Strife and Conflict

What leads to strife and how do conflicts, quarrels, and fighting originate among you? Do they not arise from sensual desires that are ever warring in your bodily members?

You are jealous and covet what others have and your desires go unfulfilled; so you become murderers. To hate is to murder as far as your hearts are concerned. You burn with envy and anger and are not able to obtain the gratification, contentment, and happiness that you seek, so you fight and war.... - James 4:1-2a

Strife and conflicts usually begin because someone either does not get their way or people do not agree about something. Conflict is a natural part of life. They do not need to be sinful or escalate. However, when we allow conflicts to escalate to arguments and strife, it is most likely rooted in pride. We don't want to be wrong, we don't want to let things go, we don't want to give something up, or we are just plain stubborn. When the Church allows quarrels and conflict to go unchecked it weakens us as a whole. This is why our adversary, the devil, works overtime and relentlessly trying to generate discord in the Body fo Christ.

The only way we can overcome this is to recognize it, and then not allow it to manifest itself and disable the Church. Until we get over ourselves and start loving each other and being peacemaking obedient children of the Most High God, we will continue to see the Church become more and more powerless. And, sin more and more rampant.

James goes so far as to say that when we hate it is like we are committing murder in our hearts. That statement sounds a lot like when Jesus said when He informed us that simply looking at another with lust we have already committed adultery. These are HUGE statements...and somewhat hard to swallow...

We do not allow ourselves to really ALLOW God's Word in our hearts enough to see it for what it is. If we did, would we hate? Would we hate so easily knowing we would be considered a murderer?

It is an issue that begins on the inside. It is a heart matter. And where does it all begin? The mind. Our minds are the first line of attack. The enemy sends all of his demons to the mind, because he knows that if he can get our minds to receive his lies, he will get our hearts.

The only way to protect our minds from becoming the devil's playground is to consistently and daily study...not just read...study God's Word. Most Christians go to church, but few have an active and consistent life in the Word. Most of us are too busy making sure we don't miss the next Survivor or American Idol episode. Most of us hardly ever feed our spirits outside of our weekly church visits. And that my friends is why we have gay marriages and no prayers in school. The Church is overcome with the mind of the world instead of the Mind of Christ.

The more of the Word we have in us, the more peace, the more forgiveness, and the more love we will have pouring out of us. There will be less room...if any for discord, strife, and sinful conflict.

If we would just set our hearts and minds on God and HIS Will, HIS Word, and HIS ways, we would have less discord and more productivity in the Church. And the devil would not have so much control over our entertainment, government, society, and the Body of Christ as a whole.

Let's Pray,

Daddy God, thank You for loving me and making a way through your Word for me to live the life You created me to live. Please forgive me for any strife or sinful conflict that I have caused, encouraged, or have been involved in. Your Word says that blessed are the peacemakers. Well, I want to be blessed. I want my life to please You. Help me to recognize when the enemy is trying to bring any strife into my life. Help me to show Your love and mercy to others and not need to always be right. I ask that You remove any hate or animosity from my heart and replace it with Your love and compassion. Thank You, Daddy God. In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.

Copyright © Lara Velez

True and Pure Wisdom Brings with it the Gift of Peace

And the harvest of righteousness (conformity to God's will inn thought and deed) is the fruit of the seed sown in peace by those who work for and make peace which means concord, agreement, and harmony between individuals, with undisturbedness, in a peaceful mind free from fears and agitating passions and moral conflicts. - James 3:18

Last time, we learned that true and pure wisdom comes from a life dedicated to God. We get this wisdom little by little as we grow. Part of this wisdom is learning to submit to God and His will for our lives.

When we lay down our desires and live our lives to please our God, we begin to want the things that He wants for our lives. We begin to turn from the sin that used to so easily entangle us. As we develop the wisdom that comes through a consistently submitted life we also gain a "harvest of righteousness," which is a peaceful mind set. We become people who seek peace rather than our own way.

This is a wonderful gift. It is a quality that can save countless marriages, friendships, and relationships. If more of us would seek peace and strive for peace, there would be a major decrease in divisions, offense, quarrels, and our divorce rate.

