The Book of James: A Basic Training Manual

When someone new to faith in Jesus asks me where they should start reading in the Bible, I often send them to the Book of James. Yes, James not John. There are a number of reasons for this choice including some practical ones such as James is only 5 chapters long (108 verses) so the chances of them making it through the whole book in a reasonable amount of time are much better than getting through John. James is also a very practical book for all believers. It is full of insights into how God wants us to live this side of heaven. There are admonitions that help us identify areas that we may struggle in and instructions concerning what He wants us to do for others.

The first section of chapter one is often subtitled “Trials and Temptations” and yet there is so much more to those 18 verses. The first thing James establishes is that we WILL have trials of MANY kinds. Such a happy message, right? Actually it is because God has a purpose in trials and that is to bring maturity and complete the work He began in us (Phil. 1:6). James then immediately jumps to a message about asking God for wisdom (vs. 5-8) and the importance of accepting God’s wisdom without question. For years I just didn’t get what these verses had to do with trials and then God placed a trial in my path that left me with no choice but to plead for His wisdom. You see, God could deliver us from our trials but more often He allows us to walk through the trial because He understands it is critical to our growth in Him. We NEED God’s wisdom in order to walk through the trials of life and receive the maximum benefit from them. James goes on to talk about how those who persevere under trials are blessed because God has promised them a crown of life (vs. 12). The next three verses totally dispel the phrase “the Devil made me do it”. James tells us that we are tempted when we allow our own evil desires to entice us and drag us away from God. He goes on to say that the desire when allowed to take seed leads to sin and sin eventually leads to death…OUCH! The last three verses in this section are a reminder that God gives us every good gift we ever receive…a fitting way to end this section.

The second half of this chapter begins by pointing out a human flaw that can rob us of being able to be effective doers for God. James reminds us that we need to be “quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (vs. 19). He goes on to tell us that anger will never lead to the righteous life God so desperately wants His children to have. He also tells us to get rid of all moral filth in order to be able to humbly accept God’s Word in our lives. Verses 22-25 instruct us to be more than just people who hear the Word of God, we need to then DO what it says. We cannot just listen and think “Wow that was such a great message” and then go on with our lives as if we never heard it…that way of living will never bring blessing or reward. He then reminds us again how important it is to keep control of our tongue. James ends this chapter by telling us that those He considers to be “pure and faultless” (vs. 27) are the ones who care for others and keep themselves from being polluted by the world…a tall order in this day and age and yet one that needs to be walked out by those who love God.

Now let’s get real about what James has to say here. It’s hard to be excited and joyous when trials start flying at us. Our emotions tend to kick in…we see others who are sailing through life without a care in the world and we wonder why we have to “suffer”. The answer is simple and yet profound: God cares more about our character than our comfort. I have come to realize that trials are often a visible sign that God’s hand is on someone and that He has great things in store for them. When we begin to get a proper perspective on the purpose of trials, it is much easier to overcome the emotion and begin to seek God’s wisdom in the midst of trials.

As for temptation, we need to learn that our evil desires exist and when not submitted to God will lead to us giving in to temptation. Satan may dangle something in front of us or even whisper in our ear but our unchecked desires is what ultimately leads to us acting on the temptation. We need to be prepared to face these times. We need to memorize (I know, that is a dirty 8 letter word) and meditate on scriptures that address our specific areas of weakness. We need to be able to draw the Sword of the Word and slice the temptation to pieces before it triggers any evil desire within us or gives birth to sin.

This last point is as much an admonition to me as anything. We need to shut our mouths, quiet our minds and begin to put feet to our obedience. We need to spend at least twice as much time listening as we do speaking. We need to recognize that what comes out of our mouths is a reflection of our hearts and often it is just plain ugly. As a wise pastor once said: It’s time to take off the diapers and put on our big boy/girl pants!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TINA!

