Friday October 22, 2010

"Journey Through James - Part 7"

James 4

Submit Yourselves to God

 ¹What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? ²You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. ³When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.  ⁴You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. ⁵Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? ⁶But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says:
   "God opposes the proud
      but gives grace to the humble."
 ⁷Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. ⁹Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. ¹⁰Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
 ¹¹Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. ¹²There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

What does it mean to humble yourself before God? There are many different definitions of humble, but I like this one in reference to this passage: "Having a feeling of insignificance, inferiority, subservience." Now this definition is not to say that God thinks we are insignificant. But in comparison to God, we are insignificant.
We sometimes think that we can handle our own situations better than God can. We like our ideas better than God's plans. That in turn, makes us proud and arrogant. But the thing we need to recognize is that we are not even close to being better than God in any way shape or form. He is perfect - we are not. He always has what's best in mind for us - we do not.
So think about that next time you approach the throne of God. Humble yourself before him, and he will lift you up.

Father God, we are so insignificant compared to you, but thankfully, you make us significant because we are your creation. Thank you for your forgiveness and grace, and for lifting us up when we are humble before you. Thank you for welcoming us into your presence with open arms. You are so holy and mighty, and we are so small and meak. Empower us with your Holy Spirit, Lord, and help us to love others the way you love us. In your most holy and precious name, amen.

Lots of love,
Aubrey <><