Unfortunately, the only way to get this precious gift of peace is to strive for the wisdom we talked about last time. And the only way we can obtain that wisdom is by letting go of "self" and grabbing onto God and His ways. That is the biggest obstacle in this pursuit. We MUST die to ourselves and our desires. We must put others first and make the pursuit of peace a priority. If we do not, we will never have the wondrous fullness of a life that God wants us to have.

Not many of us want to let go of "getting our way." Most of us do not want to give up the things that our flesh loves so much. Not many of us desire to be God pleasers. Most of us are very comfortable living somewhere in the middle. Somewhere not too radical and not too liberal, but just enough middle ground to keep us from real victory and blessings in our lives. Just enough middle ground to be world and self pleasers. Just enough middle ground to keep us "luke warm."
Are you willing to make a change in your life? Are you willing to pursue peace? Are you willing to step out of the middle ground and onto the Holy ground? Do you really want all that Jesus died for you to have? Do you?

Let's pray,

Daddy God, thank You for Your Wisdom. Thank You for Your true and pure Wisdom. Thank You for the gift of peace. Thank You for Your life changing Word of Truth. Please help me to not settle for the middle ground. Help me to never be luke warm...or even cold. Help me to live out loud and be ON FIRE...for YOU! Help me to pursue excellence and be a shining example of a life dedicated to the One Who bore my sins.In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.

Copyright © Lara Velez

True and Pure Wisdom

But the wisdom from above is first of all pure; then it is peace-loving, courteous, considerate, and gentle. It is willing to yield to reason, full of compassion and good fruits; it is wholehearted and straightforward, impartial and unfeigned, free from doubts and insincerity. - James 3:17

I believe that there are two types of wisdom. There is the wisdom that we gain through education, trial and error, learning, and life experiences. Then is the True and Pure wisdom that we can only gain from the Word and a consistent walk with God. The later is the type of wisdom we will discuss today.

When we seek after the things of God and make Him and His ways a priority in our lives, we gain a type of wisdom that you will never find in a book, class, or from any type of "worldly" learning venue. It is a gift that the Lord gives His children little by little. He gives it to those who want it and seek it and desire it. The closer we get in our relationship with God the wiser we become. We will make wiser choices. We will speak with wisdom. We will gain better understanding.

It is not the same kind of wisdom that the world classifies as wisdom or that they have to offer. It is a change in your heart and mind. It is an insight and understanding into the very character of God. Just look at the words that James uses to describe it. He says that the wisdom from above is pure, courteous, considerate, and gentle. Who does that sound like? Sounds like our Daddy in Heaven, doesn't it?

The more we seek God and the more we yield to His Will, the more wisdom we will receive. It's almost like fruit. I guess you can call it the fruit of wisdom. A gift from God. True and unblemished by the world kind of wisdom.

How can we get it?

Well, as I mentioned earlier. We can only get this God-given wisdom through His Word AND a consistant walk with Him. A daily seeking of Him and His Will. A hunger for Him and His ways. We must MOVE towards it and reach for it. We must CHOOSE it by choosing to make HIM first in our hearts, minds, and life.

Let's Pray,

Daddy God, I love You. I want to know You more. I want a deeper more intimate relationship with You. Thank You for all the many wonderful gifts that You have in store for me as I grow in my walk with You. Thank You for the wisdom that You have to offer. Help me to be wiser in all that I do. Help me to learn more about You and YOUR ways. Thank You for being such a Wonderful Daddy. I am honored to be Your daughter. I could never walk through life without You. Thank You for loving me...all of me...imperfect me. I love You, Lord. In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.

Copyright © Lara Velez

Jealousy, Envy, and Selfish Ambition

Who is there among you who is wise and intelligent? Then let him by his noble living show forth his good works with the unobtrusive humility which is the proper attribute of true wisdom.

But if you have bitter jealousy, envy, contention, rivalry, and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not pride yourselves on it and thus be in defiance of and false to the Truth.

This superficial wisdom is not such as comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual animal, even devilish (demoniacal).

