I Know It’s Christmas, But…
This is for me the MOST wonderful time. of the year! You’d have to know my story to fully appreciate how special this time is for me. Even though I don’t have time to tell it now, suffice it to say that there are some powerful reasons that I believe there is a special touch from God this time of the year.
However, if I’m honest, I would have to say that there is also a lot of demonic activity that seems to rear its’ ugly head this time of the year. Just as Satan was mad that first year of Christ’s advent into the world, he is just as mad today. He would like nothing better than to take the attention over the birth of the Messiah, and put it on everything but… (Ini fact, Satan seems to be doing a pretty good job of that in our day.)
Jesus warned us over and over that we have to wise as serpents and gentle as doves. He let us know that there were going to be all kinds of things that would try to trick us and cause us to get off our ‘square’ so to speak. It takes grace to navigate through the waters of life, both for us and in our dealings with others. It has taken years to realize that the people in my life space are not my enemies, but they can. be used by the enemy of my soul to try and bring me offense.
One incident occurred last week that could have been a disaster. I kept hearing the Proverb, "a soft answer turns away wrath". I decided that it was a message from God and CHOSE to employ this wisdom.
Another incident has occurred, and what did I hear:
The wisdom that comes from God is first utterly pure, then peace-loving, gentle, approachable, full of tolerant thoughts and kindly actions, with no breath of favouritism or hint of hypocrisy. And the wise are peace-makers who go on quietly sowing for a harvest of righteousness—in other people and in themselves. James 3:17 (PHILLIPS)
I know this is a measure for me to take before I react: is it pure, is it. peace-loving, is it gentle, is it approachable, is it full of tolerant thoughts, is full of kindly actions; does it have a touch of favoritism, or hypocrisy? If I can answer all of these questions in the affirmative and then have my attitude submitted to "quietly sowing" God’s righteousness than not only am I walking in wisdom, I am also going to have a life of peace and joy.
Tis the Season,
Maria