Tuesday, May 5, 2009

but when...

another obstacle james deals with in our looking toward the future is our putting off doing what we know we are to do, to procrastinate. james 4.17 (niv), anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins. james tells it like it is.

most of our time we are looking at this verse from the not doing something side. if we do such and such it is sin but there is another side to it that also is sin.

dr. neal roese in his book, if only, looks at these two sides of sin, two types of regrets: regrets of action and regrets of inaction. a regret of action is ''wishing you hadn't done something''. in theological terms, it's called a sin of commission. a regret of inaction is ''wishing you had done something.'' in theological terms, it's a sin of omission.'' that is the side at which we are looking.

mark batterson, a creative pastor in washington d. c. has written a book called, in a pit with a lion on a snowy day (read 2 samuel 23.20-21 to understand the title) and he said that ''goodness is not the absence of badness. you can do nothing wrong and still do nothing right...and our calling is much higher than simply running away from what's wrong. (the sins of commission) we're called to chase lions...and when we don't have the guts to step out in faith and chase lions, then GOD is robbed of the glory that rightfully belongs to HIM.'' it is serious, folks. it is serious to procrastinate.

many people today in this matter of stepping out and doing what GOD shows us to do, are controlled by anxiety. seth rodin in his book. the big moo says that, ''anxiety is what happens when you imagine negative outcomes instead of embracing the reality of right now.'' we give in to negative instead of faith and we know that without faith it is impossible to please GOD.

does any of that describe you? GOD gives you a view at what HE wants you to do but you put off and put off and put off until it is too late. anyone...who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.

don't put off doing what GOD shows you to do. trust HIM. HE knows what is ahead, HE knows what is best..

just a thought on the front porch...

2 comments:

Jacquie said...

wow. I think that might be my new favorite quote "anxiety is what happens when you imagine negative outcomes instead of embracing the reality of right now." So true...i am so guilty of that. God is still teaching me how not to give in to the negative...its my "natural" reaction that i was taught by the world not by my creator.

Bill Williams said...

the full guote by seth rodin is "anxiety is a killer. anxiety is the false fear that corrupts your life." understand that our natural self is selfish and CHRIST died to take care of our natural self and HIS SPIRIT impowers us to grow out of those negative self issues. that's what maturity is all about.