Right or Righteous???
"There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." (21st Century KJV)
I am a "fan" of Dr. Phil (McGraw, that is). Occasionally, I get to watch his program; and see the celebrity psychologist, as he counsels. The thing that I like about him, and his brand of psychology is that, most of the time, it's just good old common sense. Now, there are times, that I don't agree with him--but there is one phrase he often uses, that I think we ALL could ask ourselves, in times of conflict. Many times, he will have people on that are at each other's throats, for one reason or another--and they will bicker back and forth (as they, undoubtedly, have been before they arrived on his stage, too!). After they go on for awhile, he will ask them a pointed question. "How's that working for you?", he will say. It seems obvious--and it is; if their way was working, they wouldn't be sitting in front of the doctor, would they?
I think, it's a good question to apply to our situations, too. If we constantly hit "brick walls" in our relationships, and our lives, it might be a good time to pose the question, to yourself: "How's that working for you? Many of us walk around for days, years--even decades, holding on to "stuff" that we should have been free of, years ago! Sometimes, in our disagreements with others, we become so involved in not being one-upped, that we expend so much energy on solely being "right" and forget completely about true righteousness--which comes only from God. We either want to win the other person over to our side of thinking, or we are caught up in appearances to others. Both, will keep you in a vicious cycle of behaviors that will never glorify God--maybe us (self), but never Him.
Finding Godly contentment will never be attained, if our focus is on being "right" (in our own eyes, that is). The Word of God tells us that, "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." Clearly, then, what we "think" (or what others think about us), is not of great importance, in the grand scheme of things--but what God sees in us, is of the utmost importance! Our thinking is often flawed, and based on external things, but God looks inward--to the very heart of man (1 Samuel 16:7). He knows the very intent of our hearts. He sees beyond the facade of how things appear to people, and knows exactly, what motivates us to do what we (choose) to do. 1 Corinthians 13:3 says, "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not charity, I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains, but have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not charity, it profiteth me nothing." People can hear and see what we do--but they never know, truly, what motivates us; God does. People see the "tongues", they can grasp the gift of prophecy being used, in us. They can see how much knowledge we exhibit (mind you, it has nothing to do with wisdom, which, again, comes only from God). They can see how we act upon our faith and definitely, can witness our good works, in the earth, but they don't know why we do these things. Men will see us as great and good, but God, often, sees us differently. He recognizes the "filthy rags" of our self-righteousness. Our heart means more to Him, than what we actually do. The reason our heart means more is because, it is the heart which is behind every word and every action. That is why no matter how good we try to be, sometimes our hearts betray us--revealing the wickedness that really lurks there. God knows this--He made us!
Paul, in his letter to the church at Rome, spoke of this (long before the issues arose, that cause us to fight for our rights, today). Paul wrote, inspired by the Spirit, "For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do, I know not. For what I would do, that do I not; but what I hate, that I do. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law, that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing (still, though, I just have to win and be right! In whose eyes???); for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good, I find not. For the good that I would do, I do not; but the evil which I would not do, that I do. Now if I do that which I would not do, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God -- through Jesus Christ our Lord (that's why we have the Holy Ghost)! So then, with the mind (or the heart, actually) I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin." (Romans 7:14-25). True Spirit-filled believers, delight in the law of God, but there are times, when we don't act accordingly. We know, deep inside, what behaviors glorify God (and benefit others), but sometimes we act in opposition to the Law of God. We know that, the Word of God says, "Then one of them, who was a lawyer, asked Him a question, tempting Him and saying, "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus said unto him, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it: `Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 22:35-40). We know it, but in our humanness, which (naturally) "seeks it own", we don't always live what we know. Our hearts, if right with God, want to, but we do something entirely different than we ought to. This is what God through Paul is trying to get us to reconcile--having our behaviors line up with our hearts desire to do what is really "right".
Our minds, often tell us one way is right, but our hearts, hold the truth of the matter. What is in our heart, reveals who we actually are; not our thought processes, and certainly not the actions that others see. However, if our hearts are aligned with the Law of God, this will cause us to behave as if we are His children; "O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh". The Spirit comes to dwell in us, and one of the works of the Spirit is to remove the duality from us--making us "single" or whole in all of our ways. When the Spirit abides within us, and we allow the Spirit of God to reign, in us, then our behaviors and words match the Spirit of God, in us.
The Spirit of God leads us into all righteousness--God's righteousness (not our own). His way is the Law of Love. "For God is Love...". If our focus is on people and our own rights, we know that we are not walking after the Spirit, but are walking after the flesh--and that way is anti-God (Romans 8:7). Let us then, begin to "set our affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:2,3). It is time for all of us, to seek to please God, in our own hearts; no longer pointing fingers at others--or seeking to be "right" in our own eyes. Let's be right with God. Let's do things His way. "Right" or Righteous--that's the question that we pose to ourselves as individuals--and collectively, as the Body of Christ--if we want to win the world. First, as individuals, though, because individuals make up the Body.
If you find yourself always "fighting"--always in opposition to others (especially within the Body of Christ), ask yourself, "How's that working for you?"
"Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up; doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth. But whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away." (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)
I am a "fan" of Dr. Phil (McGraw, that is). Occasionally, I get to watch his program; and see the celebrity psychologist, as he counsels. The thing that I like about him, and his brand of psychology is that, most of the time, it's just good old common sense. Now, there are times, that I don't agree with him--but there is one phrase he often uses, that I think we ALL could ask ourselves, in times of conflict. Many times, he will have people on that are at each other's throats, for one reason or another--and they will bicker back and forth (as they, undoubtedly, have been before they arrived on his stage, too!). After they go on for awhile, he will ask them a pointed question. "How's that working for you?", he will say. It seems obvious--and it is; if their way was working, they wouldn't be sitting in front of the doctor, would they?
I think, it's a good question to apply to our situations, too. If we constantly hit "brick walls" in our relationships, and our lives, it might be a good time to pose the question, to yourself: "How's that working for you? Many of us walk around for days, years--even decades, holding on to "stuff" that we should have been free of, years ago! Sometimes, in our disagreements with others, we become so involved in not being one-upped, that we expend so much energy on solely being "right" and forget completely about true righteousness--which comes only from God. We either want to win the other person over to our side of thinking, or we are caught up in appearances to others. Both, will keep you in a vicious cycle of behaviors that will never glorify God--maybe us (self), but never Him.
Finding Godly contentment will never be attained, if our focus is on being "right" (in our own eyes, that is). The Word of God tells us that, "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." Clearly, then, what we "think" (or what others think about us), is not of great importance, in the grand scheme of things--but what God sees in us, is of the utmost importance! Our thinking is often flawed, and based on external things, but God looks inward--to the very heart of man (1 Samuel 16:7). He knows the very intent of our hearts. He sees beyond the facade of how things appear to people, and knows exactly, what motivates us to do what we (choose) to do. 1 Corinthians 13:3 says, "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not charity, I am become as sounding brass or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith so that I could remove mountains, but have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not charity, it profiteth me nothing." People can hear and see what we do--but they never know, truly, what motivates us; God does. People see the "tongues", they can grasp the gift of prophecy being used, in us. They can see how much knowledge we exhibit (mind you, it has nothing to do with wisdom, which, again, comes only from God). They can see how we act upon our faith and definitely, can witness our good works, in the earth, but they don't know why we do these things. Men will see us as great and good, but God, often, sees us differently. He recognizes the "filthy rags" of our self-righteousness. Our heart means more to Him, than what we actually do. The reason our heart means more is because, it is the heart which is behind every word and every action. That is why no matter how good we try to be, sometimes our hearts betray us--revealing the wickedness that really lurks there. God knows this--He made us!
Paul, in his letter to the church at Rome, spoke of this (long before the issues arose, that cause us to fight for our rights, today). Paul wrote, inspired by the Spirit, "For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am carnal, sold under sin. For that which I do, I know not. For what I would do, that do I not; but what I hate, that I do. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law, that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing (still, though, I just have to win and be right! In whose eyes???); for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good, I find not. For the good that I would do, I do not; but the evil which I would not do, that I do. Now if I do that which I would not do, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God -- through Jesus Christ our Lord (that's why we have the Holy Ghost)! So then, with the mind (or the heart, actually) I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin." (Romans 7:14-25). True Spirit-filled believers, delight in the law of God, but there are times, when we don't act accordingly. We know, deep inside, what behaviors glorify God (and benefit others), but sometimes we act in opposition to the Law of God. We know that, the Word of God says, "Then one of them, who was a lawyer, asked Him a question, tempting Him and saying, "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?" Jesus said unto him, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it: `Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.' On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 22:35-40). We know it, but in our humanness, which (naturally) "seeks it own", we don't always live what we know. Our hearts, if right with God, want to, but we do something entirely different than we ought to. This is what God through Paul is trying to get us to reconcile--having our behaviors line up with our hearts desire to do what is really "right".
Our minds, often tell us one way is right, but our hearts, hold the truth of the matter. What is in our heart, reveals who we actually are; not our thought processes, and certainly not the actions that others see. However, if our hearts are aligned with the Law of God, this will cause us to behave as if we are His children; "O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh". The Spirit comes to dwell in us, and one of the works of the Spirit is to remove the duality from us--making us "single" or whole in all of our ways. When the Spirit abides within us, and we allow the Spirit of God to reign, in us, then our behaviors and words match the Spirit of God, in us.
The Spirit of God leads us into all righteousness--God's righteousness (not our own). His way is the Law of Love. "For God is Love...". If our focus is on people and our own rights, we know that we are not walking after the Spirit, but are walking after the flesh--and that way is anti-God (Romans 8:7). Let us then, begin to "set our affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:2,3). It is time for all of us, to seek to please God, in our own hearts; no longer pointing fingers at others--or seeking to be "right" in our own eyes. Let's be right with God. Let's do things His way. "Right" or Righteous--that's the question that we pose to ourselves as individuals--and collectively, as the Body of Christ--if we want to win the world. First, as individuals, though, because individuals make up the Body.
If you find yourself always "fighting"--always in opposition to others (especially within the Body of Christ), ask yourself, "How's that working for you?"
"Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up; doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth. But whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away." (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)
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