For wherever there is jealousy, envy, and contention, rivalry, and selfish ambition, there will also be confusion, unrest, disharmony, rebellion and all sorts of evil and vile practices. - James 3: 13-16

Jealousy and envy are ugly emotions. Throw in selfish ambition and you have a recipe for pain, sin, and heart ache. It is a very sad thing when churches, ministries, pastors, and Christian businesses compete or try to one up each other...or "be better."

A while ago I read over some book proposal guidelines for a few Christian publishing companies. One of the things that they want is for the writer to investigate books that will be in "competition" with their book. I felt a sting in my gut when I read that. Don't misunderstand me, I understand that it is a business.

However, when it comes to the Body of Christ there should be something deeper going on then just "business." Should we "compete?" Shouldn't we ALL have the same goal?? Shouldn't we TRUST God? Doesn't He OWN everything anyway???

We, as Christian have a calling to help the lost and encourage other Believers. There should be a sense of us all striving for the same things...to PLEASE the Lord and help others. Not compete, beat, and get ahead.

There are even rivalries in churches. There are denominational lines, my church is bigger than your church syndrome, we have the better church disease, our music is better than so and so's church, and many more.

Why?

What exactly are we competing for? Do we really think that God is smiling at such behavior? Didn't Jesus say to love one another. To love our neighbor as we love ourselves? Shouldn't the Church as a whole be concentrating on supporting one another?

I believe that rivalry, selfish ambition, and jealousy are one of the causes to the lack of power in the Church today. If we got over ourselves, stood together, and supported each other we would change the world! For sure! We would be a force. We would be UNITED. Can you imagine a world where Christians actually ACTED like CHRISTIANS???

Hmmm...Something to think about, eh?

Let's Pray,

Daddy God, Please forgive me for ever feeling envy, jealousy, or trying to compete with my brothers and sisters. Forgive me for not acting in a manner that pleases You and brings glory to Your Name. I ask that you help me to be a blessing to all people. I pray that you show me ways that I can be a bless others. Help me to love and let go of any and ALL envy, rivalry, jealousy, and selfish ambitions that I may have. Thank You. In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.

Blessing and Cursing

With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse men who were made in God's likeness!

Out of the same mouth come forth blessing and cursing. These things, my brethren, ought not to be so.

Does a fountain send forth [simultaneously] from the same opening fresh water and bitter?

Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine figs? Neither can a salt spring furnish fresh water. - James 3:9-12


Two faced "tongue"...or sword! Do YOU have one?

We have all been guilty of this to some degree. We put on a smile to someone's face and when they are not around we say something rude about them or maybe we participate by listening to gossip about them.

Another example is when you see a woman at church not dressed as conservatively as she should be...or even at the mall...then you may say something not so nice about her because of how YOU feel about her outfit. The real issue is US...NOT her! God does not see her that way. He LOVES her and sees beyond that aspect of her. As followers of Christ, shouldn't we? Who are we to judge anyone?

It can also be something simpler...

Have you ever been nice to someone's face, but then not ever want to get to know them because of status, preconceived ideas you have about them, or some other issue that has nothing to do with being a follower of Christ.

We are daughters to the King of Kings. We should never allow our mouths to become something that brings dishonor to God's Holy Name. When people of the world see us participating in gossip or speak rudely about another person it gives our Savior a bad rap.

Or, in the modern world we live in, if we post negatively about someone on our blogs, in chat rooms, forums or PM's, WHO are we really representing? Surely not Christ??

This behavior gives the world yet another reason to scoff at the Church. When we participate in such talk and behavior, we look like hypocrites. We "say" that we are Christians and then we speak like heathens. We need to remember that we are the ONLY bible that some people will ever read.

We also need to remember that we can affect other Christians too, especially baby Christians. We can either turn them off or mislead them into behaving as sinfully as we are. So, it is always best in all circumstances to speak with love and kindness. We should use our mouths to be a blessing to all who hear us no matter what and no matter who!

Another thing that stands out for me is our dialog. If we cuss and swear when we talk not only do we look uneducated, but we are speaking in a manner that we don't even allow our children to. In school, if a child swears they are disciplined. Why is it OK for us adults to do it?

Look at what these Scriptures say...

Galatians 6:7-10:

7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.

