Do you
SEEM to be religious?
Do others
who know you think you might be religious?
Are we
supposed to seem religious?
What does
it mean if someone who knows us doesn't consider us religious?
Barring
wearing a sign that says we are religious- or some sort of religious
paraphernalia, religious associated clothing, hair style, etc, how are others
supposed to know we are religious?
Strip away
all outward show and only wearing what could be considered generic non-branding
clothing and such, no one would be able to tell just by looking if we are
religious or not. We could line up a
whole group of people and simply by looking at them not know if they are
religious.
The
opposite side of this coin maybe lining up a whole group of people dressed in
various religious garb, adornments, and whatnot and do you know not a single
one of those people may be truly religious- it could be all for show, not a
heart religion at all.
Seeming
religious.
We can
seem religious in various ways. If I notice someone praying I will then assume
they are religious. If I see someone carrying a Bible, I'll again, assume they
are religious. If I hear someone singing a religious song I'm definitely going
to make the assumption of their being religious.
If I meet
a kind person I might suspect they are religious. However, if I meet an unkind
person I will most definitely not believe they are religious (even though they
could be, and just having a bad day).
God tells
me this--
Jas 1:26
If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but
deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
Vain religion.
Is it possible there is a lot of vain religion? I
believe there is.
I know I do NOT want to deceive my own heart! Yet my
tongue, my wicked, wicked tongue needs bridling!
We can deceive our own hearts. Make no mistake, it is
entirely possible for us to deceive ourselves.
If you had the opportunity to step out of your own
life and look at yourself as others view you, what do you suppose you might
see?
By our
fruits we are known.
Strangers
might only see the fruit of our goodness, our generosity, our soft spoken
words, our helpfulness in a single act.
People who
know us well will have seen the bruised fruit and have experience with our not
so good traits.
People who
know us the best, well, they will have witnessed the rotten fruit of our lives.
God knows
us best of all, better than a human being, better than ourselves. God sees all
the fruit- the good, the slightly spoiled and the completely rotten fruit of
our lives. God knows our heart. Is it any wonder we need to pray for Him to
create a clean heart in us?
A really
good barometer of our seeming religious is our ability to bridle our tongue.
Jas 1:26
If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but
deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain.
I don't
want to have a vain religion. I do NOT want to seem religious to myself or
anyone else if it is a vain religion I'm living. I don't want my own heart
deceived! Please Lord, teach me to bridle my tongue!
Luk_6:45
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is
good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that
which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
Let my
mouth speak good, not evil! Please, Lord, I can't create in myself a clean
heart, but you can create in me a clean heart, please…create a clean heart in
me right now.
All
through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, now and forever and ever!!!!!!!
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