Living In The Word

Even where we develop a healthy and useful bible study habit, pride and  

Self-importance can so easily trip us up – look how good we are being/how many bible study apps we have completed; how much we are studying – but how much of The Word are we actually living? 

The bible says those who study the word and then do not do what it says are: 

For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; (New King James version)  

James 1:23 

If we only study it, we see a reflection of our useful habit, our improved or self-motivated discipline or our own justified good feeling – we must step through the ‘mirror’ and actually live in the Word. We can parallel living ‘In Christ’ and living ‘In the Word’ as Jesus is the Word. 

Do we read; Matthew 6:25 – 34 and feel temporarily calmed and then rush off into our busy lives and allow anxiety about money, work, relationships or health to affect our thoughts and actions? 

Do we agree with loving our neighbour in serene moments of study in the morning or evening and then shout angrily when someone cuts us up in traffic in the middle of a busy intersection? 

How is the ‘alive and active’ (Hebrews 4:12) cutting to our bone and marrow and showing us how-to live-in grace and power through Christ alone and nothing we do? 

Instead of seeing a reflection of our natural face in t the Word, are we using it to apply to “judge(s) the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” and therefore to spur us into repentance where needed or to rejoice in reassurance of Grace where we do not?  Regular bible study is indeed an admirable habit to cultivate and such habits will help the flesh serve the Spirit rather than warring against it, but only when we have followed through will applying the Word and seeing it actively changing and refining our lives can we say to be living in the Word. Others around us or living with us, too should notice and see how Christ as the Word is changing and transforming our lives – the word then as an ‘instruction manual’ for humans’ rightful response to Jesus rather than a book of theology.

 

Okay, so with illness, sadly, it seems comes those, even within The Body/Christians, who simply, somehow don't believe you are really are as sick as you say, that your flu is really 'just a cold' or that there's really something else that you're not telling them as to the reason you may cry off house church or communion that day and not the fact that they've text'd you within a day (!) with the expectation that you will already be back to health from an illness that usually takes 5-7 days to recover from?

Does anyone, anymore, actually ask someone if they are okay (and I mean 'ask' as in text in this modern age) or is more about their own agendas? I do appreciated people asking (especially the lady who I was due to have dinner with yesterday asking me if I needed any shopping or anything) but it does sometimes seem to me that people contact me when its convenient for them and want a certain answer. 

It can seem unfair at times, when we afford empathy to others/try to see things from their shoes/cancel meetings because we are thinking of their self care (last week) and then the very next week when we fall foul of the deadly influenza and it's clearly not something we can do anything about (other than pray) but there is an expectation that somehow we can and we'd better forget about being ill, and be quick about it, we are not reciprocated the same empathy in return, but life's far from ever fair and we all have differing personalities, communication approaches and relationships even with The Body.  This also, as I am learning, gives me feedback as to how I am allowing or not allowing others to treat me rather than anything about the other person.

God has been teaching me much about boundaries in the last year or so and recently and it appears in an ongoing way, as somehow perhaps this wasn't something I learned so well growing up amongst all the useful/useless academic stuff that I did learn.

I think there are some Christians who even feel and think that boundaries are not biblical, in fact I had one tell me so and actually 'warned me off' about them as if they were some sort of worldy, psychological nonsense and not some God given aspect of life to develop and maintain healthy relationships.

Yes, of course, we are to 'have everything in common' (Acts 2:44) and 'love one another' John 13:34 but in a healthy, godly way, not in way that angers others when their own boundaries are trampled underfoot.

A very helpful link I found on this is:soulshepherding setting boundaries
As with any link, I don't neccesarily agree with everything the author says but I think there are lots of helpful points and clear examples of how Jesus set boundaries within His own ministry.

Another useful link I discovered today is:

Christian Boundaries Equipping Godly Women Blog





And a few scriptures around the theme of boundaries:


2 Corinthians 6:14
Proverbs 25:17
Galatians 6:2
Proverbs 21:19
Matthew 5:37

Flu forces physical rest

Today, I had to stay home from work (better when you actually get paid any kind of sick pay which I don't but God balances all and reminds of rest) with the flu and yes, not even a cold disguised as flu but full on flu with accompanying aches and pain and sore eyeball sockets even and the other more common symptoms of sneezes, coughs and nausea. This coincided with a wall decal scripture that arrived by post of Psalm 62:1: Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him.

Sadly, I also had to turn down a dinner fellowship with a sister because of ill health.  I felt like I was letting her down but noone would benefit from sharing my germs at present.


Of course this is about spiritual rest but I do think God also creates some situations where we are reminded and encouraged to rest. The world shouts at us to keep going, that terrible things will happen if we don't but God s always is countercultural and simply reminds us to rest in Him.