GraceCreates

By Jon Walker

And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. Colossians 1:18 (NIV)

Our testimonies are validated – or invalidated – by how we get along with other believers. It is our love for one another that proves the Holy Lover is alive in us, transforming us into Jesus-like lovers, Jesus-like one anothers. (John 13:35)

If our love for one another is not energized by Jesus, we’re doomed to slide from the promise of “All You Need is Love” into the push and shove of “I, Me, Mine.” Our love can’t stop at ‘let’s get along’ connections because the deep and ancient God-love never emerges in compromise.

It comes through submission – and not submission to one another, although that will often be required — but an uncompromising, wholehearted submission to the head of all us ‘one anothers’ – Jesus. Our Lord, our brother, and our King.

Jesus is the “head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.” (Colossians 1:18, NIV)

The ancient wisdom demands there can only be one ruling mind – a mind that was there from the beginning, firstborn among the ‘one anothers,’ and with this one ruling mind operating within us, a deep, fathomless, supernatural love, one that passes all human understanding, starts to flow from and among the one anothers.

What does this mean?

• Submit, then love – Submit to Jesus, the head of our body of one anothers, and in that submission, you’ll begin to love with the depth of Jesus-love.
• Let Jesus decide – Jesus is the head, and it’s the head, not the legs or the hands, that decides what the body will do. When you’re faced with someone who seems unlovable, take it to Jesus and do what he tells you to do.

If you’d like to receive these devotionals regularly, you can sign-up at www.gracecreates.com/subscribe/. Jon Walker writes from www.gracecreates.com. He is a Zondervan author, and the former writer/editor of the Purpose Driven Life On-Line Devotionals. This devotional is copyrighted 2008 by Jon Walker. Used by permission.

By Jon Walker

From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!” Matthew 16:21-22 (NIV)

As Jesus approached his final days on earth, he told the disciples he would soon suffer, and be killed – and then, he’d be raised to life on the third day.

But Peter wasn’t listening. Perhaps he thought he’d heard it before. Perhaps he thought anyone who thought differently from him simply couldn’t be correct. So, the apostle who was first to walk on water, now rushed to be the first to set Jesus straight.

The problem is Peter completely misunderstood the situation. If he’d been correct in his judgment, Jesus would never go to the cross and we would be chained to our sins forever.

That’s a hefty consequence for being slow to listen, which may be why James says we should, instead, be quick to listen – slow to speak, slow to anger – but fast at focusing on what someone else is trying to say to us. (James 1:19-21)

This means we quickly seek understanding his position or her circumstances; his fears or her anger. We rush, not to judgment, but to open-mindedness, as we seek the whole story and the whole of the facts. We seek first to understand, then to be understood (a phrased used to explain quick listening in the book “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey).

Even now, Jesus says, “Listen and understand.” (Matthew 15:10, NIV)

What does this mean?

• Quickly listen to God – Open your ears to the voice of God. Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, our God, but we can hear him now, and he acts on behalf of those who listen and wait for him (suggested by Isaiah 64:4, NIV).
• Quickly listen to others – Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry ….” (James 1:19, NIV) Quick listening is a Jesus-trait, and it “speeds the cause of righteousness.” (Isaiah 16:5, NIV)
• Quickly seek to understand – Throughout the New Testament, Jesus concluded a parable with the phrase, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” (ex. Luke 14:35, NIV) God gave us the ears so we could hear him, and hearing is the first step toward understanding.

If you’d like to receive these devotionals regularly, you can sign-up at www.gracecreates.com/subscribe/. Jon Walker writes from www.gracecreates.com. He is a Zondervan author, and the former writer/editor of the Purpose Driven Life On-Line Devotionals. This devotional is copyrighted 2008 by Jon Walker. Used by permission.

By Jon Walker

A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. Proverbs 15:1 (NIV)

When people come at us angry, we tend to push back angry. We may match their intensity, or even escalate the conflict.

No doubt you’ve seen situations where the original offense was relatively minor; yet, one angry reaction piled on another eventually pushes the argument nuclear. Maybe, like me, you’ve even been part of one of those arguments.

