“If any man among you seem to be religious, and brideleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.” James 1:25
Today’s Christian Daily Devotional
Ever since I can remember, I have been a person of passion. When I love someone, my love is deep. When I am hurt, it takes some time for my tattered emotions to recover. If I believe in something, I speak my heart (and I wear my thoughts on my sleeves as well)! Although these qualities can have it’s benefits (nobody questions where I stand), they can also create more drama than is necessary. After I received Jesus in my heart, I noticed a shift inside. My passion never died, but they WAY I usually went about doing things did not feel “right” anymore. I am not advocating living a dishonest life—God calls all men to live in truth (because speaking the truth and walking in it is the only thing that will develop integrity). I have learned that I can understand any person or situation better if I just let them talk to me. (That is hard to do when one is talking, right?) Wisdom is exercising the ability to pause before you speak, think about what you will say (and how that may be interpreted) and then asking the Lord to give you peace and leadership on how to deal with the circumstance with grace and sensitivity. More often than not, people with passion let that very intense emotion override grace and sensitivity. This oversight is the downfall of many relationships and reputations (and the reason countless brilliant ideas never come to fruition). NEWS FLASH—We live in a world filled with: OTHER PEOPLE. And contrary to many individual’s personal convictions, the world does not revolve around “numero uno” (ourselves). James 1:25 is a nice little reminder of the simple principal of wisdom—If you truly love the Lord and want to serve Him with a pure heart, you will let His wisdom lead you on when to speak and when to wait for a more optimal time. Remember, your sensitivities and actions are being watched, and if you are a believer in Christ, Jesus is the one who is being judged by them.
“Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you for the gift of passion. I have the love for you and the desire to serve you. Now I feel it is time for me to grow up. I need wisdom to discern when to speak, what to say, and how to say it best. I have years of ingrained bad habits of selfishness to overcome. Help me to really be empathetic of other’s feelings, their personal experiences and viewpoints and be as sensitive to their needs as I am to my own. In Jesus’ precious name, help me do this because I know that is how Jesus would have done it, Amen.”