Thursday, December 01, 2005
Introduction
I've been working on a book for several years now (about five - CORRECTION three - it just feels like five). The title (tentatively) is “The Heart That Heals”. The book stems from a ladies’ conference that I spoke at about three years ago in which the information was well received and subsequent speaking invitations evolved although I did not accept. Public speaking is not really “my thing”. I thought though, that maybe a book would be. My goal is to finish this book this year. So, in efforts to do that, I will publish here one chapter per month. Comments and suggestions are welcomed. By the way, written works are covered by copyright laws. I don't want my next book to be, "The Heart That Steals!" So, don't copy w/o permission.
Chapter 12
Conclusion
We have looked at growing in Christ, and we know that we must first be a Christian to do so. We have seen how we grow in Christ. We have looked at breaking down the wall of emotions and we have seen the emotional difference between men and women. We found out that we cannot do it alone. We’ve looked at casting and bearing burdens and how much our response matters. We have seen the blessings of burdens and how God is the God of ALL comfort. We’ve seen all of this and now it is time for us to take action!
James 1:22 says, “But be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” I had heard the first part of this verse many, many times, “…be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only…” However, I had never paid much attention to the last part of the verse, “…and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” It says that hearers only, people who only hear and do nothing about what they’ve heard, are deceiving EVEN their own selves. If all I do is hear, I don’t apply it to my life, I don’t “do” what the Word tells we to do, I’m deceiving me. Could I be a hearer only, and be so deceived, that I don’t even know it?
Also in the book of James, we read in chapter four, verse seventeen, “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” I could be deceiving my own self, and committing sin, all at the same time. It is as if there is a war going on inside of me. There IS a war going on inside me, the Bible calls it the war of the flesh. My mind knows what to do, it has read it, it has heard it, but my will doesn’t want to do it. It’s a war alright; it’s a battle of my emotions, my mind, and my will.
We must be diligent and consistent in all of the things we have discussed. We must be faithful to continue to grow in Christ in spite of emotional pain. We must break down the wall of emotions, remembering that every emotional response needs to be filtered through the Word of God. We must understand the emotional difference and remember that we CANNOT do it in our own strength but only in His strength alone. We must cast our own burdens, and be willing to bear the burdens of others. We must remember that our response to burdens matters, and recognize the blessings of burdens. We must allow the God of all comfort to have His will and His way in our lives.
Have you ever seen someone walking up a down escalator? Just as that person walking up the down escalator must keep moving to reach the top, we too must keep moving to reach the top. If we hesitate, if we look back, lack diligence or consistency, or are not faithful, that down escalator will rapidly carry us down, down, down, even though, all along, we were heading in the right direction. It is not enough just to be headed in the right direction. We must be headed in the right direction diligently, consistently, and faithfully. We must keep on keeping on and never, never, ever, ever quit!
Jeremiah 31:3 says, “Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” In Hebrews 13:5 He says, “…I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Can you imagine a God that loves us with an EVERLASTING love, a love that lasts forever? Can you trust a God that draws us and will never, never leave us or forsake us? What a wonderful and awesome God we serve! “Be still and KNOW that I AM GOD…” Psalm 46:10
We have looked at growing in Christ, and we know that we must first be a Christian to do so. We have seen how we grow in Christ. We have looked at breaking down the wall of emotions and we have seen the emotional difference between men and women. We found out that we cannot do it alone. We’ve looked at casting and bearing burdens and how much our response matters. We have seen the blessings of burdens and how God is the God of ALL comfort. We’ve seen all of this and now it is time for us to take action!
James 1:22 says, “But be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” I had heard the first part of this verse many, many times, “…be ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only…” However, I had never paid much attention to the last part of the verse, “…and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” It says that hearers only, people who only hear and do nothing about what they’ve heard, are deceiving EVEN their own selves. If all I do is hear, I don’t apply it to my life, I don’t “do” what the Word tells we to do, I’m deceiving me. Could I be a hearer only, and be so deceived, that I don’t even know it?
Also in the book of James, we read in chapter four, verse seventeen, “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” I could be deceiving my own self, and committing sin, all at the same time. It is as if there is a war going on inside of me. There IS a war going on inside me, the Bible calls it the war of the flesh. My mind knows what to do, it has read it, it has heard it, but my will doesn’t want to do it. It’s a war alright; it’s a battle of my emotions, my mind, and my will.
We must be diligent and consistent in all of the things we have discussed. We must be faithful to continue to grow in Christ in spite of emotional pain. We must break down the wall of emotions, remembering that every emotional response needs to be filtered through the Word of God. We must understand the emotional difference and remember that we CANNOT do it in our own strength but only in His strength alone. We must cast our own burdens, and be willing to bear the burdens of others. We must remember that our response to burdens matters, and recognize the blessings of burdens. We must allow the God of all comfort to have His will and His way in our lives.
Have you ever seen someone walking up a down escalator? Just as that person walking up the down escalator must keep moving to reach the top, we too must keep moving to reach the top. If we hesitate, if we look back, lack diligence or consistency, or are not faithful, that down escalator will rapidly carry us down, down, down, even though, all along, we were heading in the right direction. It is not enough just to be headed in the right direction. We must be headed in the right direction diligently, consistently, and faithfully. We must keep on keeping on and never, never, ever, ever quit!
Jeremiah 31:3 says, “Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” In Hebrews 13:5 He says, “…I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” Can you imagine a God that loves us with an EVERLASTING love, a love that lasts forever? Can you trust a God that draws us and will never, never leave us or forsake us? What a wonderful and awesome God we serve! “Be still and KNOW that I AM GOD…” Psalm 46:10
