“Is there anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray.” James 5:13
One of my least favorite locker room signs has always been, “No pain! No gain!” It pointed the way to a long, hard road, and the journey never ended well.
Every coach said something along the lines of, “I’m not here to hurt you. I am here to help you, BUT I am going to give you what you need, not what you want.” They promised my temporary pain would lead to ultimate victory. They promised me what they were doing to me was going to be good for me. They said, “Trust the process.” They didn’t tell me that pain couldn’t put in what God left out.
My athletic career reads like a Greek tragedy, so I write this from personal experience. Winning and losing both require a team effort. I admit, I learned a great deal more from losing, than I did from winning. If character is developed by losing then mine must be impeccable. Go team!
James asks what appears to be a rhetorical question, but it requires a response from you, and an answer from God. Suffering endlessly through a hopeless situation rarely develops character. It robs you of joy, and blinds you to the purpose of what seems to be an utterly senseless walk in the dark. Believing prayer provides you with a sense of direction when your face the senseless.
There is no question about it. Everyone who is carrying out genuine, authentic, Biblically based ministry today is enduring hardship, facing trouble, enduring affliction, or experiencing evil. The Biblical narrative reminds us that suffering is as much a part of the ministry as blessing. Ministry is not conducted in the absence of suffering. It is fulfilled in the face of it, and in spite of it.
“But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” 2 Timothy 4:5
“Then he must pray!” Prayer is presented as a combination of two words. The Greek prefix is a preposition that changes the direction and the intention of the rest of the word. The second part of the word means, “I would wish.”
By adding the preposition to a word that already means, a wish or a prayer, a “Wish List” becomes a “Prayer List.” It turns the “I would wish” meaning of prayer away from fantasy and towards faith. Prayer refocuses the eyes of the child. Genuine prayer turns a selfish, self-absorbed child into an obedient child. Prayer transforms the act of prayer from “I would wish” into “Thy will be done.”
No matter how long it takes or how senseless the suffering may appear to be, prayer turns “I will” into “Thy will.” Believing prayer is not a matter of “I would wish.” It leads to “Thy will be done.” This only happens…EVERY TIME.
Note to Self: When you face suffering focus on the face of The Father, and come to Him in the name of The Son. Stop searching for answers by examining your own navel. When you pray remember the old song, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.” You will find the words are still true. “Look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace.” TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!
The Bond
“But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment.” James 5:12
As a small boy, I loved to accompany my grandfather, George Washington Miller on his errands around the city of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. He had been a hard-working farmer, dairyman, and foreman of a road building crew during the Great Depression. Men called him, “Boss.”
In Granddad’s final years, he made his living as a carpenter. He could build anything from houses, to boats, to staircases, and he did it before the arrival of power tools. His “Pop-Eye” forearms were huge, and when he took me by the hand, to walk me safely across the street, mine would disappear into one of his massive, calloused hands. To a seven year old, he was a force of nature.
One day, Granddad Miller concluded a conversation with a restaurant owner in Downtown Bloom with a handshake. They had been discussing the cost of building a staircase, and when my Granddad gave the man a price they shook on it. No money was exchanged. No contracts were signed. Their word was their bond. Two men faced each other, and under the eyes of God, they gave their word to one another, and went to work. They didn’t go to a lawyer. One went back to his restaurant. The other went to the lumberyard to order the materials. I was impressed. So is The Father when His children still do it.
The Book of James contains some very strong language. Martin Luther, never a fan of the book, referred to it as, “A right strawy epistle.” In other words, it got under his skin, and itched in places where he didn’t want to scratch.
Among all the powerful admonitions in the brief, five chapters of James, none is more striking than, “But above all, brethren, do not swear.” The emphasis is not on refraining from cussing like a sailor, but it puts on notice anyone who has a penchant for over-promising and under-delivering.
Swearing “by heaven or by earth or with any other oath” refers to the habit of some people to try to strengthen a weak promise, or a losing argument by shoring it up with a stronger additive. “I swear to God” or “I swear on my mother’s grave” coming out of the mouth of a man who is a promise breaker will not transform him into a promise keeper.
“But above all” is the bell ringer in this passage of Scripture. The Word of God places a very high priority on the word of the people of God. They are to be known as people that can be trusted. Their word is their bond, and their only vocabulary is truth. As the kids used to say, before the adults started saying it, “WORD!”
Keeping one’s word is not a New Testament concept. King David described the citizen of Zion as a person who “Honors those who fear the Lord; He swears to his own hurt and does not change.” (Psalm 15:4)
Note to Self: Discovering that keeping your word is going to cost you more than you originally thought is not a loophole to any verbal contract you make with your wife, your children, your church or your neighbor. Keeping your word is simply an expression of the quality of The Bond you have with Jesus.
