Thursday, September 17, 2009

It doesn't all revolve around you.


Solar System.
Originally uploaded by popoPsan
If last week we learned to bite our tongues, this week, we get another lesson for good living from James: remember that it doesn't all revolve around you.

We're to let go of jealousy and selfish ambition, and to take up a "gentleness born of wisdom" that comes from God. And it will be a good life.

And I agree that I'd like to live in a world free of hypocrisy, selfishness, judgmentalism and the like--it's just scary to be the one to start, sometimes. I mean, really: it's hard to be considerate all the time, especially of inconsiderate people.

But, then, I guess it's not an easy work we're called to. As I was pondering this, words of an good ol' hymn popped into my head. (The third verse, so I confess that I had to Google to get 'em all right...) They come from "This is My Father's World" (with apologies for having only masculine images of God):
This is my Father's world.  
O let me ne'er forget
that though the wrong seems oft so strong,
God is the ruler yet.
This is my Father's world:
why should my heart be sad?
The Lord is King; let the heavens ring!
God reigns; let the earth be glad!
So we also rejoice in the words of Psalm 1, which imagine our faithfulness as infinitely stronger and more "real" than the ways of evil.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

During your sermon I was reminded of Aslan advice to Digory in The Magican's Nephew about the silver apple and how it only worked for good when picked for others. Digory had been tempted by Jadis to eat himself or take it home for his ailling mother and not follow through with Aslan's command.