Sometimes when we do something, we do much more than we realize. Sometimes we do things that would surprise us. It could be compared to sitting at a control panel pushing buttons and twisting knobs without a good understanding of what we are actually doing.
Often Scripture teaches us: “If you do this, then this is what happens underneath, below the surface, of your actions. ”
We do structural damage to our spirituality, and we don’t have a clue.
Yo, Amos boy, what the heck you talkin’ about dude? Are we going to be getting to a point anytime soon?
An example I just read this morning:
(James 1:26 ESV) If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.
Not bridling or controlling your tongue deceives your heart. Loose tongue, deceived heart.
This is why we need daily cleansing and instruction from the words of God. If we are allowing God’s words to wash over us — picture waves crashing the shore, washing over rocks or hot water from a shower running over us cleaning off the day’s grime or rinsing food off the Sunday dinner dishes — we will “discover again for the first time” many of these truths.
How relevant is this?
I remember one man specifically, but I have heard the expression several times, often ironically from older “wiser” people: “I am older now, and I just say what I want to say.” And this man did. And he was very cruel and manipulative with his tongue. But he also wanted to give the impression that he was a very compassionate and sensitive person, and he perceived himself that way.
Whoops!
He didn’t understand the structural damage he was doing with his wrecking ball of a tongue.
“If anyone thinks he is religious. . .”: the outward structure a person is trying to build
“. . .and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart”: damage to the infrastructure
“this person’s religion is worthless”: structure is useless
From TechEncyclopedia: infrastructure
(1) The fundamental structure of a system or organization. The basic, fundamental architecture of any system (electronic, mechanical, social, political, etc.) determines how it functions and how flexible it is to meet future requirements.
How often I observed this as a pastor!
I am going to be a spiritual person. And this is how I am going to accomplish it.
Or I am a spiritual person. And this is why.
But these people are legends in their own minds. What they have built is worthless because they pushed buttons and turned knobs and didn’t allow the words of God to direct them.
