Where was I going?
James 4:13-15 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”
What were we talking about? Who, where, what was I supposed to remember? If I were to be open with my struggles with memory this would be a five page paper instead of a OneMinuteMinistry. My problems with memory terrify me from a genetic standpoint, and it is truly becoming a challenge almost daily. I believe stress is the nutrient that feeds the disease. I am under a huge strain like many of you, and my escape is the Word of God. It is where I find comfort and peace in an out of control world. What is your crutch?
The book of James is one of the oldest books in the New Testament, and one of the most practical books on how to live your life as a Christian. James puts much of this epistle bluntly and as a “how to” book. When you need answers for real problems we all face; the book of James is a great place to go. The scriptures above speak to me with weight as the planner and over-thinker I am. I think things to death, and always looking into causes, solutions, and outcomes. Trying to plan and see 10 steps ahead. James puts it bluntly in closing; James 4:16 :But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.
James 4:1-6 speaks directly to pride, and even as a planner pride is woven deep into that fabric. Trying to plan our daily destinies leaves God out of the picture. Trying to plan without seeking God is prideful and evil. James 1:6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” A prideful heart thinks it directs its own steps and futures through its own abilities. A prideful heart is a heart far from God, but a heart that can be cleansed. James 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. The next time you can’t remember where to go, remember to go to the book of James.
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