James 1: 25-25: If you just listen and don’t obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance. You see yourself, walk away and forget what you look like. But if you keep looking steadily into God’s perfect law, the law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, God will bless you for doing it.
My house is a mess! And, while I love to blame my slobby husband and son, it isn’t all their fault. Over the years, I’ve slowly become equally slobby!
It’s not inborn. I know this for two reasons. First, when I was younger, I could keep a clean house. The table tops actually had surfaces you could eat on without sweeping off three inches of “clutter”, and the floors were slick and smooth, not sticky and bumpy. My bed had fresh linens and my clothes were neatly put away in drawers, not piled on top of the dresser.
Second, I know slobness is not inborn, because my daughter, Jessica is a neat freak. Granted, she’s only 20 months, but her greatest love is to take things and throw them in the trash can. I welcome this when it comes to little pieces of paper and coke cans, but we had to corral her in when she started throwing away silverware and the remote control. She’s now learning what goes on the counter vs. the trash and loving her role as maid to the Dickinsons.
I fear for her future as janitorial guru, though, because I know how difficult it is to keep it up when surrounded by all of the other distractions life presents. I know that although she embraces the chores now, time may turn her, like the rest of her family, into a slob.
It doesn’t happen quickly like some B grade horror film: The Slob from Beyond, but rather gradually, as a result of making little choices that make little difference in the short run, but ultimately turns you into a slob.
The choices we make when it comes to God’s Word act similarly. Depending on the little choices we make every day, we either draw closer to God or farther away.
In James, God gives us a three step process for discovering the blessings and rewards he’s prepared for us. Unfortunately, we often sabotage his efforts to share these blessings through our disregard of Step # 2: Do What it Says.
There are two reasons why people don’t do what they should, it is either because they don’t know what they should be doing (how can you do what you don’t know?), or, it’s because they make the conscious choice to not do it.
Step One in God’s process (keep looking steadily into God’s perfect law) covers the first reason.
The second reason is not so easy and is a nightmare for those of us who might have just a tad of perfectionism in them (you too? Don’t worry, there are a lot of us out there, and even more closet perfectionists…).
The reason we struggle with Step #2 is because there is sin in the world. Lots and lots of sin! And for those of us in tune with what we should do, we notice even more sin and see even more ways we have failed to do what we should. It’s a terrible endless cycle that, without a happy ending and an ally on our side, is impossible to overcome.
We are in good company. Listen to what Paul said in the seventh Chapter of Romans, and see if it isn’t the same thing you struggle with every day of your life:
It seems to be a fact of life that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another law at work within me that is at war with my mind. This law wins the fight and makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin? (vs. 21-24)
This is Paul, one of the strongest founders of the Christian church, struggling with the same self condemnation and troubles that I do today! Paul had just as much trouble making the right choices as I do, and whimpered the same uncertainty as I have “who will free me from this sin????”
Thank God, that answer is Jesus Christ! But I can imagine that Paul sometimes asked the same question that I do after I hear that answer. How?
It’s hard for a Christian to admit (but I will) that sometimes it seems that, while Jesus dying on the cross is a glorious symbol of the love and compassion God has for me, it’s difficult to see how it helps and saves me from my sin today.
The other day I was at a family gathering. The kids were in the backyard playing and, as often happens, a disagreement broke out. One of the culprit’s mom appeared.
“What Happened?” she queried.
Her son proceeded to pepper her with his version of the story, interspersed with 6 year old tears and supplications.
“So, you made a bad choice,” she responded matter of factly. “What could you have done differently?”
After I pulled my lower lip up off the floor at the calm and logic she brought to the situation, I realized that what she gave her son is exactly what God gave to me by sending His Son to die on the cross.
That mom gave her son a chance to do it over. And the words “What could you have done differently?” are the same words God says to me every time I fail to be perfect and sin again and again. He doesn’t lay into me with harsh words and condemnation (no, those words come from another power…). Rather he looks at me with love and says kindly “Sue, you made a bad choice. It’s okay, I forgive you. But, what could you have done differently?” He gives me a do-over, the chance to get it right next time.
But I wonder, at times, how calm that Mom would have been if she’d gone back into the house, only to be pulled out again to break up the same fight? She expected her son to change his behavior, and he did. God’s grace expects the same obedience. He doesn’t expect us to do it right every time, and his patience is greater than we can ever emulate. But he does expect us to take our do-over and try again. And again. And again.
Following God’s Word is so much more important than keeping my house clean. But the principles for making it happen are the same. In order to win over the clutter and dirt, I have to make the right choice more often than not, and keep trying again and again to win over the mess.
Thank God that, for the more important life choice of making Him #1 in my life, I have His Word and His love to guide me through. He so desperately wants to bless me as he has planned, and so he readily gives me the do-overs I desperately need. And, I pray, with God’s help, I’ll be able to follow Step 2 of his plan and “do what (His Word) says”. Again, and again, and again.
More to explore:
Matthew 21: 28-31 Do you find yourself judging others instead of giving them a do-over? How easy is it for you to take advantage of the do-overs God give you? What can you do to help your children to learn about God’s do-overs?
Psalm 1 Do you find it hard to “delight in doing everything the Lord wants?” Do you see this same struggle in your children?
Hebrews 8: 10 What promises does this passage give us to help us to obey God’s commands?
Dear Lord, thank you for your patience as I try to follow your command and do what your word says. I’m truly sorry for the many times I fall short and ask your forgiveness and grace. Thank you for my do-overs. Please help me to show your love to others, especially my children by offering the same freedom – a chance to try again. In Your name, Amen
About the author: Sue Dickinson Sue Dickinson is a mom, a business woman, and the founder of www.Unlimited Mom.com, a web site and e-newsletter designed to celebrate the many facets of Mom - including her walk with God. Sue is also the author of the book: "What's a Mom to Do? Overcoming the Urge to Put Your Life on Hold", which can be purchased at unlimitedmom.com.
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