Daily Bible Portion (Tuesday)
Daily Bible Portion – 3 of 7
"TRIBES"
(Weekly Reading>>>Numbers 30:1-32:42, Jeremiah 1:1-2:3, Matthew 5:33-37, James 4:1-5:20)
When vows and oaths become broken promises people can be hurt by the untrustworthiness and unpredictability of others and are put into awkward positions by having to pick up the added responsibilities. Breaking vows and oaths has to do with not valuing self, as well as disrespecting others; both of which are the actions of an unloving spirit. Disrespect is a form of self-idolatry, rebellion to authority and self-deception of the heart. Dishonor of self and others becomes a stronghold that creates the fruit of distrust, dishonesty and disrespect, and is contrary to Scripture leaving our word no longer our bond. No relationship of depth or holiness can be built on empty expressions, promises or excuses. If our word is not our bond we are unstable and unreliable in all our ways (called double minded). For those caught in the difficulty of keeping a commitment, they can learn that following through on their word brings healing to themselves and others who are dealing with a hurting heart (James 4:8-10).
Excuses: Justifications and Rationalization
In human nature we all want to be accepted by others. As believers, if we have not totally given ourselves over to God we will be more dependent on man’s approval and opinion than in Yahweh’s word to us. If a believer’s behavior and action is inconsistent with their confession in Christ and they have not kept their word to God, self and others, then in essence they are endorsing disloyalty and falsehood. If a believer is questioned in regard to a contradiction seen by the fruit of his or her action (which does not line up with their confessed belief in Christ), do they react negatively to protect their image? In their defense do they blame others saying they are the ones being accusatory, controlling or condemning, and resort to alibis and self-rationalization?
Reactions like these coming from a believer reveal an emotional self-dysfunction. Excusing or avoiding our moral responsibility to Yahweh’s word by not keeping our word to others is a sin. Some people reason that the price of being honest may be too high that they create a habit of leaving things as they are or just walking away in hopes that the demand for a truthful answer will evaporate over time and relieve the uneasiness of it. With rational like that, guilt will always be their constant companion. When a believer is not spiritually mature to be responsible for his or her own walk and weighs the cost of their self-image against the cost of telling the truth then they lack a true heart conversion (Luke 22:32 KJV). Excuses, justifications and self-rationalizations are all forms of self-perjury. To some people this has become an automatic habitual behavior response. Secret sins and bitterness are at the root of many of these responses.
Do we react or respond when we think we are being personally challenged? If we are reactors, bitterness in the heart tends to reply with stubborn backtalk rather than dealing honestly. Living in unchecked guilt can lead to uncontrolled physical addictions like alcohol, smoking, **** etc., which in turn can lead to illnesses, as one cannot build a life on shifting sand or lies. Justifications and excuses are defense mechanisms. Yahweh holds us accountable.
Rationalization
Rationalization (also known as making excuses) is an unconscious defense mechanism in which perceived controversial behaviors or feelings are logically justified and explained in a rational or logical manner in order to avoid any true explanation, and are made consciously tolerable. Rationalization encourages irrational or unacceptable behavior, motives, or feelings. This process ranges from fully conscious (e.g. to present an external defense against ridicule from others) to mostly subconscious (e.g. to create a block against internal feelings of guilt).
Self-justification (internal or external) describes how, when a person encounters a situation in which a person’s behavior is inconsistent with their belief, that person tends to justify the behavior and deny any negative feedback associated with the behavior. Example: ‘Their minds rationalize it by inventing a comfortable illusion’. Thus for example ‘people who start to smoke or drink again after quitting for a while perceive it to be less dangerous to their health, compared to their views when they decided to stop’ - thereby averting their ‘post-decisional regret’ through their new rationalization. Self-justification aims to diminish one's responsibility for a behavior viewing themselves in a positive light.
Justification
An explanation that is aimed at eliminating or lessening the negative value of the outcome of a questionable action.
Excuse
An explanation that is aimed at eliminating or lessening our responsibility for a questionable action.
Martin Luther King Jr. said,
“It seems to be a fact of life that human beings cannot continue to do wrong without eventually reaching out for some rationalization to clothe their act.”
People in sin often seek ways to justify continuing in the conduct. If believers are well meaning but addicted to a habitual excuses, chronic inability to finish projects or keeping their promises, they have a spiritually rooted problem. When people participate in sinful behavior they cannot excuse themselves by saying or thinking that they should not be held accountable because they could not help themselves. People may continue because the habit has captured them - they are hooked and find it very difficult to quit (as in alcoholism or drug abuse). Nevertheless, they began the sin because they chose a pattern of life that led to the habit. For that reason God continues to hold them accountable. Scripture says that Yahweh has provided everything we need to overcome sin. We have no power of our own to over come the problem. In Him we have all the power needed to resist temptation and to overcome it. Therefore, sin is without excuse. As believers we need to make it right. Go back and honor the vow and oath we made with God, self and others, repent, and ask Yahweh to show us our secret sins (John 8:31-34; Matthew 13:20-21; Psalm 51:2-3, 8-10; Psalm 32:5, 38:18; James 5:16; Ecclesiastes 12:13).
continues tomorrow...