When you pray, you are leaning into the yoke with Jesus. The more you pray, the less you say. Don’t over promise to others what Jesus is going to have to underwrite, to make good on your word. It is a form of name-dropping and insulting to Him.
Keep your word when you give it, because you have made Jesus a part of it. He is your witness to every word spoken, and every promise given. Before you speak to others, pray to Him. When you pray you are like a child raising your hand to ask permission before you speak. Pray it before you say it. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!
The Complaint
“But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment.” James 5:12
As a small boy, I loved to accompany my grandfather, George Washington Miller on his errands around the city of Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. He had been a hard-working farmer, dairyman, and foreman of a road building crew during the Great Depression. Men called him, “Boss.”
In Granddad’s final years, he made his living as a carpenter. He could build anything from houses, to boats, to staircases, and he did it before the arrival of power tools. His “Pop-Eye” forearms were huge, and when he took me by the hand, to walk me safely across the street, mine would disappear into one of his massive, calloused hands. To a seven year old, he was a force of nature.
One day, Granddad Miller concluded a conversation with a restaurant owner in Downtown Bloom with a handshake. They had been discussing the cost of building a staircase, and when my Granddad gave the man a price they shook on it. No money was exchanged. No contracts were signed. Their word was their bond. Two men faced each other, and under the eyes of God, they gave their word to one another, and went to work. They didn’t go to a lawyer. One went back to his restaurant. The other went to the lumberyard to order the materials. I was impressed. So is The Father when His children still do it.
The Book of James contains some very strong language. Martin Luther, never a fan of the book, referred to it as, “A right strawy epistle.” In other words, it got under his skin, and itched in places where he didn’t want to scratch.
Among all the powerful admonitions in the brief, five chapters of James, none is more striking than, “But above all, brethren, do not swear.” The emphasis is not on refraining from cussing like a sailor, but it puts on notice anyone who has a penchant for over-promising and under-delivering.
Swearing “by heaven or by earth or with any other oath” refers to the habit of some people to try to strengthen a weak promise, or a losing argument by shoring it up with a stronger additive. “I swear to God” or “I swear on my mother’s grave” coming out of the mouth of a man who is a promise breaker will not transform him into a promise keeper.
“But above all” is the bell ringer in this passage of Scripture. The Word of God places a very high priority on the word of the people of God. They are to be known as people that can be trusted. Their word is their bond, and their only vocabulary is truth. As the kids used to say, before the adults started saying it, “WORD!”
Keeping one’s word is not a New Testament concept. King David described the citizen of Zion as a person who “Honors those who fear the Lord; He swears to his own hurt and does not change.” (Psalm 15:4)
Note to Self: Discovering that keeping your word is going to cost you more than you originally thought is not a loophole to any verbal contract you make with your wife, your children, your church or your neighbor. Keeping your word is simply an expression of the quality of The Bond you have with Jesus.
When you pray, you are leaning into the yoke with Jesus. The more you pray, the less you say. Don’t over promise to others what Jesus is going to have to underwrite, to make good on your word. It is a form of name-dropping and insulting to Him.
Keep your word when you give it, because you have made Jesus a part of it. He is your witness to every word spoken, and every promise given. Before you speak to others, pray to Him. When you pray you are like a child raising your hand to ask permission before you speak. Pray it before you say it. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!
The Patience
“Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and the late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.” James 5:7-8
When my mother would reach the end of her rope with me, she would refuse to discuss or discipline my behavior any further. She would throw down her trump card, and quietly say, “Wait until your Father gets home.” She would turn and go about her business, whistling while she worked. It was disturbing on so many levels, but highly effective parenting.
This was the 1950’s version of “Time Out.” There was no chair, no going to one’s room, or countdown of fingers. It was a relief to Mom and a threat to me. I learned to take it seriously. The choice was clear. I could either repent or run. Mom on the other hand was a picture of calm and confidence. She knew she had back up when Dad got home, and that when he arrived on the scene I was going to do the backing up.
Patient, translated from the Greek word MAKROTHYMEO, is an expression of love, and an essential part of Christian character. It is not a matter of capping the volcano of anger, or simply postponing any display of moral outrage. Patience flows from a heart that has been strengthened by consistently placing confidence in the coming of the Lord. There is a calm that comes from knowing that someday He will make things right.