8 For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.

9 Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.

10 So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.

OUCH! We better be VERY careful WHAT we are sowing, ladies!

I look at it this way. If I tell my children they shouldn't do something, should I be doing it? What will I be teaching them? Living as a person who says, "do as I say, not as I do" is nothing more than a hypocrite. And that my dear sisters will cause our children to run from God not to Him when they grow up.

My point: Speak well of others no matter what and speak like intelligent God loving Christian women! Show LOVE...or should I say "SOW" love to ALL people...NO matter WHAT!

Our God deserves nothing less!

Let's pray,

Daddy God, please, forgive me for ever speaking badly about another person. Forgive me for ever participating in gossip. Forgive me for ever using foul language. Forgive me for ever being judgemental, critical, or unloving to others. I repent and submit my mouth, heart, and mind to You and Your ways. I ask that You help me to always remember that I was bought with a very high price. And because of that I only want to bring glory and honor to Your Precious Name with my tongue. I ask that you help me to cultivate a LOVE walk and to see other the way YOU do. In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.

Copyright © Lara Velez

How to Gain Control of the Tongue

If we set bits in the horses' mouths to make them obey us, we can turn their whole bodies about.
Likewise, look at the ships: though they are so great and are driven by rough winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the impulse of the helmsman determines.

Even so the tongue is a little member, and it can boast of great things. See how much wood or how great a forest a tiny spark can set ablaze!

And the tongue is a fire. The tongue is a world of wickedness set among our members, contaminating and depraving the whole body and setting on fire the wheel of birth (the cycle of man's nature), being itself ignited by hell.

For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea animal, can be tamed and has been tamed by human genius.

But the human tongue can be tamed by no man. It is a restless, undisciplined, irreconcilable, evil, and full of deadly poison. - James 3:3-8

I think that the tongue can be the most destructive force in a persons life. I think that what James is telling us in these Scriptures must be taken very seriously. The tongue is not to be taken lightly.

I agree that the tongue cannot be tamed. However, if we prevent the tongue from ever becoming contaminated we will have no need to tame it. It will already be under the authority of the Lord.

I believe that our battle with the tongue begins in the mind. II Corinthians 10:5b says; ...and we lead every thought and purpose captive into the obedience of Christ. We need to submit before there is ever a word said. When an unclean, wicked, or useless thought enters our mind, that is when we must reject it and submit it to the Lord.

Let me try to give you a practical example...

Let's say that you and your husband are having a nice day, and you decide to make it nicer by going for a walk. While on your walk a very attractive and scantily clad young woman walks into your husband's line of sight. You see him take a quick peak and move on. At first you say nothing. However, you are thinking up a storm. You are thinking one or more thoughts like these; "Who does he think he is?, I can't believe that he checked out that bimbo!, What a jerk!, How could he do that with me walking right next to him?, I guess I can't blame him...I wish I had a body like that." (You may think different negative thoughts. These were just for my example.)

After a few minutes of useless pondering you may say something like; "I saw you looking at that woman, and I don't appreciate it!" Then he may respond; "What woman?" Then you lose your cool and a fight begins. Why? Because you let your thoughts run amuck. Then you allowed them to form words that are pointless to say.

The point is, think about what you're thinking. If the thoughts are negative or have the ability to go to places that are unhealthy or pointless, then lay them down. Hold EVERY thought captive under the authority of Jesus Christ. Then they will never become a hurricane like force of words that have the power to destroy relationships. This was just one example. You can use this same concept with just about any annoying or troublesome situation.

Let's pray;

Daddy God, please help me to gain control of my thought life. Help me to pay closer attention to what I am allowing myself to think. I want my thought life to be pleasing to You. Help me to recognize my thought before it becomes a sinful and hurtful word. Thank You for Your Word and for loving me enough to warn me of my tongues potential power for destruction. In Jesus Mighty name, Amen.

Forgiving Yourself

For we all often stumble and fall and offend in many things. And if anyone does not offend in speech, never says the wrong things, he is a fully developed character and a perfect man, able to control his whole body and to curb his entire nature. - James 3:2

This is a very important Scripture to understand for those of us who beat ourselves up with every mistake we make.