"TRIBES"
(Weekly Reading>>>Numbers 30:1-32:42, Jeremiah 1:1-2:3, Matthew 5:33-37, James 4:1-5:20)
When vows and oaths become broken promises people can be hurt by the untrustworthiness and unpredictability of others and are put into awkward positions by having to pick up the added responsibilities. Breaking vows and oaths has to do with not valuing self, as well as disrespecting others; both of which are the actions of an unloving spirit. Disrespect is a form of self-idolatry, rebellion to authority and self-deception of the heart. Dishonor of self and others becomes a stronghold that creates the fruit of distrust, dishonesty and disrespect, and is contrary to Scripture leaving our word no longer our bond. No relationship of depth or holiness can be built on empty expressions, promises or excuses. If our word is not our bond we are unstable and unreliable in all our ways (called double minded). For those caught in the difficulty of keeping a commitment, they can learn that following through on their word brings healing to themselves and others who are dealing with a hurting heart (James 4:8-10).
Ephesians 5:28 “So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself.”
Matthew 7:24-27 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
Proverbs 8:36 “But he who sins against me [Yahweh] wrongs his own soul; all those who hate me [lie] love death.”
Matthew 7:24-27 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
Proverbs 8:36 “But he who sins against me [Yahweh] wrongs his own soul; all those who hate me [lie] love death.”
Excuses: Justifications and Rationalization
In human nature we all want to be accepted by others. As believers, if we have not totally given ourselves over to God we will be more dependent on man’s approval and opinion than in Yahweh’s word to us. If a believer’s behavior and action is inconsistent with their confession in Christ and they have not kept their word to God, self and others, then in essence they are endorsing disloyalty and falsehood. If a believer is questioned in regard to a contradiction seen by the fruit of his or her action (which does not line up with their confessed belief in Christ), do they react negatively to protect their image? In their defense do they blame others saying they are the ones being accusatory, controlling or condemning, and resort to alibis and self-rationalization?
Reactions like these coming from a believer reveal an emotional self-dysfunction. Excusing or avoiding our moral responsibility to Yahweh’s word by not keeping our word to others is a sin. Some people reason that the price of being honest may be too high that they create a habit of leaving things as they are or just walking away in hopes that the demand for a truthful answer will evaporate over time and relieve the uneasiness of it. With rational like that, guilt will always be their constant companion. When a believer is not spiritually mature to be responsible for his or her own walk and weighs the cost of their self-image against the cost of telling the truth then they lack a true heart conversion (Luke 22:32 KJV). Excuses, justifications and self-rationalizations are all forms of self-perjury. To some people this has become an automatic habitual behavior response. Secret sins and bitterness are at the root of many of these responses.
1 John 2:15-17 “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.”
Do we react or respond when we think we are being personally challenged? If we are reactors, bitterness in the heart tends to reply with stubborn backtalk rather than dealing honestly. Living in unchecked guilt can lead to uncontrolled physical addictions like alcohol, smoking, **** etc., which in turn can lead to illnesses, as one cannot build a life on shifting sand or lies. Justifications and excuses are defense mechanisms. Yahweh holds us accountable.
James 1:14-16 “But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.”
Rationalization
Rationalization (also known as making excuses) is an unconscious defense mechanism in which perceived controversial behaviors or feelings are logically justified and explained in a rational or logical manner in order to avoid any true explanation, and are made consciously tolerable. Rationalization encourages irrational or unacceptable behavior, motives, or feelings. This process ranges from fully conscious (e.g. to present an external defense against ridicule from others) to mostly subconscious (e.g. to create a block against internal feelings of guilt).
Self-justification (internal or external) describes how, when a person encounters a situation in which a person’s behavior is inconsistent with their belief, that person tends to justify the behavior and deny any negative feedback associated with the behavior. Example: ‘Their minds rationalize it by inventing a comfortable illusion’. Thus for example ‘people who start to smoke or drink again after quitting for a while perceive it to be less dangerous to their health, compared to their views when they decided to stop’ - thereby averting their ‘post-decisional regret’ through their new rationalization. Self-justification aims to diminish one's responsibility for a behavior viewing themselves in a positive light.
Justification
An explanation that is aimed at eliminating or lessening the negative value of the outcome of a questionable action.
Excuse
An explanation that is aimed at eliminating or lessening our responsibility for a questionable action.
Martin Luther King Jr. said,
“It seems to be a fact of life that human beings cannot continue to do wrong without eventually reaching out for some rationalization to clothe their act.”
People in sin often seek ways to justify continuing in the conduct. If believers are well meaning but addicted to a habitual excuses, chronic inability to finish projects or keeping their promises, they have a spiritually rooted problem. When people participate in sinful behavior they cannot excuse themselves by saying or thinking that they should not be held accountable because they could not help themselves. People may continue because the habit has captured them - they are hooked and find it very difficult to quit (as in alcoholism or drug abuse). Nevertheless, they began the sin because they chose a pattern of life that led to the habit. For that reason God continues to hold them accountable. Scripture says that Yahweh has provided everything we need to overcome sin. We have no power of our own to over come the problem. In Him we have all the power needed to resist temptation and to overcome it. Therefore, sin is without excuse. As believers we need to make it right. Go back and honor the vow and oath we made with God, self and others, repent, and ask Yahweh to show us our secret sins (John 8:31-34; Matthew 13:20-21; Psalm 51:2-3, 8-10; Psalm 32:5, 38:18; James 5:16; Ecclesiastes 12:13).
Proverbs 24:10 “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.”
Luke 6:27-28 “But I say to you who hear: ‘Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.’”
Luke 6:27-28 “But I say to you who hear: ‘Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you.’”
continues tomorrow...