I may have known this on some level but in reading a daily prayer book of mine it hit me right between the eyes this morning, that and reading James 3:13-18 made me feel less than Christ like. It's never easy having our toes stepped on is it? And I quote:
1st from the Book, then from two different devotionals.
Ephesians 5:21 (NIV) 21) Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Vs.22-6:1.....22) Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23) For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24) Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
25)Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26) to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27) and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. 28) In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29) After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30) for we are members of his body. 31) "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh."32) This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. 33) However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
And now seemingly unrelated: James 3:13-18
13) Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14) But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.
15) Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. 16) For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.
17) But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
18) Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.
Unity, family, "One God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all." As wives are submissive to their husbands so the Church is to be submissive to Christ. Harboring "bitter envy" or "selfish ambition" does not honor God does it?
*From NIV commentary, "Foolishness leads to disorder, but wisdom leads to peace and goodness. Are you tempted to escalate the conflict, pass on the gossip, or fan the fire of discord?"
The family unit Husbands, wives, children are apt to do all manner of "evil practices" to seek acceptance and or accolades.
Family, it has dozens of definitions, but it's taken from the Latin word famulus meaning, "servant." (from Jane Kirkpatrick's, A Burden Shared)
May I add to that wow. So if family means servant, that is yet another way to show that we are connected by Blood, yes?
Humility is to put others ahead of yourselves, submission of wives to husbands, husbands to Church, Church to Christ, when done by the Scripture, lead to peace.
Not fanning the flames of discord, lead to peace. Blessed are the peacemakers.
It saddens me to realize I've taken part in such acts in any form. I do long to be like Christ and it is so hard. We must be on guard 24/7/365 from the influence of Satan, who roams seeking insidious ways to bring us down.
Perhaps the following prayer will bring this all together:
"Heavenly Father, who serves your children with love and abandon-blessing, nurturing, saving, healing, and transforming us-please teach me your style of serving. When I feel taxed by my family me,you the Church, (Itallics mine)remind me to come to you and find restoration for my weary body and soul. When I feel annoyed by them, help me to remember how important they are to me and how I would feel if I did not have them in my life anymore. When I am tempted to give up on them, give me a new measure of faith and hope for them. As You are to me, let me be to them." (by Christine A. Dallman; Margaret Anne Huffman)
In the name of our Amazing Grace, amen
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