seeing favorites.
but the heart of this passage is about the believers taking sides with the rich instead of the poor. it's about the believers judging on appearances and favoring those with money and power. the ironic thing about this is that it's exactly the opposite of what Jesus did. he took sides with the poor, he didn't judge on looks but saw the heart and identity of each person. but now, the believers got it all mixed up. maybe they started fearing for their lives, maybe they started caring what people thought... i don't know. all i know is that they started getting things real mixed up.
i get things mixed up sometimes. for instance how to say the word "frustrated." i sometimes leave out the "r" and it drives my husband crazy. but playing favorites is a big mix up... not jut a leaving out the "r" mix up. if we are believers, playing favorites goes against everything we believe. think about it. think about who Jesus was and what he said and who he said it to... He spoke to the people he wasn't suppose to speak to and loved the people no one else loved. he was a leader who lived a radically different kind of life. the kind of life that mixed things up like "the first will be last and the last will be first," or "blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom in heaven," or "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." he really mixed it up... but the kind of mix up that literally changed history. that sounds like a good kind of mix up to me. much better than forgetting the "r" in "frustrated."
"My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. 2 Suppose someone comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor person in filthy old clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the one wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the one who is poor, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?"
first, i must be honest, i almost gave up on this blog. in January i started seminary and thought i didn't have time for a blog. but a friend of mine encouraged me to keep it up... and now here i am 3 months later keeping it up. so, for all my 12 faithful followers i am sorry it has taken me 3 months to write another blog. i promise to not wait that long again.
and now to the good stuff... playing favorites. i admit, i have done it. but here's what i continue to love about James, he tells us like it is, "My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism (verse 1)." it's that simple, believers- don't show favoritism.
but that makes me wonder, why do i show favoritism? why do i sometimes treat people who look, talk, and act like me better than i do those who are different than me? for me, it's about comfort. i'll be honest, i can be awkward at times. and so when i think about interacting with someone who is different than me, i get nervous and fail miserably under the pressure... this causes me to not want to try.
lately, this has changed for me, though. in class i have been learning a lot about different races, genders, and social classes. i have had some incredible discussions with and about people who are different than me. and because of these conversation i have started seeing things through different eyes. i have begun seeing the things we all have in common and have started forgetting what is so different... really, i have stopped showing favorites because i have stopped seeing favorites.
but the heart of this passage is about the believers taking sides with the rich instead of the poor. it's about the believers judging on appearances and favoring those with money and power. the ironic thing about this is that it's exactly the opposite of what Jesus did. he took sides with the poor, he didn't judge on looks but saw the heart and identity of each person. but now, the believers got it all mixed up. maybe they started fearing for their lives, maybe they started caring what people thought... i don't know. all i know is that they started getting things real mixed up.
i get things mixed up sometimes. for instance how to say the word "frustrated." i sometimes leave out the "r" and it drives my husband crazy. but playing favorites is a big mix up... not jut a leaving out the "r" mix up. if we are believers, playing favorites goes against everything we believe. think about it. think about who Jesus was and what he said and who he said it to... He spoke to the people he wasn't suppose to speak to and loved the people no one else loved. he was a leader who lived a radically different kind of life. the kind of life that mixed things up like "the first will be last and the last will be first," or "blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom in heaven," or "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." he really mixed it up... but the kind of mix up that literally changed history. that sounds like a good kind of mix up to me. much better than forgetting the "r" in "frustrated."
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
james 1: 19-26
resolutions.
"My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
so, if i'm honest i have been putting off this section. sorry. it's not because i didn't like it, but that it's something i struggle with and is pretty self explanatory. i'm a big fan of new years resolutions. not sure why. i think there is something exciting about the beginning of a whole new year. and so every year i like to come up with a few things that i want to do, be, or become during the upcoming year. the more i thought about this verse, the more it seemed like a great new years resolution. so i decided to put what james said in this section into my new years resolution, cliff notes version...
#1. be quick to listen
#2. slow to speak
#3. slow to become angry
#4. don't merely listen to the word, but DO what it says... like looking after orphans and widows and keeping oneself form being polluted by the world.
i know i'm oversimplifying what james is saying in this verse, but this is what i sincerely want to pursue this year. and if i could live this out, well that would be a pretty incredible year. sorry this entry is short and sweet, hope you have a good year.
"My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do. Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
so, if i'm honest i have been putting off this section. sorry. it's not because i didn't like it, but that it's something i struggle with and is pretty self explanatory. i'm a big fan of new years resolutions. not sure why. i think there is something exciting about the beginning of a whole new year. and so every year i like to come up with a few things that i want to do, be, or become during the upcoming year. the more i thought about this verse, the more it seemed like a great new years resolution. so i decided to put what james said in this section into my new years resolution, cliff notes version...
#1. be quick to listen
#2. slow to speak
#3. slow to become angry
#4. don't merely listen to the word, but DO what it says... like looking after orphans and widows and keeping oneself form being polluted by the world.
i know i'm oversimplifying what james is saying in this verse, but this is what i sincerely want to pursue this year. and if i could live this out, well that would be a pretty incredible year. sorry this entry is short and sweet, hope you have a good year.
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