Twenty six years ago today God gave my husband and me our first child, a daughter we named Tina. When she was born we could have never imagined the blessing she would be or that God would use her to build an unbelievable faith and hope in us. Her journey on this earth has been filled with challenges that would have made most of us want to give up, but not Tina. Despite her limitations she has a zest for life and a love for others that is amazing. With a look she communicates more than most of us could ever communicate using words. Tina does not pity herself or her circumstances. She has embraced how God has made her and pushed to do more than we ever thought she would be able to do.
Tina, today is your day to celebrate! Please know that daddy and I love you more than you will ever know and so does God! We look forward to the day when God heals your body and makes you whole…whether here on earth or at home with Him in heaven. In the meantime we rejoice in how God has chosen to use you to touch so many!

Life is a Marathon

In the last few weeks, I have received news of two 39 year old women who have suffered from a stroke/aneurysm. One is moving along in her recovery but the other is in a medically induced coma in an attempt to allow her brain to heal. Her family has no real idea of what is ahead of them other than it is going to be hard. They are praying for a miracle and trusting that God will do what is best.

This morning God prompted me to write a note to the husband of the second woman. I do not personally know this family and only became aware of their situation through a mutual friend on the internet. I reminded him that their family was running a marathon, not a sprint. I encouraged him to take periodic “God breaks” throughout the day to renew his peace and strength. I told him not to focus on where they are in the race today because in marathons things can change very quickly. As I wrote these words, I realized that we are all running a marathon and need to remember these things.

There are many verses that illustrate how we are to run the marathon of life. In Hebrews 12:1b-2a we find these words: “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith”. A marathon requires a person to have perseverance, to have a “no quit” attitude. We live in a society where the emphasis is on making life easier and yet to make it to the end of the race we have to be willing to endure, to not allow obstacles, pain, discouragement, criticism or any thing else get in the way of the goal of finishing the race. The great thing about our life marathon is that our Savior is our ultimate focus…not the obstacles and pain or the position we are in right now. Jesus has already won the victory for us, we just have to keep running in His direction to receive the ultimate prize.

Another verse that comes to mind is I Corinthians 9:26a, “Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly;”. When we take our focus off of Jesus, we will always begin to run aimlessly. Aimless running leads to fatigue and wastes energy. An aimless runner rarely reaches the intended goal.

Today, please say a prayer for these two women and their families. Ask God to help their families to stay focused on Him as they run the marathon He has put them in. Ask Him to bring comfort to their families and healing (in His time) to them. Take some time today to make sure that you are not running aimlessly but are focused on Jesus as you run the marathon set before you!

A Lofty Goal

As 2010 winds down and we look forward to 2011, many are assembling their list of goals and resolutions for the new year. There is nothing wrong with setting goals but I wonder what goals God would have us make for the new year? Goals concerning our health or finances are good and even have a scriptural base. These goals, when followed through, can provide an opportunity for God to work through us and impact others. That said, what is the most important goal for all of us as we look to the new year? You may not agree with what I am about to share but it is what God has given me as I have sought His guidance.

In Deuteronomy 5: 29, 32-33 we find instructions concerning fearing God and obeying His commands. These instructions came with the promise of things going well for the one who obeyed and their family. In today’s society and in the church in general we have lost a fear of God, a reverence and awe that motivates us to want to learn about Him and His commands and then to walk in obedience. God has provided us with an instruction manual, The Bible, but in order for it to have any real benefit in our lives we need to read it, study it, meditate on it and allow God to give us an understanding of it. Do we really want to know what God says or do we fear that it might require us to make changes that would take effort and might even hurt a little?

In 2011, I believe God desires for each of His children to develop a deeper fear (reverence and awe) of Him. He wants us to delve into His Word and learn of Him and His ways. He wants us to obey Him in all that He reveals to us. If we pursue this goal, many of the other goals that we may have will also be accomplished because our lives will come more in line with God and His ways. This goal holds the promise of a truly changed life, one that brings glory to God and blessings to us.

An Attitude of Gratitude

God’s Word: I Thessalonians 5:16-18
“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Ephesians 5:19-20
“Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Colossians 3:17
“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

Hebrews 13:15-16
“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that confess His name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”

Relationship: These verses are just a small sampling of verses that instruct us to be thankful…ALWAYS! Thanksgiving is not an optional activity and God has even given us instruction in how to be able to do it.

