I have been drawn to the book of James alot recently. I came across some good stuff I've been dying to share with you all! So I'm breaking from midterm studying to share some crazy good stuff with you! Once again, find a comfy place, I imagine this will be long:) I'm going to take you on a condensed journey through James. Several parts of this book really just grab my heart. Ready, set go....
Have you ever been stressed to the point of maximum exhaustion? Have you ever been so close that anxious you were nearly convinced all of your hair fell out? If you say no to this, we can get you help...that is just not normal. Fact is most of us deal with stress and anxiety. (Hello college life.) But when I think if stress, I think of piled homework, a crammed schedule and a to-do list that seems to never get shorter. My daily stresses seemed very minute and petty when I began reading over James chapter 1. You see stress sometimes overwhlems me in the fact that I worry. Then I worry about stressing. Then I stress about worrying! I know my God has a perfect, everlasting plan for my life...if I would let my anxious heart and stubborn self be moved gently aside, I think that would be a small factor in my life. Sadly, sometimes I forgot just how trustworthy God is. James 1:1-4 is perfect. "Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for pure joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing." I imagine this was written to encourage the people to endure hardships such as oppression and persecution, but I believe it has a meaning in even the smallest little things in our lives. Troubles can be enormous or microscopic. They can devore your soul or consume your heart. But what does God say? Push through. Don't sweat the tough stuff. We know He is pushing with us.
"But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise you are only fooling yourselves." (1:22). "What good is it dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not show it by your actions?" (2:14). I put these verses together because they are, to me, two really powerful statements. I love these verses because they remind just why using your body, your mind, your heart, to be in full-time submission to God is so important! God commands us to act.
Get ready..this next passage will mess you up! I love it so much, I make a vow to live as it says.
"If you are wise and understand God's ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don't cover up the truth with boasting and lying. For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic. For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and evil of every kind. But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness."(3:13-18)
Wow. Talk about the epitome of being a disciple for Christ right there. I love that passage because this calls us to be different. We will not be selfish, for we do not consider ourselves first. We will not be jealous, because love cannot survive with jealousy on it's side. We will be honorable, humble, selfless, pure, submissive, joyful, peaceful, merciful and gentle. We will be different in a world that will only accept you for what you have and who they say you are. We will bring love to radically shake this place up. We will tear down painful walls and destroy darkness the power and love of Jesus Christ. Will you be different?
And lastly, another powerful passage on prayer. I just want to say right now...prayer can make all the difference in your life and someone else's. Jesus is waiting with open arms and open ears:)
"Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises. Are any of you sick? You should call for the elders of the church to come and pray over you, anointing you with oil in the name of the Lord. Such a prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make you well. And if you have committed any sins, you will be forgiven." (5:13)
Pray. Love. Give. Serve. Worship. I hope you enjoyed our short walk through James. This book is so good, I encourage you to read it all! It it hard for me to just read one part of it. Many of it is highlighted in bright orange in my Bible:) I love you guys!
Be the difference in our world
"Canvas is a bank piece of life. Waiting for someone to throw color and ambition on it. It waits anxiously for itself to come to life. Now is the time. Let the journey begin."
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