Over and Over Again

James 4:5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? 6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” 7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

How easy it is to get sucked into this worlds affairs……It seems natural to want things we can’t have, to pursue things that rot or rust away, to focus on political debates, to idolize careers or family or sports or anything that becomes our god, to put our energies into things that don’t matter eternally, to put simply, anything that takes our focus and energies away from eternity. It isn’t our fault, we have a sin-nature at our core, even the greatest Christians still battled the lures of sin and misguided focus at times. Satan knows how to attack, deception is his greatest tool, and the greatest saints have still never walked purely in God’s eyes; they still need to be atoned for by the blood of Jesus to appear holy before a righteous God…. “but God gives more grace.” The depth of those words boggle the mind, the depth of his love for us, over and over and over again.

My life has been incredibly busy recently, much of it misguided focus and always battling the lures of sin and idols myself. We have launched NeedPrayer? Racing Team, and it is so humbling to see my testimony coming full circle back to the racing community. At a national race, in the midst of loosing focus, I failed to pray for two friends that needed prayer. God showed me I was lacking, and Satan tormented my mind as the great accuser he is. It was a wake-up call, one I learned from, and I will take that lesson and become more aware next time. Even in the times of doing what we deem “good things,” we may miss opportunities to join God to do great things. My favorite devotional of all time speaks at its core of joining God where he is already working, but we must be attentive to him, and not focused upon ourselves.

In the context of James chapter four, there is much depth to expound, but simply put, it is the battle of good and evil that lies within us. Of how we are to live in a pursuit of righteous living, of how pride is the root of all worldly sin. James puts it so clearly of how we are to feel the weight of our sin, a weight that leads to repentance. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. I truly question one’s salvation that has never felt deep conviction of oneself; the depravity of man as it is put. The conviction of sin is healthy, it is an assurance of the Holy Spirit that lives within you once saved. We are a temple of God, and when we sin, we grieve Him that lies within us. James put it so well, the humble person that see their need for God, through the many means that God draws them, we rest in the assurance of the promise of this continued grace he speaks of here. It is not a call to continue in sin, but an understanding of the forgiveness to those who continue to repent and believe. If we will just focus on God each day, to start our days with God in prayer and his word, maybe we won’t miss the opportunities to join God where he is already working around us, and if we mess up, he will forgive us, and “give more grace.”