I am one of those. I catch myself sometimes, dwelling on what I could have done, should have done, or how all my problems must somehow be because I am not good enough. I can hear the enemy whisper in my ear..."you are just God's 'step child,' you will never measure up." I do my best to fight him and his horrible mental attack. However, there are times when a grenade will slip past my shield and I will receive it and find myself wondering if it IS true!!

We must all understand that we will never be perfect while we live on earth. We can't. It is IMPOSSIBLE. There was only One perfect person and that was Jesus. He was the Only One and there will NEVER be another.

He died so that we no longer have to be slaves to sin. We will still sin, but it no longer has to control our lives. We have the power to overcome sin. As we grow in the Lord, we will most definitely sin less. The closer you get to God, the less and less you will want to sin. However, we are still human in human bodies. We still have a flesh and are still capable of making mistakes.

When we make a mistake, God wants us to repent and then receive His forgiveness. You see, when we ask Him to forgive us, He forgets. He chooses to no longer remember the wrong that we did.

Keep in mind, this doesn't give us license to sin...that can be a dangerous game and is another subject. It does, however, give us the assurance that when we make a mistake, God loves us and will forgive us when we truly repent.

We are the ones who have a problem forgetting. We are the ones who seem to have this ridiculous desire to have a self loathing pity party that never ends. Who are we to throw the gift of forgiveness back in the Fathers face?

If He forgets our mistakes, shouldn't we?

Let's pray,

Daddy God, thank You for loving me and being quick to forgive me when I mess up. Lord, I ask that You help me to forgive myself. I ask that You help me to receive Your forgiveness when I ask for it and then pick myself up and move on. The precious gift you have given me is sometimes overwhelming. I cannot always understand how You can love me so much. I will choose from this day on to accept Your forgiveness and press on! In Jesus Mighty, Loving, and FORGIVING Name, Amen.

The Cost of Leadership

Not many of you should become teachers, my brethren, for you know that we teachers will be judged by a higher standard and with greater severity than other people; thus we assume the greater accountability and the more condemnation. - James 3:1

Before I knew that God had called me to something more than just wife and Mother, He began to slowly cause me to change my ways. He asked me to give up many things. This was not easy for me. I no longer watch what I used to watch or listen to what I used to listen to. It was very hard to give certain things up. However, I wanted to become all that He created me to be. I am still on that road to "becoming," and will be until I die or Jesus comes back.

I did not understand why I had to stop watching and listening to things that I had been. After all, every Christian friend I had was still watching and listening to the things that the Lord wanted me to stop watching and listening to...

Why wasn't God wasn't pressing them to give up those things? Why me? I would ask God that almost every day. No answer. I slowly began to lose the friends that I had loved and known for so long. This was one of the hardest things I went through. I went through doubting, anger, and sadness. I even became a little depressed, and wondered if something was wrong with me. I tried to go back and do what I stopped doing...LOL. Unfortunately, I couldn't. It was too late. Those things now disgusted me.

I now know why God required me to give up certain things. He has revealed to me that I have a call on my life to teach wives and Mothers. To minister to their hearts. To help Christian women rise up and become a force for the Lord and a living example for their children.

When God asks you to step out and minister to others, you will be put under a microscope. Your life is no longer only about you. It is about others and God's purpose for them. You MUST be above reproach. Unfortunately, the church is filled with hypocrites and secret sins. The world becomes disgusted when they see a "Christian" We give our Saviour a bad name and affect our witness.

If you are in leadership or feel called to it, do not be discouraged with what you must lose. I promise you that it is worth it and your reward will be greater than you could ever imagine. Do not let anyone or anything hold you back. Step forward and do what you were called to do. God will help You with the rest.

A word of caution is what James is giving us. He is reminding us that our lives will no longer be the same. He is making sure that we understand the HUGE responsibility we have and will have as leaders. Be ready to fight yourself. Be ready to lose some friends. Be willing. Then get ready for the most wonderful, joyful, and incredible ride of your life.

