Reading: James 2:14-18; 1 Peter 3:8-12
“If a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?” (James 2:14). I have mentioned in this blog before that dealing with anger is something the Lord has been teaching me for a very long time. In these lessons, He has shown me how anger (whether spoken or not) has been in control of not only my tongue, but the actions of my other feelings as well. Many times when we think of James’ writing on deeds and faith our mind goes towards the jobs we may be doing for the Lord – jobs at church, time we take to volunteer, etc. However, the deeds of my actions towards others can also be a hindrance in showing my faith.In preparation for the next Ladies for Jesus retreat, I have been reading through the Old Testament to familiarize myself once again with the stories. In doing so, I am reminded of the great amount of animosity among the women – Sarah and Hagar, Rebekah and Leah, etc. As many of us women know, animosity is much more than just a “one word” feeling. It can lead to actions that are – well to say it plainly – just not desirable to the Lord. In the Scriptures, when we women read about one woman teasing another, we know exactly what that entails. When animosity develops in our lives with another, we can relate to these women of the Bible in knowing that these feelings are not just momentary, but a multitude of feelings that can go on and on. Ultimately, if we are not careful, these feelings can cause distance between us and the Lord and hinder our witness.
Our reading from Peter gives us insight into how we should handle feelings that come from animosity in our lives. 1 Peter 3:8-12 tells us,
"Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. For, whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."
God’s Word plainly says that there is only one response we should have in regards to evil and that is “blessing.” As Christians, we are not to return evil with evil. If insulted, then we do not return an insult. Instead we are called to return a blessing. It is back to the concept of “you reap what you sow.” To reap a blessing, you must sow a blessing. God is not happy with us when we return evil for evil. He is not happy with us when we allow the feelings that come along with animosity – pride, jealousy, anger, spitefulness, etc. – to control our lives. He wants us to seek peace and pursue it. Seek and pursue. When we keep our eyes on Jesus, those are the deeds that make our faith show and grow; the deeds of seeking God’s peace and pursuing it with every part of our being.
How do we pursue peace? To pursue something means “to follow after.” If you want to know how to pursue God’s peace, then you follow the lead of the Holy Spirit. When we have animosity in our lives in regards to another, many times we follow the lead of the other person and want to return evil for the evil they have done. The Holy Spirit has another purpose in mind and that purpose is to please the Father. He will guide you in what is right. Stay in God’s Word and let it speak directly to your heart. There is not one part of God’s Word that will lead you towards pursuing evil. Instead, it will lead you towards the pursuit of peace. Listen to the Holy Spirit when He convicts you of evil doings. He will be your Guide. He will bring the peace that you seek!
Prayer: Heavenly Father, I need guidance from Your Holy Spirit to overcome the feelings that I have. Help me to keep my eyes on Jesus and pursue peace in my life. Let my actions reflect the faith that I have in You. Amen.
