A ventriloquist can tell himself anything. He can deceive himself
through the misdirection of a character. Well, at least he can tell himself that.
It seems he can get away with saying some awful insults because he can blame it
on the character. “I didn’t say it, Ipsy Clangenbottom here did.”
Laying my ventriloquist characters aside, I hate when I deceive
myself. I am good at it. I believe me even when I know I am lying to myself. I
have some serious arguments with myself at times, but the good thing is that I
always win. Then again, maybe that isn’t always good. At least it is when I
talk myself into believing something I know is wrong.
I can justify to myself that I can worship God in the
wilderness, but the reality is that I don’t really do any worship at all there.
I can tell myself that God understands, but the reality is that He understands
but does not approve. I can tell myself that no one can live the Christian life
24-7 and that I can let myself go now and then, but the reality is that I need
God to live Christ-like.
I remember that God had just told
me in this passage to remove all superfluity of naughtiness from my life. Now
He tells me the secret to fill the void. I need to quit listening to me and
listen to God!
“But be ye doers of the word,
and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” James 1:22.
© copyright Kevin T Boekhoff
No comments:
Post a Comment