Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it. (James 4:17 NLT)
This scripture is so powerful and important so much so that it’s actually scary
Why though , what does it mean?
It’s telling us a very important thing that if we know what we’re supposed to do and don’t do it it’s a sin. The same way that if we know what’s wrong and still do it that is also a sin and worst on our behalf because we knew it was wrong.
For example I know it’s wrong and evil to do fortune so I won’t do it but I also know it’s wrong to steal yet sometimes I do
Again we know the right thing to do is to love our enemies like we love ourselves and that we should forgive people who wrong us
Yet it’s hard to love someone who hurt you and even harder to forgive people that hurt you.
But by not doing what we know we should it’s a sin , and don’t think it’s not as big a sin as lying , cheating , and stealing is because all sin is equally bad.
If we know what we should do we need to try as hard as we can . And don’t just say “Lord I tried all I can “ and not mean it because God knows our hearts so we need to truly and wholeheartedly try to do what we know we should instead of the opposite.
Roman’s Chapter 8 verse 18
“Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later.”
Romans 8:18 NLT
As humans we suffer a lot , we go through trials, tribulations, and challenges daily and we always think why me ? Why am I suffering so bad , what did I do to deserve this much pain and suffering. We sit here and feel pity for ourselves because we’re suffering yet we don’t understand that God has a plan for us and the suffering we’re going thru is a part of that plan . Whether it’s to make us stronger for the challenges we have ahead of us or to make us learn a lesson that will benefit us later in life . It doesn’t matter what the reason as long as we understand that God does indeed have a plan for us and that the glory that God will reveal to us is so much more magnificent than the suffering we went thru.
Yes you will suffer in life and yes you may feel it will never end , but when not if but when that suffering does end because it will end I promise you that , it will be so worth it because that little bit of suffering made you stronger and smart and the glory that God will reveal will be worth 10 times the struggle you went thru.
“Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.”
1 Peter 4:13
Colossians Chapter 3 Verse 2
“Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”
Colossians 3:2 KJV
First let’s understand what affection is
The word affection means a feeling of liking and caring
it’s an emotion
So when you set your affection on things on the earth which are worldly things you care for those things you cherish them and learn to love them but when you set your affection on worldly things you leave no place for the things in heaven
You shouldn’t set your affection on worldly things because worldly things break, tarnish, become destroyed and lost . Worldly things do not last forever . But if you set your affection on heavily things above you will never lose or break them you will never see them tarnished it destroyed because the things above last for ever.
When you love worldly things you loose sight of the heavenly gifts God gives us because your to distracted on the shiny new item the world has to offer the devil uses these shiny things to distract us for God he uses them so we keep our eyes on the things he can offer us instead of the gifts we can and already revived from God . This is why In Matthew 6:21 it says
.”Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.”
So if you cherish and set your affection towards worldly gifts your heart will be with the world but if you set it on the gifts above your heart will be in above in heaven
2 Peter Chapter 3 Verse 9
The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise , as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to
be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.
Here in this verse, Peter is basically saying we cant rush the promises God made us He’s mot being slow in keeping His promise.
God is the one who made these promises to us : He cannot be “late.” or take to long because god has a perfect timing for everything every
second counts and even the small things that happen daily have a special time god made for them so we cant rush a promise god made for us
just because we want it now , we have to wait on gods time and even if gods time happens to be in 10 years from now he still isn’t late or slow
its actually right on time . we might not be ready now for those promises. We might have to change our ways , repent, forgive people, or even just simply
get closer to god . He doesn’t want us to be destroyed and maybe rushing that promise could possibly destroy us.
1 Thessalonians Chapter 5 Verse 17
”Never Stop Praying”
Now praying isn’t only about ASKING God for stuff, it’s also about giving THANKS to him for the things he’s already blessed us with. It’s also about just talking and communicating with him. Hosea chapter 6 verse 6 says ”I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me , more than I want burnt offerings” God’s clearly saying here that he rather have your love and for you to want to seek him and to want to know him rather than having you give a sacrifice or burnt offering to honor him. If we stop praying how will we ever make a relationship with God?
It’s simple if you love God and honor him then you have to show him and the way to show him is through worship and prayer. So we can’t stop praying not when we’re mad, happy, hurt, not even when we have everything we prayed for , because how will we thank God for the things he blesses us with or tell him the burdens we have or tell him the hurt we have in our hearts or how will we ever have a relationship with him if we never talk to him?