by Chelsea Rohde | Sep 24, 2015 | James
James 4:13-17
A single week consists of 168 hours also known as 7 groups of 24 hours, or 1,440 minutes grouped 7 times, or 168 groupings of 60 minutes. Okay, you get the point. From any angle we take, our time adds up the same. No matter the demographic we were born into, street we were raised on, or title we’ve received – everyone gets the same hours. You can’t borrow from day to day, pause, fast forward or rewind.
Beep… Beeep… Beeeep – it’s your 5:30 AM alarm. Hit snooze twice. Stumble out of bed. Pull together gym clothes. Squeeze in a short but effective workout. Race home. Get ready quicker than a pit crew on race day. Rush out the door. Speed through the never-ending Starbucks line for that coveted cold brew. Stumble into the office. Pour coffee number two. Put in the sufficient amount of office hours. Stop by the bank. Pick up groceries. Dodge traffic. Meet a friend for dinner. Head home. Fall into bed. Dose off to the sitcom of the night. Wash, rinse, repeat.
The average American lives without space. The space to think, to breathe, to rest – it is nonexistent. Schedules are jam packed, rushed, filled and just plain maxed out. When rest is mentioned, we think “ain’t no body got time for that” and keep on moving.
A schedule without space presents a lifestyle of control, one that hints at even arrogance as we operate to take hold of every last minute for our own gain. If we continue down this path we are headed towards exhaustion, burn out and dissatisfaction. James confronts this pattern as he writes that we should be approaching our time by saying “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” To operate as God intended us to we must humbly hand over our time.
Without God, our time is ephemeral. The establishment of a relationship with God and acceptance of his eternal plan for us gives time value and significance. To approach your schedule with a heart postured towards humility is to prayerfully consider what God has for you. Seek him. Draw near to him. Rest in his presence. God is the only one who can sustain us.
Humility dispels our self-sufficient bents, demolishes arrogance in achievements, and ultimately lays down our plans in exchange for that of our Creator. The hours of the day in our hands pale in comparison to hours that are guided by his hands. When we walk in humility, we will walk a path that is beyond what we could even dream.
by Madison McKinzie | Sep 23, 2015 | James
James 4: 11-12
Growing up, did you ever hear the saying, “never judge a book by its cover”? Almost all of us have heard it at least once in our lives. It’s so easy to look at someone and think something of them, whether it’s positive or negative. It’s just part of human nature. What if I were to tell you that judging someone [negatively] is going against the Word of God. What if I were to also tell you that by criticizing and judging others, you are also criticizing and judging God’s law. For me, after reading in chapter four in the book of James, my heart felt convicted. For many reasons actually; for one, it starts out by stating, “Do not speak evil against one another…” WOW! Whether it has ever been intentional or not, I have committed this sin. As a Christ follower we are called to be a constant encourager to believers and unbelievers. We are called to be like Jesus every day. And two, our job is to “obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you.” The law is for all believers, not just whom you say has to follow it. (If you are questioning whether or not it’s for you, it is most definitely for you!!!)
In verse 12 James moves on to say, that, “God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge,” “so what right do you have to judge your neighbor?” The answer to this question is simple: we have no right. When we fail to love others, we are actually breaking God’s law.
Two Steps:
- Examine your attitude and actions towards others.
- Ask yourself: Do I build people up or do I tear them down?
When you’re ready to criticize someone, remember God’s law of love and say something encouraging instead. Saying something beneficial to others will cure you of finding fault and increase your ability to obey God’s law of love.
Photography: @djaeoutlaw
by Macy Tiradoegas | Sep 22, 2015 | James
James 4:7-10
“Humble yourselves before God.”
James is going to start and end this passage with that sentence. And it’s because it’s the foundation of everything else. Nothing else that we try to to do, nothing else that we try to be matters if we don’t start with humble hearts before God. It means full submission. It means, “not my will, but yours be done.” It means, “In good times, in the bad; in the times of prosperity and in moments when I don’t understand, I submit. I know that you are God, and I am not.”
“Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”
How do we resist the devil? In verse eight, James says, “Come close to God, and God will come close to you.” We resist the devil by being close to the Father. When we are connected to Him, the vine, we produce the fruits of the Spirit, we overflow with goodness, and the enemy knows he can’t have his way with us! We have to be intentional. We resist the tempter through prayer, and through the Word. We must stay connected to the vine to resist the devil. And the good news is, James says that God will help us! He will come close to us! God is not a far away God. He is close. He longs for relationship with you. He created you for it. That promise is so freeing. When we seek Him, we find Him. When we draw close to Him, he draws near to us. Thank you, Jesus for being a God who cares to be close to us!
“Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for you loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy.”
