PRINCIPLES SURROUNDING CONVICTION (II)
“If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.” James 3:13 NLT
There is a humility that should come with much wisdom.
Yesterday we looked at the ways one can quench the spirit simply by refusing to heed to its promptings as one of the ways he bears witness with our spirit that we belong to God.
In our theme scripture, James tells us that first wisdom for the believer comes from understanding the ways of God. This likewise cannot happen without the fear of God, and together they lead you to live a humble and honorable life because of the wealth of what has been entrusted to you. The consecrations of our hearts look different in every season, some may be generic to establish every believer as member of the body, while others are unique to the individual that is undergoing it.
For example, there is no law against the cutting of hair, yet for a man like Samson, the seal of his covenant was his hair ( Numbers 6:5). There is no law that prohibits a woman from painting her nails, but for another it could be a deep seated hindrance in their devotion or heart’s purity (Proverbs 23:26). In both instances, wisdom demands that what is a conviction to you be exercised wholeheartedly, but not imposed upon others as doctrine.
Never argue with the leading of the spirit for He alone searches the hearts and knows us even better than we may fathom. The quickening on your life is often in direct proportion with your zeal to obey, the opposite is also true!
Prayer: Father I thank you for this truth. I am humble enough to be taught by your spirit and yielded enough to trust that His ways are good and profitable for me. It shall be said of me that I was quick to obey your ways that our Lord Jesus may be glorified, now and forevermore, Amen!
CI.
