Be wise and harmless, because Jesus asks us to
It is rare in the Bible that we read about the great qualities of a serpent! So when Jesus asks us to imitate them, it should surprise us enough to make us think. What does this passage teach us?
Are you trustworthy?
Any good Christian will answer “Of course”! By trying to be a “good person,” we automatically think we are trustworthy. However, there are many small actions that we take that can put barriers in our relationships.
Remember!
The book of Deuteronomy is Moses' last pep-talk before Israel enters the Promised Land. His speech often repeats the same advice: “Remember”. If we want to make sure to have success in our new chapter, maybe we should apply this message too!
Do you take the time to think?
Children are impulsive. Often parents have to stop them by saying: “Think about what you are doing!” As adults, are we very different from them? Yet God’s Word says that our success lies in these moments of reflection.
When God doesn't answer
We ask God for a particular solution, and we get silence. We can even end up asking: “Where is God?” No one can explain all the reasons for these silences, but here are some ideas to encourage you.
A balanced spiritual life
Like a good gardener, God is not only concerned with the seed that is His Word but also with the soil of our hearts, with the watering of His Spirit, etc. For healthy spiritual growth, we need both knowledge and experience.
Breaking the cycle of vengeance
No one needs to teach us the law of retaliation (an eye for an eye). Our flesh is only satisfied when our aggressor becomes a victim. But this avenue only produces more retaliation. God has another path for us.
What God is doing behind the scenes
We have been waiting for the answer to our prayer for a very long time. Has God forgotten us? Why is He not acting? Frustration can build quickly. What if God was working…out of our field of vision?
Contentment… it’s something we learn!
It’s good to have ambition, but we must not live in the doldrums until these dreams are accomplished. Our joy needs to come from our salvation. Our sense of satisfaction must depend on our relationship with God.
A temptation sent by God?
Certain passages in the Bible sometimes seem contradictory. To understand, we must really study the passages, and what we then discover is a real gem.