A little talk with Jesus

While in Texas my children listened to many CDs driving around. My mother has a kids’ cd that has many old hymns on it. Raney just loved it! She would sing and sing. One of the songs is “Just a little Talk with Jesus”. The refrain says, “A little talk with Jesus makes it right” but Raney would sing…. “A little talk with Jesus makes ME right”.

I laughed because so many times that is true! There is self-satisfaction in reading God’s words or praying and saying to ourselves… “See…I am RIGHT!” But we have to be careful in how we allow those thoughts to manifest themselves.

Just a little difference in words but it can be profound. Now, talking to Jesus does make us feel better, but it doesn’t always make us ‘right’ as in correct!

However, I think many of us make assumptions of what God is saying…and then we generously share those thoughts with others.

We get the idea of prayer, and reading the Bible out of whack. Rather than going to Jesus to align our thoughts with His…we try to make His words JUSTIFY our actions, thoughts, and ‘holier than thou’ attitudes. I am not saying this always happens but that it CAN happen…and very subtlety.

Matthew 7:1-5 says, "Stop judging, so that you won't be judged. For with the judgment you use, you will be judged. And with the measure you use, you will be measured. "Why do you see the speck in your brother's eye but fail to notice the beam in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when the beam is in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you will see clearly enough to remove the speck from your brother's eye."

Humility. A character trait sorely missing in many of us at times. We must check ourselves often and allow God to work out the motives in our heart. Do we want to be ‘right’ so that we can be more like Jesus? Or are we wanting to be ‘right’ so that we tell others they are wrong and in doing so- puff up ourselves?

It is a dangerous line to walk and one I wanted to bring to light.

Not a new thought by any means. We all struggle with this. Our goal is to be Holy like God. When I find myself feeling some self righteous thoughts- I try to take a step back and just allow my life to speak for me- allowing God’s words and my time with Him to be my focus, rather than pushing my own agenda.

Jeremiah 17:9-109 "The human heart is most deceitful and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? 10 But I know! I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve."