James

So I'm finishing up my study of James. It really is a great book. There's a lot of great stuff in it. I love chapter 3. He talks about the tongue and how it controls the whole person. Just like the rudder on a ship. Controlling what we say is so hard to do and only comes with God's help. Then he goes right on to talk about wisdom. This is my favorite part of James: "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show it by his good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such 'wisdom' does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes down from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness." I love this because it flows straight from everything that he was saying about the tongue. I mean if we have the "wisdom that comes down from heaven" then we'll know how to control the tongue. I also like the word submissive. It means we have to be humble to be truly wise. We need to be servants of not only God but of everyone; willing to help even our most dispised enemies. Then in chapter 4 he talks about submitting to God. "You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives...Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.'" We need to give everything to God, our plans, requests, pains, needs, and even the things we think are of no consequence, like watching a movie or eating ice cream. Everything we are, were, and hope to be needs to be given over into His care before we can truly do His will. "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."

Next I'm going to study Romans with Manuel. I think it'll be great. I think we can learn a lot from each other. Please pray for me in that.