Clean Hearts and Right Spirits

"Church-image Jesus is highly critical. Actual Jesus is gentle and kind on a scale you have no idea."

SO, MY BROTHER sends me this video with two very British guys eating American donuts. Straight from the heart of London to some city in the States, there they sat talking of afternoon tea and their preference for the entire donut surface to be glazed. There’s a slew of these type videos, the Irish eating barbeque, young children reacting to their grandparent’s music, and my personal favs, the self-appointed gurus with an opinion of stuff that is o-l-d and out-of-date. Who is he that I should care … I mean, value, his thoughts?

Applying this now to the pulpit, both actual and internet, people are not tuning in to what you have to say to hear your opinion. They hunger for the Words of God. This is not a venting of critical thoughts over watermelon (It’s gross) or spinach. Or to get a little more personal, hairstyles and clothing selection. We are not venting at all, for that matter, but encouraging others, sharing revelation of God’s truth, and speaking anointed prayers over those listening. We are there to worship the beauty of a good, loving God.

“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” (Matthew 5:6 KJV)

There’s something about an individual singing praises right where they live that warms the cockles of my heart. There are a slew of these on the internet, too. I personally can’t imagine doing so, but I love that others are faithful to do it and confident enough to post it online. It takes me quite a lot to sing out loud in a private room with closed doors and windows. Even then, I’m a whisper. So I really can’t understand giving criticism.

I’ve said this for years. Authors do not give away a book to a Christian audience so that Christian readers can slay them in a review. There is no Christlikeness in this. Unfortunately, it happens, but just like hearing other people’s worship and taking the time to speak against it, to hold the Bible in one hand and a red ink pen in the other is all kinds of wrong.

Who sounds like Jesus? The ones sending the children away from Jesus’ blessing or those calling fire down on a Samaritan town? Let the words of our mouth and the meditation of our hearts be acceptable in your sight, our strength and Redeemer (Psalm 19:14). Create in us clean hearts and right spirits (Psalm 51:10). We are responsible for what we think and what we say, but we are not alone in our struggle to overcome it. We have the Spirit of God. He helps us in our weaknesses (Romans 8:26). This doesn’t apply just to prayer, though that is included in the verse. He helps us with any weakness. The Remedy translation of 2 Corinthians 1:4 says, God “provides Remedy for everything that troubles our minds and warps our characters.” Everything is everything, and there’s a lot.

We must recognize our wrong thoughts and our wrong words in order to stop thinking that way and stop speaking that way. I have learned to continually examine myself. Not in self-condemnation nor the accusations of the enemy but through God’s eyes and ears. Is what I just spent time thinking about what Jesus would think about? Would He have said that? Church-image Jesus is highly critical. Actual Jesus is gentle and kind on a scale you have no idea.

We are not called out from among the world to be separate and untouchable, lest we be contaminated. We are not made holy to show ourselves better than everyone else. We are not anointed to speak and to write in order to become gurus with inflated opinions. Leave that to British guys with American donuts. (It was amusing.) We are anointed so that the anointing, which is the Holy Spirit, will touch people and change them, lift them up from their stumbled steps, heal their hearts, and guide them in a better direction. We are there with His wisdom, His strength, and His joy to bind their wounds. Our criticism of the wound only opens it wider.

“Are all apostles? All prophets? All teachers? Do all work miracles? Have all gifts of healing? Do all s peak in tongues of ecstasy? Can all interpret them? The higher gifts are those you should aim at. And now I will show you the best way of all.” (1 Corinthians 12:29-31, NEB, copyright 1961)

“… but if I have no love, I am none the better.” (1 Corinthians 13:3, NEB, copyright 1961)

Our criticism of other people wounds those who are weak. The apostle Paul said to not even argue over food. If one prefers meat and another prefers vegetables, they should love one another. If one worships on Saturdays and another worships on Sundays, they should love one another. Jesus’ disciples picked grains on a Sabbath and the Pharisees’ comments were condemnation. Jesus healed many on the Sabbath, for that matter, and they told Him it should not be done. Helping people is never limited by time of day, or day of the week, nor is it exempt on certain holidays.

On every day, in every occasion presented to us, with every word and, by renewing our minds, also the thoughts and intents of our hearts, we are to love people and be to them just like Jesus, as if He is standing there, reaching out, so that when they meet Him face-to-face, they are not surprised that He’s so different.

“And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.” (Acts 3:4-8)

Church Image by Nina Garman from Pixabay
Stained Glass Background Image by Anne-marie Ridderhof from Pixabay
Divider Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixabay


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Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com