A heart in tune

Our lives are a series of one response after another. We are continually responding. No matter how hard I try to respond appropriately/biblically/wisely to everything I encounter, I can't merely will myself to a wise response.

Lately, I've been reading through James. In the third chapter, it talks about wisdom from above—and how we'll know when wisdom is from heaven. The verses (chapter 3, verse 17) tell us exactly what to look for. Wisdom from above is:

• pure
• peaceable
• gentle
• open to reason
• full of mercy and good fruits
• impartial
• sincere

My response to life can be ugly if it's not well-grounded. However, wisdom from above makes a sure footing.

At church on Sunday, we sang Come Thou Font. I cannot get the concept of tuning my heart to sing His grace out of my mind. Music that is out of tune is uncomfortable and not as it should be. However, if we tighten a few strings here (with prayer), move a few valves there (with diligence and obedience), we can make our lives the most beautiful sounding testament of worship. But only if we're attuned to Him. This "in tune" lifestyle requires a lot of wisdom from above. I think this is what I'm discovering:

Pray for heavenly wisdom and being attuned to the Lord, apply this wisdom when we respond to hard/ordinary/happy things in life, and see your life as an act of beautiful worship to Him.

My responses to things in this life will not be perfect—far from it, in fact. I think that we should think about our responses and what they implicate about the condition of our hearts and what we put our trust in. That said, it only makes sense for us to respond to life with grace, since as followers of Jesus, we are the recipients of the greatest grace. With that reminder, I can seek to respond to everything with wisdom from above, and welcome the peace the accompanies it.