Quick, Slow, Slow

“Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters! Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger. For human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness. So put away all filth and evil excess and humbly welcome the message implanted within you, which is able to save your souls.” - James 1:19-21

Relationships are paramount in our existence – relationships with family members, friends, co-workers, etc. When I read this passage, relationships are the first thing that comes to my mind. People just don’t do everything that we want them to. Sometimes they are unable to do it. Sometimes what we want is the wrong thing. Sometimes our expectations are unreasonable. And sometimes they should be doing what we would like them to be doing, but they don’t. Sometimes they actively pursue those things which they know are not in our best interests – that might harm us. Most of the time, this evokes a negative response from us. We want things our way. If not, get out of our way because we are on the war path!

This is wrong. We should listen, then be quiet. (There is a reason that God gave us two ears and one mouth!) The major problem for us is that we are quick to speak! That’s why we get ourselves into trouble – we are quick to anger because we are quick to speak. In the initial burst of emotion, we should be silent. This delay would greatly limit our fits of anger. Our anger is not godly. When we respond to someone with rage, we are not fulfilling the responsibilities that God has laid out for us. It’s not God’s way for us.

Anger is a very difficult emotion. It’s obviously tough to get a handle on for a lot of us! We can help ourselves by diving into God’s word. By getting into Word and surrendering to what the Spirit gives us we can learn how to reduce our explosive moments – perhaps even rid ourselves of them completely. In their place, we receive that which God requires of us in meekness. Prayer is also a major resource for us – let go and let God.

Father, please help us. Many of us are quick to anger – help us to rectify this. Help us to be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger. Grant us peace and an understanding of what your will for us is. Help us to let go of the things that we can’t control. Forgive us when we fail you. It’s through your son and our savior we pray, amen.

Casey Dacus

Graham, TX

Writing in the Margins

Two of my favorite Bible stories are found in the gospels--the story of the man with the demon, called Legion, and the story of the woman who suffered from bleeding. I like the way that Luke tells these stories.

Jesus heads out to the Gerasenes via boat. As soon as he hits shore, a demon-possessed man who lives in the tombs gives him a warm welcome. “What do you have to do with me, Jesus, You Son of the Most High God?” Jesus commands the unclean spirit out of him and right into a herd of pigs, who flee off a cliff and into the lake. The cleansed man begs Jesus to go with him, but Jesus commands him to go into the town and proclaim all that God has done for him.

Jumping forward in chapter eight, Jesus is on his way to help someone else, in the midst of an oppressive crowd. As he moves, he feels power leave him because someone who so desperately believes he can heal her has touched his robes. The disciples doubt him when he says this is so, but the truth comes out when the woman who has suffered from bleeding for twelve years comes forward.

My affection for these stories is not solely motivated by the stories themselves; I like where and how they are positioned in the gospel story. Luke includes the testimony of the prophetess, Anna, in chapter two. He tells of the cleansing of a leper, the healing of a crippled man, the calling of a tax collector, and Jesus dining with sinners in chapter five. In chapter six, he blesses the poor, hungry, and those who weep, then calls down woes on the self-satisfied--a little different from Matthew’s beatitudes. Chapter seven includes the story of a widow’s son who is raised to life, praise of John the Baptist, then moves into chapter eight with stories of women who do Christ’s work. Chapter eight ends with the story of thousands of demons driven out of a lunatic and the healing of an unclean woman.

More than anything else, this gospel emphasizes the fact that Jesus is very intentional with the marginalized. In a culture where women could not do much, Jesus invites them to serve Him and do His work. In a culture where tax collectors are looked down upon as cheating scum, Jesus invites them not only dine with him, but to be his disciples. He heals those who are banished from the city--a leper and a crazed, demon-possessed man. Pharisees and teachers of the law look at John the Baptist and deem him crazy, but not Jesus. Jesus praises John, despite his lack of luxurious clothes and living conditions. “But the least in the kingdom of God is greater than he” (Luke 7:28).

There are many “leasts of these” who we encounter daily. If I bumped into a demon-possessed man or a woman who was unclean going on thirteen years, I would probably head for the hills. The succession of stories in Luke--with the story of these two standing out most vividly for me--commands us repeatedly to hang tight when we bump into these people. Jesus cares about them.

When he is on his way to heal Jairus’s daughter he stops to heal a woman who people had probably been overlooking for years. Jairus is a leader of the synagogue. Jesus should take care of him first, right? Wrong. Jesus constantly goes out of His way to heal, spend time with, teach, and love those who the rest of society shoves to the margins.