We rarely respond by stepping back, taking a quiet, gentle, humble approach. I’m not talking about a weak-kneed, co-dependent approach; in fact, our fear of appearing weak or codependent is one of the reasons we toss the gentle response in favor of the ‘scowl and harsh words’ reaction, the ‘Oh, yeah, well if you’d ever help’ retort, or the ‘in-your-face, Vesuvius’ explosion. Sometimes our rough reaction might be silence, or ‘every thing is okay, until I can get back at you’ gambit.

Yet, James, the half-brother of Jesus, writes to us, saying, “Be quick to listen, but slow to speak,” (James 1:19-21) and he echoes the wisdom of Solomon, who whispers across the centuries: “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Proverbs 15:1, NIV)

They’re telling us to do the Mr. Miyagi-thing, matching rage with control, matching threats with compassion. The thrust of God’s love flowing through you cannot be blocked or defeated.

What does this mean?

• Get the facts, first – One benefit of being slow to speak is that it allows you to get all the facts. Instead of reacting to your perceptions, you’re able to respond to the truth. In Matthew 16, Peter rebukes Jesus, insisting Christ would never go to the Cross. Peter had it wrong; he didn’t see the big picture and he didn’t understand the plan.
• Become Christ-wise – One way to give a gentle answer is to simply overlook an offense. Solomon says this shows wisdom and patience; it shows we are Christ-wise.
• Do the Mr. Miyagi-thing – Day-to-day, as you’re confronted with anger, exercise your faith by responding in peaceful ways – lower your voice, instead if raising it; smile, instead of frowning; find agreement, instead of magnifying your differences.
• Where is your faith? – Of course, an imminent threat of violence would require other godly responses, but my point is that great faith is required in our day-to-day conversations and encounters. When we’re in conflict, do we show more faith in ourselves – our tough words, our harsh tone – or do we show more faith in God, our Protector?

If you’d like to receive these devotionals regularly, you can sign-up at www.gracecreates.com/subscribe/. Jon Walker writes from www.gracecreates.com. He is a Zondervan author, and the former writer/editor of the Purpose Driven Life On-Line Devotionals. This devotional is copyrighted 2008 by Jon Walker. Used by permission.

By Jon Walker

My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. James 1:19-21 (NIV)

The slammed door; the ‘if looks could kill’ stare; the menacing tone; the threatening language. The silence; the cold shoulder; the eyes that flash; the pointed finger; the phrase that blames.

These are all behaviors emerging from our anger. They’re weapons of the flesh that express our lack of faith. Even when our anger is an appropriate emotion for the circumstance, we still instinctively grab for the most convenient weapon of the flesh, instead of relying on God’s weapons of the spirit. (2 Corinthians 10)

When we use these weapons, we reveal how little faith we have that God can, or will, engage the frustrating people and situations we face; we expose our deep, inner belief that God is incapable of hammering out justice in circumstances from a hang-nail to horrific.

What does this mean?

• Seek God, not your anger – Instead of ‘seeking’ your anger, seek God. Your anger will not bring about God’s righteousness; on the other, God takes care of our most basic needs – even the need for justice – as we “seek first his kingdom and his righteousness.” (Matthew 6:33, NIV)
• Feast on God’s fruit, not ‘anger fruit’ – When we try to bring about righteousness by using un-righteousness anger (Again, there can be God-righteous anger), we simply create more conflict, passive or aggressive. The fruit of God’s righteousness is peace; the effect of his righteousness is “quietness and confidence forever,” peaceful dwelling places, secure homes, undisturbed places of rest. (Isaiah 32:17-18, NIV)
• Give your flesh-weapons to God – Pray, “God, help me to exchange my weapons of the flesh with weapons of your spirit. When I get angry, remind me I am making a choice and uncover any faithlessness in me that compels me to anger quickly. Then, help me receive your grace as you transform my anger into Sabbath trust.

If you’d like to receive these devotionals regularly, you can sign-up at www.gracecreates.com/subscribe/. Jon Walker writes from www.gracecreates.com. He is a Zondervan author, and the former writer/editor of the Purpose Driven Life On-Line Devotionals. This devotional is copyrighted 2008 by Jon Walker. Used by permission.