October 27, 2015
What Was I Thinking?
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.
No one knows what is wrong in their lives without the Word of God. His Word exposes our innermost thoughts and desires as we compare these thoughts and desires with what he thinks and how he desires for us to live. A simple example is how we treat people. It is natural and automatic for us to be defensive, prideful, and selfish. But when we look at 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, we see that God wants us to be the opposite of those things in our hearts and actions.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 elaborates on the benefits of God’s Word...
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
God’s Word teaches what is true – real right vs. real wrong – not just societies’ revolving and arbitrary ideas and feelings about what is acceptable and tolerable.
God’s Word makes us realize what is wrong in our lives... I need this! Doesn’t everyone? Don’t we want to know why we run into the same problems, deal with the same struggles, and get upset over similar situations over and over again? God’s Word simply shows us how to live and then life gives us lots of opportunities to practice living the way God prescribes!
It corrects us when we are wrong... This sounds hard, but it’s actually very freeing. It is actually a huge relief to agree with Scripture and simply declare there are certain things I just won’t do and certain thoughts I will refuse to entertain. Skeptics will say this is impossible and some Christian camps will agree. But look at regular society. There’s plenty of recovering alcoholics who refuse to go in bars, the majority of parents do not entertain thoughts of child abuse, and lots of drivers on the road keep the speed limit on back roads even when there’s not another car in sight. How much more, with the power of the Holy Spirit, can Believers determine to never do certain things too? We totally can.
My parents always told us while growing up that they never use the word divorce. They decided when they got married that word wouldn’t be used even in jest. I didn’t understand why it was a big deal when I was young; we’re Christians, of course no one’s getting a divorce. Little did I know that tons of their Christian friends were splitting up. But my parents were enduring their hardships together. My mom’s family (church goers) growing up was full of divorces, and she told my dad that tradition was going to end with her. And it did.
It’s not prideful for a Believer to make such a claim because we know God’s Word. We check our thoughts at the door with our Bibles open, and we clean out the thoughts that shouldn’t be in there, and we don’t entertain them. The world, and also lots of Christians, think this is impossible to do, but it’s not; they just don’t want to do it.
Dear God,
I like that knowing Scripture teaches me how to live and how to live boldly. Thank you for the trailblazers in my life who demonstrate the power of your Holy Spirit by letting your Word instruct them. I love you so much and thank you for teaching and helping me. And I pray in Jesus’ name, amen.
What Was I Thinking?
Hebrews 4:12
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.
No one knows what is wrong in their lives without the Word of God. His Word exposes our innermost thoughts and desires as we compare these thoughts and desires with what he thinks and how he desires for us to live. A simple example is how we treat people. It is natural and automatic for us to be defensive, prideful, and selfish. But when we look at 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, we see that God wants us to be the opposite of those things in our hearts and actions.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 elaborates on the benefits of God’s Word...
All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
God’s Word teaches what is true – real right vs. real wrong – not just societies’ revolving and arbitrary ideas and feelings about what is acceptable and tolerable.
God’s Word makes us realize what is wrong in our lives... I need this! Doesn’t everyone? Don’t we want to know why we run into the same problems, deal with the same struggles, and get upset over similar situations over and over again? God’s Word simply shows us how to live and then life gives us lots of opportunities to practice living the way God prescribes!
It corrects us when we are wrong... This sounds hard, but it’s actually very freeing. It is actually a huge relief to agree with Scripture and simply declare there are certain things I just won’t do and certain thoughts I will refuse to entertain. Skeptics will say this is impossible and some Christian camps will agree. But look at regular society. There’s plenty of recovering alcoholics who refuse to go in bars, the majority of parents do not entertain thoughts of child abuse, and lots of drivers on the road keep the speed limit on back roads even when there’s not another car in sight. How much more, with the power of the Holy Spirit, can Believers determine to never do certain things too? We totally can.
My parents always told us while growing up that they never use the word divorce. They decided when they got married that word wouldn’t be used even in jest. I didn’t understand why it was a big deal when I was young; we’re Christians, of course no one’s getting a divorce. Little did I know that tons of their Christian friends were splitting up. But my parents were enduring their hardships together. My mom’s family (church goers) growing up was full of divorces, and she told my dad that tradition was going to end with her. And it did.
It’s not prideful for a Believer to make such a claim because we know God’s Word. We check our thoughts at the door with our Bibles open, and we clean out the thoughts that shouldn’t be in there, and we don’t entertain them. The world, and also lots of Christians, think this is impossible to do, but it’s not; they just don’t want to do it.
Dear God,
I like that knowing Scripture teaches me how to live and how to live boldly. Thank you for the trailblazers in my life who demonstrate the power of your Holy Spirit by letting your Word instruct them. I love you so much and thank you for teaching and helping me. And I pray in Jesus’ name, amen.
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