These words ring out in my mind: “What do you have to do with me, Jesus, You Son of the Most High God?” I think the man associates Jesus with the town leaders, teachers of the law, and “clean” people who are above his affliction. Jesus is the “Son of the Most High God.” Too good for a demon-possessed man. Well, we all have our own metaphorical “demons.” And just because some of us can hide them better with expensive clothes, shiny accomplishments, or “holy” works, it doesn’t mean that Jesus will show us more favor or that God’s people should show care to us first and in a more intentional way.

Right after Luke tells these stories, he records Jesus’ commission of the twelve: “He gave them power and authority over all the demons, and power to heal diseases. Then He sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick” (Luke 9:1-2). That’s very specific, and this is what I read in between those lines: “Go out and find the people who are shoved to the margins. Write compassion, tenderness, and grace all over their hearts in My name.” I see modern versions of that demon-possessed man and woman with the hemorrhage everyday. It makes me want to pick up my pen and venture out into the margins.

God of the afflicted,
I praise You for the way that You show care to all people. Thank you for Jesus and the life that He lived--a life in which He was constantly seeking out those whom the world rejected. Help us to remember that we should love the way that He loved and expect nothing in return, because that is what You have called us to. We praise You for teaching us through the life of Your Son.
In His name, Amen.

Erin Daugherty
Abilene Christian University

Lost in Transition

There are times I feel extremely connected to God.  I wake up feeling close to Him and go to bed feeling close to Him.  My conversations are more focused on how He is working in me and through me.  I feel like I am walking on clouds.

There are times I feel lost.  I feel like I have lost my connection to God.  In these lost moments I often vacillate between feeling that I have taken a wrong turn and walked away from God or feeling like God has turned away from me or at least taken a break from me.  I feel like I am trudging through sludge.

I am in the middle of a life transition.  I am looking for a job and looking for the thing I want to do in life that fulfills the passions God has placed within me.  There are days in the transition where I know God is molding and shaping me and there are days when I think He might have forgotten I still need to have a way to support my family and myself.  There are those days in the clouds and there are those days that are in the sludge.  It is tough going from one to the other in a matter of days, sometimes hours.  A door will crack open and then get slammed shut.  It’s frustrating and it’s scary at times.  Yet, I still hold on to hope that God is planning something really, really big that will blow me away.

A couple of weeks ago, I was at a talk given by Erwin McManus.  He is a Pastor for a church in California and he said something that has permeated my thoughts.  “Do you think the God who imagined you before you were born has quit imagining you now?”  

“Do you think the God who imagined you before you were born has quit imaging you now?”

Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  

I think about Erwin’s comments and I think about God’s words and it makes it harder to get down emotionally.  It still happens.  I am human and not as strong as I want to be but when I think about the God who imagined me, who formed me, who created me to do good works, it sure is hard to feel disconnected from God.  

I may be a little lost in my transition from job to job, but God’s word tells me I (and you) am not lost from His sight, from His mind, from His heart, from His plans.  He still imagines me now for what He is planning for tomorrow.  Hallelujah.

Grace and peace.

Jeff Jones

Decatur, Texas

The Gentle Giant

Let your gentleness be evident to all.  The Lord is near.

Philippians 4:5

He was affectionately called “The Gentle Giant.”  My grandfather stood 6’4”, much taller than the average man born in the early part of the 20^th century.  A stranger could have been intimidated by his size.  Yet, after spending a short amount of time in his presence, his gentleness would become evident.  He spoke with a soft tone, rarely raising his voice.  Yes, he had high expectations and firm principles, but he was patient and kind-hearted.

Paul’s closing comments to the Church in Philippi included the exhortation to be gentle.  He intended for Christians to avoid harsh, stern, or violent language or behavior when interacting with others.  This does not imply a simple absence of mean-spirited or hurtful actions.  Nor, does it mean we should tolerate a standard of behavior that is inconsistent, ambiguous, or questionable.  Instead, Paul asks that our gentleness be evident to all.  We should be consistent, clear and obvious with our gentleness toward others.

According to Paul, the reason we should pay attention to how we treat others is because the Lord is near.  I will choose to be gentle because the Lord isn’t far away.  My actions are being observed and evaluated by all who are watching, including the Lord.

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father, please help me stand tall in my relationships.  I want to be gentle.  Help me overcome my tendency to be harsh or overbearing.  Help me to be gentle with my words and, especially, with my tone of voice.  Thank you for your patience and loving kindness toward me.  In the saving grace of Jesus, amen.

Carl Smith

Stephenville, Texas