Wisdom from Above

As I journal through James this month, I meditate on these verses. They are were both conflicting and inspiring. 

James 3:16-18

Pure. 

Peaceable. 

Gentle. 

Willing to yield. 

Mercy-full. 

Bearing goodness. 

Zero partiality. 

Zero hypocrisy. 

I don’t know about you, but as for me this doesn’t come easy. In and of myself I can be destructive, manipulative, self-seeking, angry, bitter, and just plain human. 

But God, through the power of His Holy Spirit can infuse wisdom to every area of my life. 

How? By simply asking Him for it. Thank you Lord! May your wisdom be a mark of your likeness in my life. 

Are you in need of wisdom? Ask Him for it and act on what He speaks to you. 

Would you join me is prayer, asking Him to infuse us with His wisdom for every trial ahead of us this week? 

From Anger to Righteousness

Anger is one of those areas that the Lord instantly healed when I surrendered my life to Him. He truly replaced anger for unspeakable joy. 

I recognize that the joy of the Lord is my strength. That’s not to say that there are times where I allow His joy to be rocked by anger and frustration. I’m a long ways away from saying I don’t struggle with anger. But it doesn’t overtake me like it used to. 

If you struggle with anger, I’d love to pray for you. I’ve been there (many times) where I can’t kick off the anger, and I replay specific conversations or scenarios over and over, and the anger just festers and eats away at me. If that anger isn’t dealt with, you’re in danger of it becoming bitterneness, and bitterness is a death to the soul. 

So, let’s deal with it today so that the righteousness God desires can be produced in our lives. . 

January 2019 Journaling: James

Happy January 1st! We’re starting 2019 with the book of James. In the midst of Paul’s many letters, we come across this gem. Written by the very brother of Jesus. He was the leader of Jerusalem church and writes to the Jewish Christians who have been scattered by persecution. He encourages them to indure their trials with Christian fortitude and to exhibit consistent Christian character. 

Before we begin, let’s first settle this truth: Mary and Joseph had children. You can reference Matthew 13:55 and Acts 15:13-21. During Jesus his public ministry, neither James nor the other siblings or followers of Jesus. They had even tried to end his ministry and bring him home to his responsibilities as eldest son (Mark 3:31-35; John 7:3-5). The resurrection appearances convinced James that Jesus was the Christ (1 Corinthians 15:7), and he was with the others in the upper room when the Holy Spirit was given on Pentecost (Acts 1:14, 2:1-3). James became the leader of the Jerusalem church after Peter’s arrest and departure from Jerusalem (Acts 12,15, and 21). 

Now that we have that out of the way, let’s dive in to the letter of James. It will help us understand how Christians should live when they are a minority group in the midst of an oppressive, non-Christian society. It is alive with godly counsel for us today. 

Get your pen and journal ready, open the word and dive in.