Word@Work James40 - James 4:9-10
Published: Mon, 04/06/09
Word@Work from BeaconLight
POSITIVELY NEGATIVE
James 4:9-10 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. (NIV)
Until credit runs out, positive thinking sounds very good. But imagining that everything is going well, when it is really a disaster, is very foolish. Many people try to play the same game with God. They think that if they make-believe that they are good people, surely God will be nice to them and let them into His heaven. Wrong. God knows exactly who He will welcome, and it is not the spiritual conmen.
The only way to receive God's favour is to admit the truth. Jesus said that when we have done our best we are unprofitable (cf Luke 17:10), and Isaiah likened our finest efforts to dirty washing (cf Is 64:6). God does not want us to give a slick boardroom presentation of our successes, but He cherishes every tear we shed over our failure. King David put it like this in Psalm 51:17: The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. And more than that; God heals the broken hearted, and binds up their wounds (Ps 147:3).
The astonishing thing about God is: when your heart is broken because of the realisation of your sin; God mends your heart. When you throw away your pride, He lifts you up. Indeed, it is not until you confess your sin, that Jesus can be your Saviour. But the working world despises weakness, and workers will often despise Jesus Christ crucified, using His Name and His blood as swear words. But there is mercy and grace waiting for all who will humble themselves under God's mighty hand: He will lift them up (cf 1 Pet 5:6). If you have experienced the relief and joy of His mercy for a sinner, you are the best person to tell about Jesus to those who are in despair because of their sin. You can tell them today!
Prayer: Merciful God. It is a relief to know that you do not want me to pretend that I am good, but rather to be sorry for my sin. I confess that I am a sinner, and I need your mercy today. And help me to speak plainly about Jesus to my colleagues who are at their wit's end, and do no know where to turn for help. It is wonderful that you never turn away from those who humble themselves. In Jesus Name. Amen.
You can read the verses around this Bible passage from the Internet Bible: - in English, and many other languages
Until credit runs out, positive thinking sounds very good. But imagining that everything is going well, when it is really a disaster, is very foolish. Many people try to play the same game with God. They think that if they make-believe that they are good people, surely God will be nice to them and let them into His heaven. Wrong. God knows exactly who He will welcome, and it is not the spiritual conmen.
The only way to receive God's favour is to admit the truth. Jesus said that when we have done our best we are unprofitable (cf Luke 17:10), and Isaiah likened our finest efforts to dirty washing (cf Is 64:6). God does not want us to give a slick boardroom presentation of our successes, but He cherishes every tear we shed over our failure. King David put it like this in Psalm 51:17: The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. And more than that; God heals the broken hearted, and binds up their wounds (Ps 147:3).
The astonishing thing about God is: when your heart is broken because of the realisation of your sin; God mends your heart. When you throw away your pride, He lifts you up. Indeed, it is not until you confess your sin, that Jesus can be your Saviour. But the working world despises weakness, and workers will often despise Jesus Christ crucified, using His Name and His blood as swear words. But there is mercy and grace waiting for all who will humble themselves under God's mighty hand: He will lift them up (cf 1 Pet 5:6). If you have experienced the relief and joy of His mercy for a sinner, you are the best person to tell about Jesus to those who are in despair because of their sin. You can tell them today!
Prayer: Merciful God. It is a relief to know that you do not want me to pretend that I am good, but rather to be sorry for my sin. I confess that I am a sinner, and I need your mercy today. And help me to speak plainly about Jesus to my colleagues who are at their wit's end, and do no know where to turn for help. It is wonderful that you never turn away from those who humble themselves. In Jesus Name. Amen.
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