Boy, have I been feeling James’ wisdom on this one lately!
If you were to come to my church on any given Sunday you would find me tucked up in a small room in the gymnasium with a group of young ladies of junior high age. They are an interesting bunch. Some have been born and raised in the church and are blessed with a happy, coherent, nurturing, loving home.
Others . . . well, not so much!
- One gal has a drunkard for a Father who yells at her whenever he is sober.
- Another was abused as a baby and is being raised by wonderful relatives.
- One girl lives with Dad and Grandma because Mom chose another child by another man to live with.
- And still another being raised by Dad because Mom could no longer handle her autistic brother.
Now . . . throw into this mix the current generation “me” mentality and we have an interesting soup of personalities, pains and conduct on any given Sunday.
But James wasn’t exhorting hesitation here because it would be hard, or painful, or a kick in pride’s fanny because sometimes the hearers do. not. want. to. hear!
No . . . he was instructing caution, “knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment”.
I am given one hour each week to love on hurting, wounded, sinful, selfish, disinterested and disrespectful girls . . . and I am going to incur a stricter judgment!!!
It doesn’t seem quite fair, now does it?
It was bad.
Ugly, in fact!
I failed in my attempt to not cry as I closed the class early in prayer.
The truth is . . . I love these girls! I love Jesus! I want these girls to love Jesus! And I want it really, really, really, really bad!!! But—I can’t make them want it. I can only love on them, get to know them more, and pray—
hoping that in me they will see some thing,
some One,
some Treasure,
worth going after some day!
But I also am a sinner. I sin. I respond to rejection. I make mistakes.
“For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well,” (v. 2)
I will make mistakes.
But loving Jesus openly in front of these girls will not be one of them.
Speaking as well as showing His love for them will not be one of them.
Walking the line carefully between accepting where they are at and accepting bad behavior . . .
well, that one I could use a little divine help on! J
So, why am I writing all of this today? I’m not so sure—
other than we are the Body of Christ.
We. Are. The. Body!
I do not want your pity.
I do not want your critique.
{Helpful suggestions given in love—perhaps!}
But what I do need, what every Bible teacher of every age every where needs from you is your prayers! We need to be covered in prayer as we go before hearts and minds that have been poisoned by the world, hurt by those who should have loved and subject to sin and the wiles of the evil one!
Will you please pause right now and pray for all teachers of the Truth?
I, for one, sincerely thank you!
Click here for the other posts from my study of the book of James