Patience is a fruit of The Spirit, not a creation of mine. Jesus plants His character in my life, in the form of His Spirit, but I must nurture what he plants, not supplant His work with my own version of patience. Capping the volcano is not the same as bearing fruit.
“The fruit of The Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience…” Galatians 5:22-23
Confidence and calm is often driven out of my heart by intimidation from immediate circumstances or irritation delivered on my doorstep by annoying people. Can I get a witness?
Apparently, as stated in The Book of James, strengthening my heart with the knowledge that Jesus is coming again is a source of patience. Good to know.
Anything that grows over night in my yard is usually a weed. Patience is not easily or quickly produced. It has its source in the character of Christ, but the soil in which it grows is in my own heart. Sowing the salt of resentment into my heart over the disruption of my plans or interruptions from irritating people only postpones the harvest and damages the fruit.
Short-tempered is a word that has made its way into English usage, but long-tempered is not a very popular expression. The shorter version is uses to describe a fuse that is quick to light and soon to explode. In a culture that values a quick fix over a slow burn, there is little wonder why long- tempered has never caught on as an expression of patience.
The Roman army was considered to be a powerful military force, and yet it was not undefeatable. They would lose battles but they refused to lose the war. This resilient character in the face of temporary defeat was described as long-tempered. They chose to stay on the field of battle and fight it out with the enemy over the long haul. They had confidence in their weapons, and they knew that reinforcements were on the way.
Nothing in the world strengthens the heart like believing prayer. Prayer not only assures you The Lord is coming again, but that Jesus is here in the present tense. Prayer races to the side of The Champion in the line of battle, and gains confidence from the sound of His voice.
Note to Self: Pray and stay calm. The battle is over, and The Champion has won the victory. Pray your way through the disruptions and the interruptions. This too will pass, and the best is yet to come. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!
The Outcry
“Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! 4 Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. 5 You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you.” James 5:1-6
“The check is in the mail.” As often as this statement is made in the local church to those who perform itinerant ministry, it ought to be put on a Hobby Lobby throw pillow. Anyone who has ever travelled to administer a wedding, conduct a funeral, preach a revival, lead a conference, speak at a banquet or hold a concert in a local church has heard these words. They have all the comfort and substance of “Be warmed and filled.”
The last building program I led robbed me of my last shred of confidence in a written contract or a man’s word. Verbal or written contracts have very little power over greedy people who overpromise and under deliver. It amazes me how many people believe doing business with a church involves cheating a group of people who have God on their side. They seem to think that when we asked Jesus into our hearts, our brains fell out.
Nothing can be more comforting than knowing that The Father hears the cries of His children. He does not turn a deaf ear to those who pray to Him after they have been cheated, or have had honest pay delayed or withheld after performing honorable labor.
“The outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord.” V. 4
An American Proverb attributed to Abraham Lincoln, and sometimes to Will Rogers says, “God must love the common man, because He so many of them.” In spite of producing the world’s wealthiest nation with a standard of living that is the envy of all, the American people still have an uneasy relationship with those who are rich. The Book of James reveals that God does too. When they cheat those who work for them, and hoard stolen resources, He calls them to come to Him to reevaluate their net worth, and to repent.
“Your net worth is based on what money can’t buy and what death can’t take away.” Adrian Rogers
Cheating someone out of a timely payment for a service rendered is a form of theft, and James reminds those who do it that God is not pleased about it. It is always wise to pay what you owe, when it is owed.
“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.” Proverbs 3:27
In Jewish culture, the righteous man was considered to be someone whose private and public worship was matched by private, and sincere giving, praying and fasting. Jesus affirmed these signs of righteousness in The Sermon on The Mount.
The righteous, those who love God the most, are often respected the least by those who are graduates of the P.T. Barnum School of Business. Their mission statement is, “There’s a sucker born every minute.”
“You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you.” V. 6
Just because a righteous man doesn’t demand proper treatment from those who abuse his trust in them doesn’t mean it isn’t owed to him and expected by God. The righteous may not offer up resistance to those who dishonor them, but know this. God hears them when they cry. Jesus offered wise advice to His followers when they were cheated, robbed or persecuted.
“But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,” Matthew 5:44
The Father always hears the cries of His children. Those who are the cause of their discomfort may be rich or poor, thief or employer, friend or enemy. Any and all should take to heart that The Father is not happy about it when He hears His children cry.
“Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live.” Psalms 116:2
The Father invites His children to bring their helpless cries to Him. He inclines His ear to hear them. Holding onto resentment, and expecting a benefit is hopeless. It is not an expression of helplessness. It is like trying to cash a check that is never sent. It helps to pray.
