Session Three: Day Five- The Royal Law

Because we were able to get together and discuss Day Five, I'm not going to go into too much detail other than answering the questions just to have this day on the blog.  It would just bother me too much not to include it!

Throughout scripture when God says "I am THE LORD" what does that mean to us?
We all agreed it meant "non-negotiable."

The "Royal Law" is to love God with all your heart and your neighbor as yourself.  We had great discussion regarding how difficult this can be, particularly if one actually has trouble loving oneself.  Or if those neighbors are other Christians behaving badly without remorse.

After reading James 2:12, how are we to act?
Speak and act according to how we will be judged.  It's important to be able to listen carefully and speak slowly.  If we loved others in this way, how might it change our interactions with those we come in contact with, including those closest to us, like friends, husbands and children.

We also talked about how important reconciliation is and in doing what the Royal Law commands, how loving others allows us to let go of hurts and reach for healing.

Not too much else for me to add, but please feel free to add on or discuss anything I left out!

Session Three: Day Four- The Folly Of Favoritism

"You can safely assume that you have created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do" Anne Lamott

Oh how accurate is Beth as she takes us through a day that forces us to look into the mirror of our hearts and acknowledge that our tendencies are to treat people differently.  Whether that is our intent or not, it seeps out of our very pores, spilling over into areas of our life where me might not even notice.

Humans are naturally drawn towards others in the same spot in life.  I tend to spend time with other women in my same economic status, with kids about the same age or have friends with the same interests and beliefs as I do.  So it's very interesting to go through the scriptures on page 88 and see over and over what God has to say about justice, judging and favoritism.  And to be clear, having friends who share the same interest or are like me isn't necessarily the same as judging others for not being like me.  However, I think if we aren't careful, those lines could easily be blurred.

When we read James 2:4, if we discriminate what do we become?

Judges with evil thoughts.  This is where that caution has to come into play.  I love the people who I call dear friends right now.  I now that God placed them into my life for me and me into their lives for them.  BUT, daily I need to make sure that I am open to others that He might bring into my life for a season or forever especially and even if it seems we have nothing in common or if they have habits or hygiene or children who rub me the wrong way.  My goal as an authentic believer is to be open to impacting their lives but also for them to be able to impact my life.

Jill:  Guided by evil motives (NLT).  This is interesting to me.  I guess I never thought of myself as having evil motives before by judges people.  But I guess it is true, I am constantly comparing myself to others, which also included judging them.  Why are you wearing this or that, it is totally inappropriate to wear this or that to work, to church, walking down colfax, etc etc etc.  When someone comes up to me begging for money, I assume all of them are faking it and just wanting free money, I judge them.  I realize now that it is evil, I dont know what is going on in their lives, I think I put them down to lift myself up.  Sad really, that I need to do that.

God promises the poor that they will be blessed more than anyone. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 explains that this is the promise God gave so that those who have more cannot boast it over anyone.  Throughout scripture God tells us over and over that the meek will inherit the earth, the poor will be made rich, etc.  It's incredibly important that we be open and available to serve those humbly who have less than us in whatever capacity God calls us to do so.  I don't want to be a part of a "Spiritually Elite" group who has forgotten all that scripture says about reaching the poor and lost.

What feelings surface when you somehow feel dishonored?  How might those feelings translate to those dishonored over their poverty? 
I feel angry, embarrassed and a need to run and hide.  Walls immediately go up and I turn my back on whomever has made me feel that way.  It's incredibly hard to get over.  Thinking about this made me go back over the folders in my mind and interactions that I have had with those I know who live in poverty or with a lower standard than I have been blessed with.  While there are many people I can pat myself on the back for because I cared for them or welcomed them into my home, there are just as many that I said the stiff hello to in the halls of church and walked away from as quickly as I could.  It isn't something I'm proud of at all, but the reason I'm doing this study is to take that hard look in the mirror and make those changes (Anyone else now have the Man in the Mirror lyrics in their head?)


Jill: I get angry immediately.  I too am not proud of my past interactions with people.  I get annoyed easily with others.  I feel really bad about that.   When I think about how my angry feels might translate to those dishonored over their poverty, it reminds me of being young.  I grew up poor,  luckily in my neighborhood we were all in the same boat, same as others in my family.  Then when I went to high school (Catholic high schools let you choose any catholic school you want to go to no matter where in the city it is from your house).  So in high school I was for the 1st time around kids with money.  They looked down at the kids from my grade school, as they knew were from the poor part of town.  So I can relate to those feeling, but I pushed them back in the corners of my mind.  

