Opportunties for Righteousness

James 1:19-20 NASB read the following...

NIV reads... anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.

It's real easy to justify our reactions to

certain things / don't go the way we would like.

It's easy to point the finger at the offending

party as to why we became as angry as we did.

Or why we reacted as we did.

If they wouldn't have (fill in blank) Then I...

I am a middle school teacher so...

19 This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger;

20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.

...you can imagine / myriad of opportunities

I get on a daily basis to decide how I am going

to react to situations that don't go the way

I would like them to go.

I teach 6th grade and I love that age because...

They're still at age/want to please their teacher

...have a general respect for authority

...haven't reach the age/too cool for school

But every now and then/student doesn't fall...

...into those catergories I just mentioned

This year I have two

After interacting with those 2 there are days

I wonder how much longer I want to teach.

I've noticed this year that my reactions to these

2 individuals have not always been good.

In the past I've had students correct behavior...

and we end up getting along fine / rest of year

However/no indication whatsoever that...

...behavior of these two individuals will change

anytime soon if at all.

And I don't want to spend the entire year

agitated because it's/not healthy for me or...

fair to the students who are falling in line.

So I have the choice to keep banging my head..

up against a wall or approach these encounters

as opportunities to achieve/produce the...

righteousness that God desires.

When I began to study these verses and broke down the word righteousness, it gave me clarity

It moved me from whoa is me to Whoa it's ME!

It's me who is foolish to think these two

individuals are going to change their behavior...

when it appears they are ill-equipped to do so.

It's me who has all the tools necessary to...

choose how I respond to them.

It's me who/Lord has given opportunites/grow

Isn't it James earlier in Chap 1 that told me to...

count it all joy when I face trials and tribulations

knowing that my faith is being tested to

produce endurance and patience?

When righteousness is used in the Bible it is

often used to describe how we ought to act.

This isn't some higher state of accomplishment.

This is a bare minimum requirement

I have bare min. requirements for students...

22 But the fruit of the

Spirit is love, joy, peace,

longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

23 gentleness, self-control.

Against such there is no law.

...as God has bare min requirements for us.

If we are practicing righteousness we are

living in a way that is approved by God.

It is a correctness of thinking and acting...

Remember how/Lord described Himself to Moses

Exodus 34:6 NASB

...He had access to every adjective known to mankind and He chose those

and of course the fruit of the Spirit Gal 5:22-23

6 Then the Lord passed by in

front of him and proclaimed,

“The Lord, the Lord God,

compassionate and gracious,

slow to anger, and abounding

in lovingkindness and truth;

The Lord deals with me with longsuffering...

mercy, and grace...

and He expects me to deal with people the same way.

So when I don't I know at least a few things:

I'm not tapping into the power of the H.S.

for the ability to bear this kind of fruit.

I'm not acting as I ought to.

Im not acting in a way that is approved by God.

You know as Christians this is a place we never want to be.

So I encourage you to consider this the next time you are faced with an

irratant..Maybe it's a coworker, a family member

a child, a spouse, or basically anytime you get

behind the wheel....

Ask the Lord to help you see these interactions

as opportunities for growth.

Opportunities to reflect Him

Opportunities to please Him

Opportunities to react as you ought to

Don't get me wrong... I'm not saying this will be easy... seeing how we need the Spirit of God to help us, but it will be worthwhile.

Thank you for your time

and I'll see you down the road.