“But wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle,
open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.”
~ James 3:17 ESV
So, how do I live this out DAILY in my relationship with God and others?
Let us consider each attribute and how to apply it.
Be PURE:
To love God and love my neighbor daily, I must:
- Create a refuge for soul refreshment – a caring place of acceptance.
- Glorify God in thought, word, and action.
- Focus on Appreciation Memories that remind me of God’s goodness.
Be PEACEABLE: - Connect with someone in the bond of unity in the body of Christ and beyond to foster growth and peace.
- Appreciate another’s differences and giftings.
- Respect another’s opinions, preferences, quirks, and uniqueness.
- Protect the Quiet Areas of my life so that I might hear God’s voice.
- Learn to Calm and Soothe myself, practice Simple Quiet (take a breather when life is hectic) and engage in Quiet Interactively with others (lowering the intensity when joyful or painful interactions are high.)
Be GENTLE: - Speak in encouraging tones with edifying words.
- Correct in love with clarity.
- Create an atmosphere of grace (what is undeserved) and mercy (patience!)
- Count my blessings and thank God for each one.
Be OPEN TO REASON: - Be quick to listen with an open heart
- Be willing to consider, complete, complement, and compromise.
- Ask God to show me where I fall short and teach me His righteous standards.
Be FULL OF MERCY: - Be quick to forgive when wronged.
- Be quick to ask for forgiveness and seek relationship repair and restoration.
- Guard against hard-handedness.
- Bask in God’s mercy with gratitude and reflect this toward others.
Yield GOOD FRUITS: - Grow in agape (unconditional) and phileo (brotherly) love.
- Build the Kingdom of God and undo the works of the devil.
- Increase servant-leadership skills.
- Make God glad by my joyful obedience.
Be IMPARTIAL: - Showing no favoritism by not placing one person above another.
- Receiving each individual with joy.
- Consider that God is no respecter of persons; He loves each the same.
Be SINCERE: - Live in loving truth and honesty
- With heartfelt devotion, love God and love others with my total being without any bias
PRAYER:
Holy Spirit, You Who live within me move me to be self-controlled and to grow practically, consistently, and increasingly in each of these attributes so that I may be more like Jesus and bring J~O~Y to my Heavenly Father. Have Your way with me, In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Gleanings From Heaven's Gate 