Your turn.  How did today's lesson impact you?

Jill:  I love how God chooses the less fortunate of people so no one can boast.  LOVE that

Session Three: Day Three- Pure Religion

Pure and undefiled religion before our God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

James 1:27

Religion.  It seems like such a yucky word to me, especially since of late this has been a very real area of struggle for me.  I don't want to be religious.  I don't want to be around religious people.  I don't want to follow the laws and rules that religious people throw down and require people of faith to follow.  Those feelings of 'I don't' made today's lesson very real to me and I absolutely loved it.

Before we go further, answer the question Beth posed:  How would YOU define religious?

I said that religious applies to people who call themselves Christians but pick and choose which bible texts to use in trying to force people to behave in a way that is comfortable to them.  Religion requires people to follow certain man enforced rules rather than be spiritually convicted by God.


Jill:  Religion: practicing a faith.  And by that I meant following the "rules" associated with practicing that faith.

It really hit me that I am in fact, religious, when Beth asked us to list out all of the religious manifestations that would show up in my life over the course of the month.  My list is below and I hope you'll add yours, too.  I wrote mine down and then thought about why I do these things.  I'm not trying to be religious, but I do want to model Godly behavior for my children and those I come in contact with.  But I also want to be authentic and real and I want people to understand that I'm imperfect but working through Grace.  How does one reconcile that?  Scripture tell us, and it's what we studied yesterday, that once we are saved, our lives begin to change and manifestations of that Faith begin to show up through our works.  I think it is a tricky balance to not become complacent in doing works - and prideful of those works - but to still do the things scripture asks us to do.  Rambling thoughts, but any insight would be appreciated.

Read the bible, pray at meals and bedtime, devotions, bible studies, acts of service, talk about God, explore ways to be more faithful, tithe, church, worship music, etc.


Jill: Prayer, church, bible study, Giving monthly to Musana.org Writing letters to my sponsored child Jacinta, giving money to the homeless people that approach me by my work. 

Because as women I think the tongue is an especially powerful weapon, the next part really hit home.  "If anyone thinks he is religious yet does not keep a tight reign on his tongue then his religion is worthless." James 1:26.

Hello.  

Worthless.  None of the things I do, NONE OF THEM, are worth anything if I cannot control my mouth.  Gossip.  Sarcasm. Swearing.  Those are just a few of mine and if I am honest they show up  more often then I would like.  So praying with my kids, going to church, doing this study - it all means nothing if I cannot control my mouth.  Anyone else feels knocked over by this verse and the things Beth had to say about it? 

Jill:  I was really struggling with what James meant by "control the tongue"  I assumed he meant gossiping, swearing, being two-faced, talking bad behind someone's back.  But it wasnt clarified so I am glad I assumed correctly.  So since that was the case my bad mouth is swearing, and talking bad of others (again I think I do that to feel better about myself as I have low self esteem). 

After James tells us what true religion is not, he gives us a quick image of what it is.  Describe his idea of "pure and undefiled" religion from verse 27.

We are to look after the orphans and the widows and to keep from being polluted by the world.


Jill: To look after the people who have nothing, "the 2 classes of people in his culture with the least rights, the least hope, and the greatest vulnerability".   I love the way Beth describes the widows and orphans it really paints a picture to me as to why James and others in the Bible kept saying widows and orphans.  

What images come to your mind after reading this?

Homeless on the streets, abused and neglected children and starving people.  I'm struck by how often caring for the poor is talked about in scripture and yet so very many religious people are not involved at all.  And I'm looking at myself in the mirror.  We tithe and it goes to missions and a few times a year we get involved in a service or outreach program, but daily caring for those less fortunate has not been a priority.  One of our family goals this year is to do more and this really challenges me to make sure that is a priority.

  

Jill:  The imagine that comes to my mind is Musana.  The orphanage in Uganda that I give to.  If you have ever read the reason why those 3 girls started that Children's home it is exactly what James is talking about.  The people with the least hope and most vulnerable.  The most horrible living circumstances ever.  These 3 girls took the widows and orphans and created a wonderful loving Christ filled home.  And I just had to be apart of it.  Even in some small way. 