Outreach: Thanksgiving and praise are activities that God has commanded His children to participate in. In first Thessalonians He goes to the extreme of telling us we are to be thankful in ALL CIRCUMSTANCES…that is a tall order. The reality is that life happens and often the things it brings are not things that we find ourselves jumping for joy about. So how are we supposed to be thankful in all circumstances? The beauty of God giving us a command like this is that He also tells us how to accomplish it but too often we just don’t take the time to see the obvious.

Here are a few of the “keys” to being able to be thankful in everything:

1. Be joyful – this is not happiness…happiness is dependent on circumstances and emotion. Joy comes from God and transcends our circumstances.
2. Pray continually – when you take the time to pray about things, to be in an attitude of prayer at all times, it is easier to rest in God when things are tough.
3. Sing and make music in your heart to God – when life is crashing down on you what do you do? Do you tell everyone how bad things are? Do you spend all your time trying to “fix” things? God wants you to sing to Him, to praise Him.
4. Do everything you do for the Lord – how would your attitude and outlook change if those things in your life that are a burden became a labor of love for the Lord?
5. Do something for someone else – when life is caving in on us it is very easy to become so wrapped up in self that we forget that there are others around us who need someone to help them. Sacrificing for someone else helps to cultivate a heart of thankfulness to God.

Worship: Father, You have told us that You want us to always be thankful. Forgive us for those times we have not obeyed You in this. Help each of us to learn to cultivate an attitude of gratitude that is not dependent on circumstances. Thank You for ALL You do for us! Amen.

A New Year, a New Life

God’s Word: Psalm 39:4-7
“Show me, O Lord, my life’s end and number of my days; let me know how fleeting is my life. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Each man’s life is but a breath. Man is a mere phantom as he goes to and fro: he bustles about, but only in vain, he heaps up wealth, not knowing who will get it. But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you.”

Lamentations 3:22-26
“God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out, His merciful love couldn’t have dried up. They’re created new every morning. How great Your faithfulness! I’m sticking with God (I say it over and over). He’s all I’ve got left. God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits, to the woman who diligently seeks. It’s a good thing to quietly hope, quietly hope for help from God.”

Relationship: Our time here on earth is fleeting, none of us knows how many more minutes, hours or days we have left. These verses teach us that we are not to focus on the brevity of life but on God’s hope as we live.

Outreach: We have reached the last week of 2010 and many of us are probably looking back over the year and lamenting what we did not get accomplished and looking to 2011 and what we need to get done or improve on. Reflection and goal making are not bad things for us to do but when we look at these scriptures we see a “better” way. We are to actively hope in God.

Isn’t it interesting that having hope in God is not a passive activity? Too often we hope for something to change and then we just sit and impatiently wait, complaining that nothing is happening. God’s mercies are new every morning. Each day our hope springs anew because God renews it. He desires for us to passionately and diligently seek Him, not solutions or goals. He wants our focus to be on Him! When we obediently follow these instructions, we receive the ability to wait and hope “quietly”, with a God-given peace in our souls. In that quiet, God is able to speak to us and guide us. He is able to bring hope to fruition. Are you willing to seek Him? Are you willing to passionately and diligently pursue Him? This will require changing not only the way you look at things but how you do things but the end results are well worth it!

Worship: Oh God, I spend way too much time trying to “do life” on my own. I pray to You about things and then I go about trying to “fix them” without waiting for You, without truly seeking You. Help me to change my mindset and my lifestyle so that I can become a passionate follower of You. May 2011 be the beginning of a new chapter in my journey with You, a chapter filled with hope and victory that only You can give! Praise God! Amen!

The Time has Come

The time has come to launch a new blog.  For over 6 years I have had a site on Xanga but beginning in 2011 I will be using this site to share thoughts with those who may be interested.  At this point I don’t plan on having a particular theme but who knows what may happen in the weeks and months to come.  I don’t know what the future holds but I know Who holds the future!

Merry Christmas everyone!