“Helplessness is the real secret and the impelling power of prayer.” O. Hallesby
Note To Self: Take your cries of resentment to The Father and leave them there. He can’t bless you with something else while you are still crying over spilled milk. Stop complaining about having to clean up after a stampede of unmilked cows. Your prayers have been heard. Don’t follow the herd. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!
The Sin
“13 Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.’ 14 Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. 15 Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.’ 16 But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. 17 Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin.” James 4:13-17
In 1970, I was on Summer Staff in Hyannis, Massachusetts. with CRU, formerly known as Campus Crusade for Christ. During the day, I worked as a carpenter, building a house overlooking the beautiful, serene Pocasset Bay. In the evenings I attended Bible Studies and Evangelism Training classes, before I went out on the main drag of Hyannis and engaged in street witnessing. Every Friday night our team rented the VFW Hall and held an evangelistic rally.
It was a great summer, as we reached out to young people visiting this resort area, from all over the country during the height of the Jesus Revolution. One night during the Bible Study session, I received from one of the instructors the best definitions of sin, I have ever heard.
“Sin is blasting through life, politely ignoring God.”
This statement defines polite, pompous “piousity” posing as piety. Prayerlessness is sinfulness.
When you are too proud to ask The Father for His sense of direction, His promise of protection and His hand of correction, you are full of yourself, not Him. When Jesus prayed, He stayed in prayer until His will was in line with His Father’s will. Follow His lead.
“Not My will, but Thy will be done.” Luke 22:42
This is the point of prayer. Anything less is sin. When James warns you to take prayer seriously, he identifies the cause for breathing your own ether…wait for it…PRIDE.
“You are just a vapor that appears for a little while…You ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills.”
Sound familiar? It should. Jesus prayed this way. Any diversion from the prayer life of Jesus will lead you to the perversion of prayer in your life. Get over yourself.
“You boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil.”
NOTE TO SELF: “All such boasting is evil.” Not some. ALL. You make God laugh with all your plans, and instructions that you place before Him and then call it prayer. Prayer is more about you listening to The Father, than it is informing Him of your plans for shaping the world to your image. Knowing the right thing to do, and not doing it is sin. Stop ignoring God. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!
The Cleansed
“Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom.” James 4:8-9
One of the first things a little boy learns from his mother is that clean hands are required to eat a healthy meal. Eating dirt and eating healthy are not on any mother’s menu. God’s meal plan for spiritual nutrition in The Book of James places a similar priority on being cleansed.
Showing up at my mother’s table for a meal was met with one question, “Did you wash your hands?” I became an expert at washing my palms. After all, they were the only side of my hands I intended to use to touch my food. My Mom wasn’t having any of it. She rejected my plan to utilize what I refused to sanitize. She sent me back to the sink for my hands to be cleansed, and totally sanitized before they were properly utilized at her table.
The Book of James reminds me of the difference between taking my suit to the cleaners and taking my hands to the sink or taking my body to the shower. Putting a clean suit over a dirty body is a short cut, but it won’t pass anyone’s smell test.
There is a huge difference between going to the cleaners and being cleansed. One impacts your clothes. The other transforms your character. Clothes don’t make the man. His heart does. When you go into your prayer closet, you aren’t looking for a clean suit. You are seeking a cleansed heart.
Note to Self: Your heart doesn’t need to go to the cleaners once in a while. The problem of the heart is sin. The heart of the problem is the problem of your heart. Your heart needs to be consistently, and constantly cleansed from sin. Don’t try to take your heart to the cleaners. Take it to God to be cleansed.
Believing prayer is cleansing prayer. Prayer is not a trip to the cleaners, or a laundry list you place before God. Prayer initiates a heart transplant, and a blood transfusion for courageous living. Talk postpones the transplant. Prayer initiates the transformation.
Prayer is nothing to laugh about, and yet prayer is nothing to fear. When you pray, The Father gives you what you need, not what you want. Your tears are part of His cleansing process. Two things break God’s heart: Rebellion and Repentance. Let them break yours. When you pray, try tears. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
The Judge
“11 Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it. 12 There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the One who is able to save and to destroy; but who are you who judge your neighbor?” James 4:11-12
While I was a student at Baylor University, 1968-1972, “The Golden Wave Band,” in honor of President Judge McCall, introduced a brassy, tribute into their football game routine. It was entitled “Here Comes The Judge.” If our receivers had been as catchy as this tune, our team would have won more than four games in four years. But I digress.