One of my favorite things that Beth said today is this:  You don't live this kind of life accidentally.  You make up your mind who you want to be and daily die to the rest.  This has already been written out and taped to my fridge because I want to be intentional about doing what God stirs up as passion in my heart.  I want to jump in and be a light to this broken world.  I want to do exactly as the Scripture tells us to do and my heart hurts for the children of abusive and broken homes and for those overcome by drugs and addiction. Where is God stirring up your passions?

Jill:  Clearly Musana is my passion.  I love how Beth says on page 86 "So how on earth do we serve in ti without smelling like it?  With serious discipline and determination and then we run to the One who can wash us"  I paraphrased, but I love that. 

 

Session Three: Day Two- The Perfect Law

"James can teach us the difference between talking about living in victory and actually doing it."  - Beth Moore

Coming to a place in my life where I actually began to understand that there was a difference between simply reading the bible and actually doing what it says was a game changer for me.  Which is why the lesson today hits so very close to my heart.  These verses are where I am living right now.  It's a reason that we changed where we attend church services.  It's what we want for our children.  Living out my faith and not just talking about it is changing my life.

The analogy of looking into a mirror is a perfect example of how benignly we can take our faith.  I started thinking about how on a spiritual level we can see our true selves - as sinful creatures- but then walk away from that mirror and forget that we are sinful.  Understanding that means that we keep the knowledge of our sin in the forefront of our minds every minute of every day.  Not that we wallow in it, but that we acknowledge it so that we can be intentionally hitting it head on.  Living out the scriptures.  Does that make sense?  I don't want to be thinking that I'm sinful so I feel hopeless, but remembering that I'm imperfect so that I am relying on Christ in all I do.

Our purpose is to be fulfilled in Christ, to be His image and to be convicted to be more like Him.  So Beth asks us what does this person who wants to be more like Christ do?
That person (me) looks intently to the perfect law (James 1:25).
What is the promise at the end of the verse?
"This person will be blessed in what he does." 
 
I love how it loops back to the first few verses we read.  Someone who is already saved should be using the scriptures to make changes in their lives and do what God has asked.  Works aren't what saves a person, but following the law does bring a blessing.

(Scriptures for thoughts on this:) 
Ephesians 2:8, 9: 
For by grace you have been
saved through faith, and that [being saved] not of yourselves;
it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone
should boast.
Titus 3:5: 
Not by works of righteousness which
we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us,
through the washing of regeneration [new birth] and
renewing of the Holy Spirit.
II Timothy 1:9: 
[God] who has saved us and
called us with a holy calling, not according to our
works, but according to His own purpose and grace
which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.
Romans 4:5: 
But to him who does not work
but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith
is accounted for righteousness.
Romans 11:6: 
And if [salvation is] by grace,
then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no
longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace;
otherwise work is no longer work.

Works aren't what saves us, but once you have been saved, your life should begin to reflect who Christ is and should begin to change accordingly.  Which is why I love that Beth goes on to clarify that Christ came to fulfill the law and not simply abolish it.  She explains that James is attempting to clarify that the moral code is prioritized over the ritual code and bring the teaching of Jesus to a group of people to whom the law was precious.

We are saved by grace but are asked to put the Word into practice in order to grow into what God intends for us.  God isn't interested in our behavior by itself, but by our motives. (Taken from Beth Moore, pg 81).

Jill:  I love on page 78 when Beth says "The Word of God, is meant to do more than penetrate, it's meant to activate.  That really hit me.  We are to be so moved by the Word that we cant help but to act upon it.  That truly moved me.  


On page 79 when Beth says "I want to be who I was created to be: A bearer of the very image of God.  Sadly, however, he goes out and forgets who he really is."  This statement and James statement of forgetting what you look like after you walk away from the mirror was profound to me also.  Basically I took this to mean, we read the Word, love it, but when we close our bibles, we forget what we should be doing.  Makes me wonder something.  Our pastor once told us a story that the Pharisees use to walk around with rolled up bits of the Torah on them. Do you think this statement was to that some how.  "You need to walk around with the Torah on you, because if you dont you will forget it's message".  I'm probably just stretching here, but just curious.  





What did God promise He would do in Jeremiah 31:31-34?

Make a new covenant so that all will know Him

Jill:  I love this one.  This may be one of my new favorites. Jeremiah 31:34 "And I will forgive their wickedness and I will never again remember their sins".  NEVER AGAIN remember.  How completely amazing is that?  Never again remember.  The all knowing God will never again remember.  WOW!!!