Let's pray,

Daddy God, I submit my thoughts, my self, my will, and my life to You and Your purpose. I want to be all that You have created me to be. I do not know or understand all of what that will be, but I am ready and willing to do it. I am ready to live my life for You and You only. I am handing the key to You. I no longer want to be in the drivers seat. Help me to live for You and invite You into ALL that I do, say, hear, and watch. In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.

Good Works of Obedience

But someone will say to you then, You say you have faith, and I have good works. Now you show me your alleged faith apart from any good works if you can, and I by good works of obedience will show you my faith.

You believe that God is one; you do well. So do the demons believe and shudder in terror and horror such as make a man's hair stand on end and contract the surface of his skin!

Are you willing to be shown proof, you foolish unproductive, spiritually deficient fellow, that faith apart from good works is inactive and ineffective and worthless?

Was not our forefather Abraham shown to be justified (made acceptable to God) by his works when he brought to the altar as an offering his own son Isaac?

You see that his faith was cooperating with his works, and his faith was completed and reached its supreme expression when he implemented it by good works.

And so the Scripture was fulfilled that says, Abraham believed in (adhered to, trusted in, and relied on) God, and this was accounted to him as righteousness (as conformity to God's will in thought and deed), and he was called God's friend.

You see that a man is justified (pronounced righteous before God) through what he does and not alone through faith, through works of obedience as well as by what he believes.

So also with Rahab the harlot--was she not shown to be justified (pronounced righteous before God) by good deeds when she took in the scouts and sent them away by a different route?

For as the human body apart from the spirit is lifeless, so faith apart from its works of obedience is also dead. - James 2:18-26

Last time we we talked about faith, we mentioned that faith without "doing" is dead. Doing in the sense of not only believing God for something, but putting our faith into action.

Today, we see James go in another direction with faith and works. He talks about faith and good works of obedience. Again, we learn that it is not only what we believe that makes faith work, it is the action behind the faith that makes it a working faith.

It is believing and obeying. When God told Abraham to sacrifice his only son, Abraham did not hesitate. Why? Because he knew that God could not lie. He knew that God would keep his covenant with him. He knew and did not doubt. So, it made it easy for him to be willing to give his promised son as a sacrifice.

Look at it this way, when we are believing God for a financial breakthrough and we are selfish with the little that He has already given us, then we are not operating in good works of obedience. If we were then we would know that it is better to give than to receive. We would know that unless we are sewing seed we cannot reap a harvest.

Let's say someone is believing God for a new car or house. However, the one they have is unkept and dirty. If they were operating in good works of obedience then they would know that we must be good stewards with what God has already given us, before He can bless us with more.
There are countless examples I can give.

Here are a few more...

• You are believing for healing, but your eating unhealthy and/or smoking and/or some other unhealthy action...
• You are believing God for a better job, but you are a slacker, or your consistently late, or you never quite do your best...
• You are believing God for a better marriage, but you have yet to submit to your husband, or your a nag, or you complain all the time, or you are dominating and controlling...

I will stop there. The point that James is trying to make is this:

Faith is more than believing. It is doing. It is good works of obedience. It is believing. All of these things together are what make faith alive. All these actions together are what make faith work!

Let's Pray,

Daddy God, thank You for Your life giving Word of Truth. Thank You that You want me to live a life full of joy and happiness. Thank You that through Your Word, You have shown me how to accomplish this. Help me to live from faith to faith to faith that works. Help me to walk out all I have learned. Thank You. In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.

Healthy Communication

Communication is something every human being must do. This mini devotional will focus on healthy communication in our relationships. Issues, offences, and hurts come up, and we need to be able to communicate our feelings in a healthy non damaging way. If we bottle everything up we are basically a ticking time bomb. And, in prime position for the enemy to work his snake like tactics.

When an issue comes up, or you are hurt, offended, or have any sort of negativity, the FIRST thing we must do is wait and pray. By doing this, we allow ourselves time to pray about the issue. We allow God time to work in US. We allow ourselves to have time to think about HOW we should share our feelings in a healthy and GOD pleasing way. It also allows us the opportunity to see how we may be overreacting...or where YOU may have to apologize...if that is the case.

