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Punctuation Matters

My father-in-law shared this past week at our church, and the title of his sermon was Punctuation Matters. He explained how we misread and misinterpret scripture by taking it out of context, or partially quoting it. It was a fun take on a serious topic. We regularly misunderstand what God is saying by taking His words out of their correct setting - sometimes ignorantly, and sometimes willfully.

While I pondered his message, I was reminded of the blog I just read by Elizabeth Ester about the incredible, life threatening danger of misinterpreting scripture - especially for women who are subjugated and abused as a result of these biblical misunderstandings.

Scary stuff.

But the verse that my 'da' shared that really stands out to me is this: James 3:15.

Set in its larger context, James is writing about wisdom and understanding. And he is specifically talking about the wisdom from God, which values humility and kindness, and the wisdom of the world, which he calls earthly, unspiritual, demonic.

Note the punctuation here. It's important.

Wisdom that is not from God, wisdom that does not come "down from heaven" is... earthly COMMA unspiritual COMMA demonic PERIOD.

Whoa.

Earthly, unspiritual, demonic.

It's a list of adjectives that ALL apply to this type of wisdom. Not a list of choices that MIGHT apply.

Any wisdom that is not from God is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. All of the above.

This is a hard truth for me to take in. This means that when I got up this morning, and didn't like what I saw in the mirror, and I allowed my self-degredation to shape my feelings for the day, I was walking in wisdom that wasn't just "a bit off" or "a bit self-centered", but it was UNSPIRITUAL AND DEMONIC.

Argh.

I want to live in a world where I can walk an in-between gray area of wholeheartedly letting the truth of God radically transform my life and simultaneously holding on to the wisdom of the world that seems to make sense to me. But I need to accept the fact that the very things that seem wise to me, when they stand in opposition to the heart of God and His wisdom, are not just silly or stupid or vain, they are unspiritual and demonic.

And I don't want those things in my life.

While I don't have physical bruises and scars to show for the abuses that I have suffered at the hands of misapplied scripture in my life, I have a lifetime of bruised emotions and heart-scars to show for constantly trying to align my life and its choices with wisdom that is not of God. Because I have failed to call out these damaging, hurtful lies for what they are, and I have failed to rally against them and see them for demonic garbage.

Every time I try to look a certain way, because the world tells me it is best; that's demonic wisdom I am embracing.

Every time I try to act a certain way, because my culture tells me it is acceptable; that's demonic wisdom I am embracing.

Psalm 1 tells us that the man is blessed who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked. Earthly wisdom is wicked. And it is demonic.

And we need to stop walking in it.

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Messy Hospitality
Hit the Ground... Waltzing
Where Have I Been? (Living Without Hope)
Confessions of an Imperfect Christian Mom
He Was With Me

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