Rein It In Part 2
James 1:26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
Why do I view this section as a probing exam? Partly, it’s because James is clearly giving us a tangible guideline for comparison, and partly it’s because Randy needs an exam. 😉
Mark 7:14 Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. 15 Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.”
After a 24hr fast, meditating about this exam, I’m happy to report that the Randy of today is an improvement over last year. This is good news, like saying “We just ran out of gas but the good news is that we’re a hundred miles closer to the gas station than we were.”
So, what has improved? For starters: When I’m full of myself and my big ideas it’s easy to overlook those who literally need help through life’s struggles. As a “religious” man, I can point out how others just don’t measure up. But as my religion becomes less about what I think people ought to do or be and more about making their needs my needs I come closer to a true religion. Since committing to this devotional, I’m definitely watching the rewiring of my brain. I can see how far I’ve come AND how much farther I have to go.
Come to think of it, I could save us all a lot of time in these devotionals by simply repeating “More of You and less of Me.” Every single day.
The more full I am of YHWH, the less room I have for staining by the world.
Father, thank You for testing us. Thank You for showing us what we lack. Thank you for filling us with Your Word and Your Love!