James 1:19-20
So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; 20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
I was listening to a teaching from Keith Moore recently where he talked about the value of this lesson in James. He pointed out that some folks seem to have a "Mach 2 mouth and a 20 MPH brain" and that we need to often need to stop the mouth to allow time to let our spirit catch up. As is often the case, the Lord was faithful to give me a WONDERFUL example of how this works in my own life yesterday~it requires a bit of a story, but here goes:
With the tragic murder of Dr. Tiller here in Kansas there has come a renewed vehemence in the abortion debate and at times I have been too caught up in the heated discussions in the media (yes Im one of those sillies that yell at the TV on occasion). It has been frustrating to me to hear everyone talk about how awful this killing was- which I agree with- and yet speak of this man as a hero at the same time. Reasonable estimates put the number of human lives lost in his clinic at over 60,000. The phrase that came to me at the time was "One death is indeed a tragedy, but does that make 60,000 babies just a statistic?"
One particularly disturbing accusation from the pro-choice camp was that Bill O'Reilly incited Dr Tiller's killer to commit the murder...something which begins to hint at things that could encroach on freedom of speech for Christians everywhere. Last night in his Talking Points Memo, Mr O'Reilly eloquently defended himself and that can be seen here: O'Reilly on Human Rights and the Liberal Media
Last night I was VERY tempted to post this on Facebook- there are a lot of people out there in the world who believe that everything on Fox News is a lie and from time to time I would just like to prove them wrong- BUT- I had a check in my spirit about it and decided not to post.
Then, this morning I came across this WONDERFUL interview with Mike Huckabee (one of my heroes, BTW) on the Jon Stewart show.
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Mike Huckabee Exclusive Interview Pt. 1 | ||||
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| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Mike Huckabee Exclusive Interview Pt. 2 | ||||
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| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Mike Huckabee Exclusive Interview Pt. 3 | ||||
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Can I just mention again that I love Mike Huckabee? :) This is one of the most rational and fair discussions about both sides of the abortion issue I have ever heard in the media.. . kudos to Jon Stewart for hosting it!!
As I watched this piece I saw Truth, wisdom, grace, love and patience displayed as Mike discussed this volatile topic with Jon Stewart. This really was a chance to see James 3:17 in action:
James 3:17
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.
This is also an example of what Paul talked about in Colossians:
Colossians 4:5-6
5 Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. 6 Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.
SO, after deciding not to post the O'Reilly clip, I DID post the Huckabee interview on my Facebook wall. While Bill O'Reilly made some very valid points and defended his position with the media fairly, at its core that particular clip was much more about "right versus left" than it was about getting to the heart of the matter about the tragedy that is abortion. If I had posted that on Facebook, I feel like I would have been just sort of sticking my tongue out at those who disagreed with me...making what might have been a valid point, but one that would do more to stir up strife that it would to enlighten.
On the other hand, I believe Mike Huckabee's interview was anointed and powerful-he spoke the Truth in love-and with Jon Stewart's courteous but firm debate, both sides of the issue were allowed to be aired. What this interview did was leave the hearers with the right to make their own decision.
Ultimately, that is what our beloved Father God does when he speaks to our hearts about the Gospel. He will speak the Truth in love, presents us with a choice- even points out the BEST choice to make- and yet leaves the choice itself in our hands:
Deuteronomy 30:19-20
I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you,
that I have set before you life and death,
blessing and cursing;
therefore choose life,
that both you and your descendants may live;
that you may love the LORD your God,
that you may obey His voice,
and that you may cling to Him,
for He is your life and the length of your days...
The lesson I learned? If I had impetuously posted the O'Reilly video last night, I feel like I would have pushed people away. At that time I didnt know why it was so important not to do that, but when I saw the Huckabee interview this morning I realised THAT was why. THAT was the message that needed to be shared at this time, THAT was what God was telling me to share. By waiting and not posting last night, I shut my "mouth" and waited- then the Holy Spirit was able to "fill it" with what He wanted to say:)
You listened to the spirit of God which led you to something that you could feel good about. We need more people like you in the world. I don't know you, but I am proud of you.
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Thank you:) I think more and more people are learning to do just that and thats one of the things I hope to encourage people to do with my postings here!! Grace & Peace to you!!
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