The body of Christ is in need of repair. It's been "banged around and scarred," kicked about and scraped raw, and by whom? The very members of the body, that's who! The fingers claw at the eyes, and the teeth grab the flesh of the arm. Yes, the most precious presence on this planet is in danger of self-destruction. The enemy doesn't even have to lift a finger against us. In fact, he parades unabashedly in front of the throne of grace, claiming, "Not me, God....nope, not this time...I didn't do it."
Sadly the Father turns away, tears stinging His eyes, because He knows it's true. His hope for the world---Christ living in us---has become a joke in the spiritual realms. "How long?!" He cries, "How long must I strive with man? When will he ever listen to my Words and heed my voice?"
We glide in and out of our days as if there were no direction from God necessary. We seldom spend any time with the Father in joyful communion until we want Him to do something for us. And still, like the perfect parent He is, He continually responds to our cries, knowing all the while that as soon as we get what we want, we'll turn aside again...until we need Him. It's a very convenient relationship.
But, I wonder...when will He get what He wants from us? In His Word, He has outlined His expectations for us, individually and as a collective Body...the Body of Christ, His beloved.
Micah 6: 8 "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." Nothing hard to understand about that.
Here's a cut-and-dried list of what He doesn't want to see in us:
Proverbs 6: 16-19 "There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to Him:
haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies, and a man that stirs up dissension among brothers (in Christ)."
When Jesus was asked which of the "rules" was the necessary one to live by, a man answered, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, AND Love your neighbor as yourself." Jesus responded, "You have answered correctly."
I wonder, at what point in the history of mankind, these words were disavowed. I wonder when it happened...when did we decide that God didn't really mean anything He said to us or about us. I wonder when we decided that it would be okay with Him if we just did whatever we wanted to without even consulting Him or asking what His will was in a situation. I wonder when it was that we convinced ourselves that as long as we got whatever we wanted, it didn't matter if it was what He wanted for us.
If I am reading His Word correctly, it is my understanding that everyone in the Body of Christ should be working together to make good things happen for each other. When someone steps up-to-the-plate of responsibility and tries to make things better, when did it ever become okay to try to destroy them? How can that attitude or behavior ever reflect God's Spirit of Love, perfect Love?
There is mischief afoot in the Spirit these days. And the enemy of our souls is not the perpetrator. We have drifted so far from God's Word that we are making up our own rules as we go along. We claim that what we do is right, but we are not being truthful with God or ourselves when we have not even asked God what He thinks! We just say, "God, this is what I want you to do!"
Well, my Book says that is not the kind of prayer that God can or will answer. In fact, James said it this way: (James 4: 15-17)
"You ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.' As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. Anyone then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins."
How far we have fallen. How disappointed the Father must be. Perhaps He will give us another opportunity to become humble before Him, seeking His will and not our own, and listening to His voice, and obeying...being kind and helpful to one another and always walking in love with all the members in the body.
I hope so. God deserves that kind of love, respect and loyalty from us...that we would always do His will and make it first and foremost in our lives.
And now, dear ones, I leave you with this reminder:
"The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness." (James 3: 17-18) And that is what God is most concerned with: our righteousness in Him!
Live righteous!
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