A lady was walking past a pet store when a parrot said, “Hey, lady! You're really ugly!”The lady was angry but continued on her way.
On the way home, she passed by the pet store again, and the parrot once more said, “Hey, lady! You're really ugly!”
She was enraged now, so she went into the store and said that she wanted the bird disposed of. The store manager apologized profusely and promised he would make sure the parrot didn't say it again.
The next day, she deliberately passed by the store to test the parrot. “Hey, lady!” the bird said.
“Yes?” she replied.
“You know.”
What do you do when you hear some truth that you don’t like? Ignore it? Deny it? Silence it? The Bible tells us in James 1:23-25 that the truth of Scripture is a mirror—“For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.”
Whenever I get up in the morning, I sometimes laugh at how crazy my hair can look. (It’s not uncommon for me to look like death warmed over in the morning.) But I can’t imagine getting mad at the mirror for showing me what I look like. It’s just revealing the truth, right? Why then do people get so angry with Scripture when it reveals what we look like to the eyes of God?
The problem is our pride—our self-sufficiency. You see…when we put ourselves in the place of judging which Bible verses are true and which ones should be disregarded, we’re seeking to commandeer God’s unique place of authority. One of my mentors used to say, “There are two things that God will not share—His vengeance and His glory.” I’m convinced (from personal experience) that only in the vain conceit of sinful pride would a person seek to usurp God’s authority.
The only proper response to seeing ourselves in the mirror of Scripture is to address the problem (i.e. repent). If and when you look in a mirror and see your hair disheveled or a spot on your shirt, wouldn’t you seek to correct the problem immediately? Why? Because you’re embarrassed for other people to see you looking like that?
Consider this—“God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). He can see a spot on our hearts. He can see when our motives are out of place. He sees who we are on the inside. We might not like His assessment of our condition, but we need to know the truth about ourselves. “But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.”
1 comment:
In reference to your blog (that pictured a parrot)questioning what we would do when we hear some truth that we don’t like), I located some parrot facts on the internet. Within these facts, I read that parrots feed their young by regurgitation (which supplies easily digestible food). I saw a neat coordination of Pastors chewing and swallowing THE WORD for the regurgitating (of the message to the congregation), thus, feeding their flock. Furthermore, I see young birds (that desire spiritual growth) being trained to fly, hunt for own food, and leave the nest for raising their own flock. However, I see this in several denominations.
Liberty in Christ is freedom from bondage through Christ; thus, please forgive me for my words. I highly respect your talent and heart, but being non-denominational I yearn to communicate what I see regarding the Kingdom of God to those that are trained in God’s Word, so I don’t mislead anyone.
For instance, the theme of one of our national days of prayer regarding the seeking of HIS face really hit home with me. However, I’ve found that each of the denominations have their hierarchy of which I don't carry a banner.
Who are we seeking:
God (not satan)
What are we seeking:
God’s loving, just, and
merciful nature
When are we seeking: 24 / 7
Where are we seeking:
Scriptures / Creation / Reality
Why are we seeking:
- Just as when a person’s face
is seen, recognition comes
(which brings forward either
an acquaintance, a friend,
or an advocate)
- Recognition brings forward
fact that God is “real”
- Non-recognition brings forward
an introduction or repentance
is needed
- God’s Face is hidden from HIS
enemies
- Heal our land
How: With “faith”
With marvels of HIS Creation
Coordinating the marvels of
HIS Creation with Scriptures
With the different hearings
of the parables as to their
meaning
With application of
principles; such As:
Matthew 7:2 (NIV), “For in
the same way you judge
others, you will be judged,
and with the same measure
you use, it will be
measured to you.”
*Being non-denominational (and understanding the theological separations) brings forward
MANY scriptures into reality
Please don't take offense . . .
Barbara
Post a Comment