Ezekiel 36:26-27 says that recipients of this new heart will be moved to follow God how?
By following the laws.


Jill:  I also love how he is going to take out my stoney stubborn heart and replace it with a tender heart.  Because I tell you what I can be one stubborn girl.  Thank you God for replacing my stubborn heart with a tender heart. 

Our latest act of obedience to what God wants for our family comes in moving to another church.  It doesn't seem to make sense but every time we walk into the doors of our new place, we feel like it is exactly where God is calling us for this moment.  During this time in our lives, I really think He wants us in a place where as matur(ing) Christians we will be challenged to not just hear the Word, but to be actively practicing what the scriptures say.  

I delight to do Your will, O my God.  Your law is within my heart. (Psalm 40:7-8)  I love knowing that this is where the actual transformation begins!

Jill:  I was unable to come up with a acronym for WORDS.  I am so not good at that sort of thing.  Did either of you make one?

Session Three: Day One- Quick To Listen

My dearly loved brothers, understand this: Everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger.

James 1:19

Hmmm.  Given that I have already shared extensively that anger is an issue I have struggled with, I can tell you right now that today's lesson hit its mark upon my heart.  Beth had us list out the three things that the above verse talks about and they are 1) Quick to hear 2) Slow to speak 3) Slow to anger.  You can probably already guess that I starred number three as being the most challenging to my natural personality.  What about each of you? 

Jill.  I actually starred all three.  I gave slow to anger 3 stars, slow to speak 2 stars and 1 star with quick to listen.  I have a problem with going from content to enraged in miliseconds.

Personal Question

When I think about my own relationship with God and where anger fits upon the scale of nonissue or substantial, I am at about a 5 and while that seems high to me, especially since it is something I am so aware of and constantly working on, it has come down from being a ten in previous years.  Things like my kids not obeying or Kyle not listening to me or people cutting in line at the airport or extended family attempting to force my family to do things we don't want to....these are all items that make me angry.  

Jill:  I too am a 5.  I have recently realized that my quick temper is a direct result of my lack of personal worth.  If I ever feel like someone is making me feel "stupid, not listening to me, cutting me off in traffic, etc etc etc"  I get not just angry but enraged.  I have been able to back the enraged down to just angry.  And I also realized no one is making me feel stupid or unworthy, I put that on others.  I am sure no one thinks I am stupid or unworthy, but some how I twist into that.

 There are places in the scripture where it talks about righteous anger and where we are reminded that it is okay to be angry.  It just isn't okay to lash out in anger or make our issues a reason to verbalize anger at others.  

One of the things that makes me feel justifiably angry every time is in the leadership of our home.  I desperately want my kids to be trained in biblical things and to serve God all of their lives.  Sometimes I feel like Kyle works so hard outside of our home and has such a laid back personality, that he isn't taking this training seriously.  I get mad because I want him to be the one doing devotions, having the hard conversations, disciplining them, modeling Godly behavior.  In reality, I'm the at home parent so naturally most of that falls to me.  I think I would like to see more intentionality with Kyle, but wanting that doesn't justify me being mad about it. I need to remember that Kyle is naturally more relaxed about everything and it isn't a failure on his part if he isn't doing it the way that I would do it.

In fact, in Ephesians 4:30 - 31, it specifically says that my anger will actually prevent God from being able to act in my family.  Yikes.

My kids see the irritation and anger regarding whatever thing I'm upset about and it negates every good thing I've ever tried to instill in them.  Or at least that is the conviction that this passage is throwing at me.  I need to replace any anger I have with scriptures embedded in my heart.  The more I reflect on the Word of God, the less room for anger there will be.

Scripture is intended for us; to fill the void created to contain God.  It makes me really stop and explore what areas I am trying fill with other things, whether it is anger, things, food, control, etc., I need to be intentional about replacing them with God.  I'm embracing the challenge.  What about you?

Jill:  On page 77 when Beth says that the word in James is actually "Sozo".  I love this word.  Our pastor describes Sozo as if you are walking along minding your own business you look down and see you are stepping off of a cliff and someone comes along and grab's you before your eminite death and rescuse's you.  So I see that definiation in my mind that God is "Sozoing" me (not sure that is an actual word, but you get my meaning).  It is quite beautiful dont you think?