Nobody likes confusing instructions.
Buy something requiring assembly of many parts in a particular sequence and the potential frustration level goes way up for many people.
Particularly if some of the parts aren’t made just right and don’t fit well.
Just about every dad has encountered this at one point or another in the middle of the night before Christmas morning.
When we are given accurate instructions for something that is very well-made, however, the experience of putting together a blessing is SO much more pleasant.
And so it is with instructions that come from the Lord for a life pleasing to Him and, ultimately, to ourselves.
I love how James 3 provides simple instructions for building a blessed life.
According to verse 3, a blessed life is not something based on status or abilities inherited from parents, but instead on an honorable life assembled with good works compelled by a desire for harmony with people, an attitude of gentleness and an absolute devotion to truthfulness and humility.
This assembly of a blessed life also includes the predisposition toward sincerity, avoidance of playing favorites and a desire for peace within our relationships.
So how does this product of faith look when good works, humility, unselfishness, harmony, gentleness, truthfulness, humility, sincerity and non-favoritism are assembled?
Verse 18 says that such people “reap a harvest of righteousness.”
Now that’s a very good thing because that means such people WILL see the Lord in the next life (Hebrews 12:14),
Please follow God’s instructions for assembling a holy, righteous life rather than your opinions and hunches. I’ll try to do the same and we can look forward to that glorious day when our work at assembling and re-assembling the perfected life will stop because we’ve entered God’s presence.
As always, I love you
Martin
My breakfast in the morning. Like a vitamin ; give an energy for my soul. Bless you Pastor. Tasha darsono, Bali Indonesia.
Thanks for seeking The Lord. And thanks for reading the Morning Devotion. Please tell me about your church home.