If It Befits, I Sits!

Befits… such a strange word! It is a word that sounds like it is from a time, long, long ago. Because it is from long, long ago.

This word has its origins in the middle of the 15 century and is used to express that something belongs or is appropriate, something makes sense together. Look at this example below;

It was a gown befitting a princess.

What should a princess be wearing? A gown.

What kind of gown should a princess wear? Something that says, “I’m a princess”

Can a princess wear other things? Yes

But if she is to wear a gown, it should befit a princess. The gown should make sense.

Formalwear doesn’t befit a pauper and ragged clothing do not befit a millionaire. But Christians often put on words and attitudes which do not befit a follower of Jesus. So what does “befit” a follower of Jesus like that gown befits a princess?

Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright. Psalm 33:1 ESV

Praise, in the mouths of God’s children, makes sense, it’s appropriate, it belongs!  In this passage we learn what type of praise befits a child of God,

SHOUTING FOR JOY!

What’s strange to me, is that people will excuse verses like that and say, “I don’t really do that” or “That’s just not my style”. But praise BEFITS the upright, it makes sense, it’s totally appropriate, and it belongs together! Like peanut butter and jelly, like Oreo’s and milk, salty and sweet, shouting for joy makes sense when combined with believers.

Truly, no one else has reason to shout for joy the way we do! We, who believe in Jesus and have repented of our sins, have been redeemed, every sin washed away, and we’ve been given the gift of the Holy Spirit!! It absolutely befits us to shout for joy!

Another verse reads, “Praise the LORD! How good to sing praises to our God! How delightful and how fitting!” Psalm 147:1 NLT

Whether you are a singer or not, it’s good to sing to Him. The verse reads that it is, “delightful” and “fitting”; don’t get me wrong, it’s not that your voice is necessarily delightful, but the fact that you are singing to Him is delightful! AND FITTING!

You singing to Him just makes plain sense! You shouting for joy

makes perfect sense. These are the things that fit within the Christian lifestyle.

If you’re a believer in Jesus, perhaps it might be a good idea to consider if the actions or thoughts you’re engaged in are befitting a child of God. Also, it’s worth considering if your actions and thoughts are NOT befitting a child of God, to whom do those thoughts and actions belong?

 

 

 

 

Watch Your Mouth

Today I was reading from Proverbs 18:21 NLT

“The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences.”

When this scripture talks about the tongue bringing death it is referring to the ways in which we gossip, rumor, complain, lie, or backbite one another, even the way we speak negative, untrue things about ourselves. When we are busy bad mouthing each other, or ourselves, we are effectively speaking death but into ourselves!

I often forget, in my day to day life, that the way I speak can be sinful; I forgot the impact my words have on me! In Romans we read that the wages of sin is death, in other words when I sin, I’m doing work that earns me death. Even though I’m eternally saved and redeemed, my actions have temporal implications. Just as if I robbed a bank, I believe God’s forgiveness extends towards me but I would go to jail, our words can bring judgment upon us here on earth.

Obviously the exact opposite is true as well; the more encouragement, truth, and life I speak, the more I walk in step with the Spirit of God and can expect to see the fruits of the Spirit in operation in my life.

What are you speaking? This verse reminds us that we reap the consequences of those words. Will it be death or life?