THEN, you MUST go to the person and express what you are feeling...in love. This is a VERY important and Biblical. (ref. Mat. 18: 15-16, Eph. 4:15)

Healthy Communication Tips:

- PRAY! Preferably WITH the person you are having conflict with
- Share your feelings in love without accusing or character assassination
- Listen with your whole body
- Be respectful, no matter what
- No name calling
- No "you this and you that" type of words. Instead; "I feel this, and I that."
- Stay on topic
- Take a break if it gets heated
- Shelf the subject entirely for a bit if you need to
- Ask a pastor, friend, or elder to be a mediator.
- Pray some more

In closing, you CAN exercise healthy communication on a regular basis! Trust in your God, the Great I Am, and remember, the Lord is not looking for perfection. He is looking for a WILLING vessel! His Grace will do the rest.

Application Prayer:

Daddy God, thank You for the friendships, loved ones, and many people you have placed in my life. Thank you that iron many times must be used to sharpen iron. Please help me to be the woman of God that You created me to be. Please help me to put all of my trust, hopes and expectations ONLY in YOU. Help me to communicate in a healthy way to others so that Your Name is glorified. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus Mighty and Loving Name, Amen!

New Look :)

OK, So I remodeled this blog. :) What do you think?? I LOVE it! I will be posting here more...not just devotionals, but personal thoughts too. :)

I am so EXCITED about my new look! :D

Faith Without Works is Dead

What is the use, my brethren, for anyone to profess to have faith if he has no good works to show for it? Can such faith save his soul?

If a brother or sister is poorly clad and lacks food for each day,

And one of you says to him Good-bye! Keep yourself warm and well fed, without giving him the necessities for the body, what good does that do?

So also faith, if it does not have works, deeds and actions of obedience to back it up, by itself is destitute of power, inoperative, dead. James 2:14-17

The original Greek word for works is ergon (er'-gon) and means; an act, deed, doing, labor, work.

Faith is something that does not stand alone. There must be some kind of "doing" behind it to make it work, otherwise it is dead! Following is an example of faith that works and faith that is dead.

FAITH THAT WORKS:

Mary has just lost her job due to downsizing. She is a single Mother and is in desperate need of a job. She calls out to God and asks for favor in her search for a job. She hits the pavement every day. And every day she prays and believes that God will provide for her and her children. By the second week, Mary gets a job that pays better than the one she lost.

FAITH WITHOUT WORKS = DEAD:

Mary has just lost her job due to downsizing, She is a single Mother and is in desperate need of a job. She calls out to God and asks Him to help her. She looks through the paper and makes a few calls a day. Then she sits on the couch and watches soap operas while waiting for some one to call her. She puts forth no real effort. She just expects it to happen. She then gets angry at God for not giving her a job. After all she asked and believed didn't she?

You can believe and believe and believe and never receive. If you do not step out and DO, then your faith is worthless and dead. Even when we accept Jesus as our Savior, it requires us to step out in faith and confess our sins and believe that we are saved. It requires an action. If we never opened our mouth to confess and receive then we would never have received Salvation.
It is the same for everything that we are believing for....

If we are believing for healing, then we need to be reading books and gaining knowledge about ways to promote healing, or we need to be attending healing services on a regular basis and keep pressing in. Oh, yes! God still heals miraculously today!

If we are believing for a job promotion, then we need to show up for work on time every day and put forth that extra effort. We need to be working as unto the Lord.

If we are believing for a financial miracle, then we need to be exploring practical ways to increase our income and gain wealth. We need to be good stewards with the money that we have now. We need to thankful.

The point is that no matter what we are believing God for, we need to speak it out every day, open our arms to receive, and step out and do (responsibly, of course).

Let's Pray,

Daddy God, than You that You want to keep no good thing from me. Thank You for sending Your Word to teach and help me to understand Your ways. Daddy, I ask that You would help me to slowly but surely build my faith. Help me to live from faith to faith to faith. Thank You so very much for loving me. In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.

Copyright © Lara Velez

Note: All Scripture is taken from the Amplified Bible, unless otherwise stated. Also, the Webster's dictionary, Random House Thesaurus, Strong's Concordance, and/or The Complete New Testament Word Study may have been used.