I love that after the bible says that he is a close Father, the Father disciplines. “He disciplines those He loves.” Here we are reminded of having a healthy fear of God. A God who won’t let us be luke-warm, who is jealous for a fully submitted heart. He loves us enough to not allow a one foot in, one foot out relationship. And he demands grief for our sin. “Understand that sin separates us,” he cries. He is calling us to repentance, the kind that brings us on our knees. The games are over. If you are serious about God, get serious about God.
Finally, James reminds us, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.” I love how the message version says it. “Get down on your knees before your Master, its the only way you’ll get on your feet.” It reminds me of one my favorite lyrics from the new Hillsong United song, “I touch the sky when my knees hit the ground.” When was the last time your knees hit the ground? Humble yourself before God. Resist the devil. Draw close to Him. Purify your heart. Turn from your wicked ways. Get down on your knees. Get up on your feet.
by Maddie Watson | Sep 21, 2015 | James
James 4:4-6
From the very beginning of time, God has wanted more for His people. There was no glitch in the system that the Lord originally created. In six days, He created exactly what He intended, exactly what we needed, lacking absolutely nothing. When He created man, He knew it was “not good for man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18) so he blessed Adam with Eve, who was perfectly suit able for him. God did not have to do that, He chose to. He gave Adam and Eve everything they could have ever wanted or needed in addition to perfect unity and friendship with God. They would even walk and enjoy the cool breeze in the Garden with Him.
God gave Adam and Eve one rule, “And the Lord God commanded the man, ‘You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it, you will surely die.” (Genesis 2:16-17).
The tree was God’s way of giving Adam and Eve a choice. Without this choice, they would have been like robots, but God did not want robots, He wanted free creatures that CHOSE to obey Him because they trusted that He knew what was best for them.
But then, along came the serpent. The sly, charming, and seemingly friendly serpent twisted the choice into a pride game as he offered his friendship and the fruit to Eve. He implied, “You won’t really die… God just doesn’t want you to see how much better life is on this side of the garden.” He lifted up the forbidden fruit and as soon as Eve’s teeth sank into it, she became a friend of the world- an enemy of God. Adam quickly followed. This choice to disobey, this choice of “my way is better” separated Adam and Eve from God. But He still chose to give them grace by clothing them with the fine wool when they were confronted with shame and nakedness. He showered them with grace, though they were so underserving.
Each moment in life today, we have that same choice; to live as God intended in complete obedience because we know His way is better. Or, to befriend the world because in our prideful state, we think we know better.
We serve a gracious, loving, omniscient, powerful, caring God. Shouldn’t that make us believe that His way is better?
The choice is ours.
What will you choose?
Photography: @mattglenn
by Priscilla Bowin | Sep 20, 2015 | James
James 4:1-3
What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? James talks about this in the previous chapter, the wisdom from earth, which is unspiritual and demonic. “For wherever there is jealousy and selfish ambition there you will find disorder and evil of every kind.” (James 4:2) You want what you do not have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have.
Jealousy and hatred towards others is what prevents us from drawing close to God. Let’s be honest, if we even try to talk to God when we are in that state of mind, we find ourselves asking for our own wants, things that only bring us pleasure. Or, our approach to God is ceremonial, just scripted words rather than heart felt communication with Him. Perfect words offered up without much feeling, instead of saying what we really feel. We treat God politely as a stranger instead of confiding in Him our secrets. He is far away.
So how do we draw close to God? James says, “Come close to God, and He will come close to you.” He loves us so much that He wants us to seek a personal relationship with Him. Through prayer, confessing our sin to Him and turning from our selfish sinful ways. Sin is what robs us from prayer, from closeness to God. Confessed sin draws us back to our Maker. We read in Luke, where Jesus prayed, “Not My will, but Yours be done.” God also wants us to align our will with His. As we align, our wills to His, we will not have room for envy and strife. But we will be filled with the wisdom from above, the wisdom that is peace loving, gentle at all times and willing to yield to others, drawing us close to God!
by Morgan Lunsford | Sep 19, 2015 | James
James 3: 17-18
Convenience. In a world that often devalues patience, because of a desire for quick-and-easy, we tend to settle for convenience. I’m not saying that convenience is a bad thing at all, but how often do we allow this need for “right here, right now” to cloud our judgment? We can find all the answers we are looking for right in our own brains, but that doesn’t necessarily mean we will find all the answers we need. True wisdom doesn’t come from what is in our heads, but it comes from an almighty and all-knowing God. True wisdom that comes from God is always necessary, but it is not always convenient. We may not find the answers we are looking for right away. We may not even get an answer that we like. What we will find, though, is a God who is patient and merciful and wise. He knows our desires and he knows our hearts. He knows everything about us. He sees the little things about us that maybe we don’t even know exist. He knows what we need, even when don’t. Our earthly wisdom is nothing compared to the true wisdom of the Father. In the loneliest of hours and times of deepest need, we should seek wisdom from God, who has always been there for us and knows exactly what to do.
For the LORD grants wisdom! From his mouth comes knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him. Proverbs 2:6-8
Photography: @carrlosluna
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