Listen to Their Complaints

Listen to Their Complaints

James 5: And now, you rich people, listen to me! Weep and wail over the miseries that are coming upon you! ² Your riches have rotted away, and your clothes have been eaten by moths. ³ Your gold and silver are covered with rust, and this rust will be a witness against you and will eat up your flesh like fire. You have piled up riches in these last days. ⁴ You have not paid any wages to those who work in your fields. Listen to their complaints! The cries of those who gather in your crops have reached the ears of God, the Lord Almighty. ⁵ Your life here on earth has been full of luxury and pleasure. You have made yourselves fat for the day of slaughter. ⁶ You have condemned and murdered innocent people, and they do not resist you.

 

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Something wasn’t right with the advice from one of the leaders. “Maybe we can get some free labor” was the statement that was given to me as if to say, keep going with the terrible negotiation.

 

• I was put in a bad spot of having to negotiate something that was not fair.
• I was working with a group who did not mind using people unfairly.
• I was part of problem, because that was my job.

 

James gives a stern warning to the rich. He is really descriptive of the rich and paints a picture of them in a not so good way. He says misery is coming to the rich, but then he provides a solution. “Listen.”

 

My Observations:

• GOD wants me to listen to those who work for me and to pay them their wages.
• GOS does not like when people are being taken advantage of, so HE will repay.
• GOD hears the cry of those who are being used and abused and is storing up HIS anger against anyone who caused their anguish.

 

Yes GOD is forgiving, but HE seems to have a soft spot for those who are in need. Unfortunately, there have been those who have misused other humans for their own personal gain. HE hears the cries of those who are used and abused and withholds HIS anger. This is a very scary thing.

 

I mean, instead of squashing the abusers like a bug, GOD allows the misuse to occur. HE did the same for JESUS. The church people abused and murdered HIM. GOD allowed this and JESUS was raised from the dead. One day HE will return and all will have to give an account for how we treated people. I am glad GOD forgives and gives me a way back to HIM, namely, listen.

 

Challenge

• What is the warning from the writer?
• Have you ever wanted to be rich so badly that you would consider harming someone, even in the smallest way?
• Will you listen to the complaints of those who are being abused and turn to GOD for HIS answer today?

Doing the Best Anyway

Luke 19: ¹¹ While they were listening to this, he went on to tell them a parable, because he was near Jerusalem and the people thought that the kingdom of God was going to appear at once. ¹² He said: ‘A man of noble birth went to a distant country to have himself appointed king and then to return. ¹³ So he called ten of his servants and gave them ten minas. “Put this money to work,” he said, “until I come back.”

¹⁴ ‘But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, “We don’t want this man to be our king.”

¹⁵ ‘He was made king, however, and returned home. Then he sent for the servants to whom he had given the money, in order to find out what they had gained with it.

¹⁶ ‘The first one came and said, “Sir, your mina has earned ten more.”

¹⁷ ‘“Well done, my good servant!” his master replied. “Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.”

¹⁸ ‘The second came and said, “Sir, your mina has earned five more.”

¹⁹ ‘His master answered, “You take charge of five cities.”

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After seeing belligerent outbursts, many people moved away from this particular person. I felt stuck as those who recognized the behavior early, moved on quickly and I felt I had nowhere to go. Each day I had to pray “LORD give me the strength to work for this person.” After a long while, the person called me in their office. “You’ve been promoted, now get outta here” they said gruffly.

• There have been times when I wondered if the person in control was worth serving.
• There have been times when I questioned the person in control versus focusing in on what I was supposed to be doing.
• There have been times when I endured the person in control and it paid off.

JESUS states the behavior of people through a parable regarding the prophecy of the kingdom of GOD. Since they had a misconception of what would take place, JESUS spoke first about how they hated the ruler and how he was made king. Then JESUS spoke about faithful servants who could care less about who their boss or circumstance was, they would do their job well anyway.

• GOD wants me to be faithful as I can to HIM.
• GOD wants me to be strong enough to keep HIS commands even when it is not comfortable for me.
• GOD wants me to be HIS servant even when things are not going my way.

Rewarding the faithful is what GOD does best. But sometimes it seems like the rewards take a long time to arrive at my doorstep. GOD wants me to continue on with the journey in spite of the circumstances. HE guides me in my faith.

• Are you going through something?
• Do you feel like blaming GOD?
• Will you serve GOD anyway through your difficult circumstance?

Remembering can hold me back

Philippians 3: ¹³ Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

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There he was, the bully who sat on me causing me to scrape my arm. I still had the scar after ten years but now I was ready for him. I was now muscular and just as big as him. “He’s going to apologize whether he likes it or not” I said to myself. 

When I walked up to him, he greeted me with a hug and the biggest smile. He was glad to see “old friends who love GOD.” Man, I guess I can’t pummel him today.

• When I hold on to the past I get stuck in the pain.
• When I replay history I get hysterical.
• When I go back to ancient times I wind up with agony.

Many people have messed up in their life in their actions toward me and I have messed up many times in my actions toward them. I have said things and done things that are downright hurtful and so have they. GOD wants me to focus on the prize instead of the problem.

• When I look to what GOD is doing I can forget what people have done.
• When I look to what GOD is doing I can forget when I have failed.
• When I look to what GOD is doing I can forget how the pain feels.

Funny thing about memory, the less it’s used the more I forget. In other words when I purposefully spend my time filling my memory with great thoughts, I don’t have time to fill it with pain. I can then replay the great moments and not replay the “not so great moments.”  In fact the more great moments I can replay the less “stuck” I become.

GOD has given me a gift, namely HIS SON. I now have hope and I can look at the future with a positive outlook no matter the circumstance.

• Are you holding onto the past?
• Are you blinded by what happened instead of looking at how GOD is changing the situation?
• Do you realize GOD is not constantly tormenting you about how you messed up?
• Can you consider for a moment GOD has love for you AND “that” person?