James Flashback

Here's a blog I wrote back in October, and it somehow got missed... it's never too late :)

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Today I read the book of James.

I’ve read James a gazillion times (rounding down) and yet things still hit me that I feel like I’ve never noticed before. 

James is addressing the 12 tribes, the name of Jesus is only mentioned one time in verse 1, and it’s written to exhort believers. A lot of people love this book because they go “oh dang, yeah, I’m so busted, I feel so convicted” and that’s the exact point. It hits a lot of hot-topic struggles believers have. 

Starts off with a biggie “consider it PURE JOY when you face trials of many kinds”… whoa James, hang on, you didn’t even warm up, going straight to how I view and handle trials? 

Then going to “don’t doubt when you pray”? Shoot. How do you know me?

Then the reversal of values, how the world views money/status versus how God sees it… then not to blame God or anybody else but myself and my evil desires when I’m being tempted… 

Then my tendency to forget that GOD is the source of everything good and perfect, not somebody else or money or myself or a job or the world. 

Gosh I’m not even through the first chapter and I had to take a minute. 

Plunging back into ‘be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to become angry’… busted busted… okay I don’t get angry that fast… unless it’s month 10 on the race and I’m hungry, sweaty, and exhausted, then maybe I’m easily irritable. Ugh. 

Being a doer of the word, not merely hearing it.

Favoritism.

Truly loving my neighbor.

Letting my actions reflect my faith.

Taming my tongue.

True wisdom.

Wrong motives in prayer.

The choice between God and the world.

Submission and humility to God.

Bragging.

Hoarding of wealth.

Patience in suffering.

Being a person who keeps my word.

Praying effectively and powerfully.

Reconciliation and confrontation of believers who have strayed.

GOOD LORD, that’s a lot to take in from 5 short chapters. I thought about what I could do differently when I get home. 
But then it hit me that I don’t have to wait til I’m home to start. 
We don't have to wait to apply what God teaches us.
There's no better time than now.
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Thank you guys for always reading my blogs :) 
More to come very soon!!!