Monday, August 26, 2019
But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and the fruit of good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness. James 3: 17-18
My friend, Charles,
travelled some deep waters over the last several years supporting a longtime
friend who recently lost the battle and gained heaven. Charles, also a pastor, was doing pastoral
care, up close and personal, and difficult.
He wrote Facebook posts to keep his friends and colleagues up on
progress. Listen to some of his thoughts:
Sometimes
I wish life could return to normal! But then, I realize I have no idea what
normal is anymore. Through all my Critical Incident Stress Management Training
and Clinical Pastoral Care, we learn and teach folks that go through traumatic
life experiences that life will never return to the normal that was. With each
traumatic experience in life, we enter a “New Normal.” The problem most people
have trying to cope, they are trying to find or live the normal that was, it is
gone forever, we have to come to the realization that we are in a “New Normal”
and learn to accept and embrace it. That is where our faith and trust in God
shines through, because no matter what changes and “New Normals” we go through
in life, God is always our constant, his love never changes and he will never
leave or forsake us…So, I have to embrace what this “New Normal” is in the
present and remember God is with us in and through it.[2]
It would be
normal to be angry and bitter when life gets intensely unfair. And while most believers would agree that
letting go of bitterness is good, the question really is, HOW? How in the world do we let go of something
that holds onto us like the plague?
Listen to the
promises in these two verses, and see if it makes sense…
Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met. Matthew 6:33(TMNT)
I’m leaving you well and whole. That’s my parting gift to you. Peace. I don’t leave you the way you’re used to being left—feeling abandoned, bereft. So don’t be upset. Don’t be distraught. John 14:25(TMNT)
You let go by letting God – IN! You surrender.
So, you LET GO…and then look what
happens when you…LET GOD:
According to
James (1.5) when you let go of the world’s ways, and ask God for His
way, the wisdom to make good choices in your life begins to come your way. So, it’s
wisdom seed which God plants within us
when we Let Go, and wisdom begins
to change us.
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction. Proverbs 1:7
When God plants
seeds of His wisdom in you because you open the ground of your life to Him,
even in (and especially-in) the worst of
times, that which develops is a person who has taken his stand publicly for
Christ. God helps you become a person of
mercy and convictions, teaching you to be a person of integrity, convinced in
the faith, living a life of loving the Lord…publicly and privately.
That sounds like
quite a crop, doesn’t it? Yet, that is
only the showy tassel above the corn.
The real kernel – the real
fruit of what grows from God’s seeds planted in your life, is what’s underneath
all that…peace!
For You Today
Peace comes in
an atmosphere of the Kingdom life, filled with wisdom. When you chase it, demand it, or try to
imitate it…it will slip through your fingers like a greased pig.
But when you go
about seeking the kingdom of God, He plants seeds of peace in your life. The crop that follows is that condition of
peace in you, around you, and as a gift for others who know you, which becomes a
blessing to God, your family, your community, and it passes all understanding
in you!
That’s worth letting-go, so you can let-God.
Go to VIDEO
[1]
Title Image: Courtesy of Wikimedia
Commons
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture used from The
New Living Translation©
[2] Rev. Charles A. Lindquist,
Jr. Facebook post, July 17, 2018 (used with permission)
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