Look – Five Minute Fridays
“Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here’s what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It’s the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn’t wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn’t wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn’t wisdom.
It’s the furthest thing from wisdom—it’s animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you’re trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others’ throats” (James 3:13 MSG).
I had my Bible open to James and I looked down and there was this passage – right in front of me. In the NIV it said “Let him show by his good life, by deeds done in humility that comes from wisdom”.
I thought about what our children see – how we act, not what we say. Do we act how we would want them to act? I remember the old saying, “do as I say not as I do”. How crazy is that? NO – Act how you want your children to act.
- Be kind
- Be gentle
- Be thoughtful
- Be consistent
When you are out with others watch how you listen. I want to focus very hard on what others are saying. I have to keep my mind from wandering to other things. FOCUS.
Today I plan to continue to LOOK for the gifts of God. My day is full of them but do I really look, or am I too busy doing? (Check out Ann Voskamp’s book, One Thousand Gifts.)
And I always LOOK in my Bible – there I find everything I ever need.
What do you think of when you hear the word LOOK? Join us at Lisa Jo’s blog and link on for Five-Minute Fridays. Please add your comments below.
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Great post! I love the way the MSG translation says that portion of scripture.
You are not alone – I have to work hard to focus on others when I am with them. My brain is always running ahead with new ideas …
Oh it is so good to find someone with a brain that can’t turn off. So many ideas – no time to do them all. I want to paint, to play the piano, to write, to promote my book, to speak, to go to conferences, to make promotion materials, to blog etc. etc. YIKES… STOP.. and choose one at a time, right?
Blessings,
Jan
Great post.
i really want to live in a way that my kids could cop my actions and know how to live a life following God. i have thought a lot about this lately – about how kids get their concepts of what brings well-being to life by watching the adults around them and how they act. it has mead me really aware of the actions i take. great post.
my recent post: to really look
ugh, sorry for the typos. i am trying to read your great post while holding a baby and pressed enter before proofing. well… i guess God is keeping me humble. 🙂
my recent post: to really look
Charis,
You made my day! My daughter too has a little one and I have tried typing with him – it is impossible. You did very well to express how you are feeling. Humility is good for us all – if you check back in my posts – one says “embarrassed” – you will laugh for sure.
Yes acting how God wants us to is so important – pray for guidance and He will help you.
Blessings,
Jan