May  16                                                  2 Sam 1 - 4

CONSIDER YOUR WAYS

MEMORISE: ‘But whose looketh into the perfect law of liberty and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.’ (Jas 1: 25)
READ: Galatians 6: 4 – 5

A believer who really intends to make it to heaven has several areas to check daily in his or her life, in relation to God’s perfect law of liberty. ‘But whose looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed’ (Jas 1: 25).

Firstly, as the Scripture says: ‘Consider your ways’ (Hag 1:5). Examine how you do things with a view to correcting the errors you make. This calls for humility. Some Christians assume a holier- than-thou posture. They believe that if you do not fellowship in the same church, you are either a sinner or a wordly Christian. Others never believe they can be wrong. In fact, they have adopted a principle in life –never to say, ‘I am sorry’ even when they are clearly proven to be incorrect. They feel that apologizing is a weakness, so to demonstrate their so-called strength, they insist that white is black. It is a great strength to say, ‘I am sorry.’ If you come to God and never say you’re sorry, you will be handed a condemnation tag. Some marriages are breaking up today just because the man, wanting to remain macho, refuses to own up to his misdeeds and apologise.
This apart, the heaven-bound believer will need to examine his or her prayer life. Some pray only when in trouble. But the Scripture says, ‘Men ought always to pray and not to faint’. Pray when things are good and when things are bad. Pray when you are tired and when you are physically fit. Many times, when your body refuses to respond to a call to pray, that it the time you need to pray most, because something is about to happen which you can affect for your good through prayers.

Do you always thank God for past mercies? Have you been involved in soul winning? Do you disciple your converts? (John 15: 16). Do you spend quality time studying, reading and meditating on God’s Word? Do you give all, not some of your tithes, irrespective of the currency God blesses you in? do you owe God in vows made? Have you forgiven and released from your heart all who have offended you? Examine yourself today and make the necessary amends.

ACTION POINT
To whom have you refused to say ‘Sorry’ within the past four months?
Humbly go and pay that sorry debt.