Critics perceive the local church to be the last refuge for a self-righteous, judgmental attitude. In a decaying culture, anything goes, and nothing is condemned. Those engaged in conduct they know in their hearts offends God, are not turned away from it by logic or judgment. They simply seek to gouge out the prying eyes of those who see things they way God sees them.
Evil does not seek to frame the debate and engage in a healthy dialogue that results in constructive criticism being taken to heart. Evil seeks to annihilate the truth. When evil hears ungodly behavior condemned, they are not satisfied with shutting up their accuser. They intend to cut off his head.
The church is a safety net for those who drive through God’s warning signs at the top of the cliff. With virtue being devalued, and innocence dropping like a rock, the voice of the church is often expressed as a cry of panic, not a confident call for help.
Why does it matter that the church is known more for judging sin than loving sinners? God hates it when His children are known for leading a self-righteous inquisition rather than engaging in life-changing intercession.
“Discernment is God’s call to intercession, never fault-finding.” Oswald Chambers
Behavior inside and outside of the church rarely meets God’s standards of perfection. This means there is always something to condemn, and someone to judge. When God’s children spew from the pew, they ignore one of The Father’s sternest warnings, “Do not speak against one another.”
Self-appointed judges leave church every Sunday. In their cars, on their way home or to the restaurant, they serve their children a big plate of roast preacher. It should come as no surprise when 80 plus percent of young people who leave evangelical churches never come back, after they turn 18.
Serving up a big mess of judgment, week after week, has not improved the appetite of young people for the church. It has left them with a bitter spirit, and a sour stomach. Nor has moral outrage become a welcome mat for those who are seeking to escape the sinking ship of a decaying culture. When they summon the courage to go to church, they rarely hear the words or sense the spirit of forgiveness, “Except for the grace of God, there go I.”
Note to Self: “Who are you to judge your neighbor?” The band isn’t playing, “Here Comes The Judge.” Wrapping yourself in stolen robes is a poor substitute for hitting your knees on behalf of broken people. When you judge your neighbor, you are not leading out in intercession. You are taking part in an inquisition.
Before you spew from the pew, take a look at your own life from God’s view. “Judgment begins at the house of God.” He knows what it took to save you. Get over yourself, and pray for others to discover His life-saving love. They don’t deserve His love. Neither did you. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!
The Humble
“Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts you double-minded. Be miserable and mourn and weep, let you laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you.” James 4:7-10
“God’s purpose for your life is to knock you out of you so He can fill you with Himself.” Bill Stafford
When I heard Bill Stafford share these simple words, I was in a hotel meeting room in the Smokey Mountains of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, with a small group of war weary pastors. We had come to take part in a “ReFresh” Conference led by Dr. Michael Catt. Stafford’s words didn’t add weight to my soul. They left me with an overwhelming sense of relief. Life suddenly made sense. Life-giving truth always does.
Jesus set a priority, and a pattern for prayer, but His most enduring template for the earnest prayer warrior is His purpose of prayer. His prayer in The Garden, on the night before His death, Jesus prayed with one purpose in mind, “YIELD.”
“Not My will, but Thy will be done.” Luke 22:42
“YIELD” signs must be the most ignored and violated traffic signs on the planet. At the point where two lanes of automobiles merge, a simple, triangular, one word sign is placed. It does not call for anything but submission. There is no command to stop, or even to slow down. More often than not, it triggers the urge to surge, not the urge to merge. Surging satisfies rebellion. Merging avoids a collision.
Though not specifically mentioned in this passage of Scripture, prayer is birthed in the climate of humility. “YIELD” is the sign and the fruit of humble praying.
With all due respect to Bill Engvall, “Here’s your sign.” “YIELD.” Simply put, prayerlessness is your first sign of pridefulness. Your pride leads you to all kinds of rebellions decisions and needless collisions. “STOP.”
Scripture is relentless in placing personal responsibility where it belongs, at the scene of an accident. When wisdom is ignored, and your urge to surge overwhelms your urge to merge, you are to blame, not the devil.
You have the opportunity and the power to resist the devil. When you don’t resist him, you cooperate with him. You can’t stop the devil from being the instigator and initiator of chaos, confusion and crisis in your life. You can refuse to let him set the course for your life.
NOTE TO SELF: The Father knows the devil is the instigator. The devil lobbies to be the navigator. When you pray, you draw near to The Father. He demotes the devil and promotes you. Believing prayer begins with your first breath of humility. Don’t STOP praying until you YIELD to The Father. Avoid the collisions that prayerless and prideful children never see coming. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!
The KItty
“4 You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”? 6 But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:4-6
The Book of James asks a very tough question found in verse four. It is not the least bit rhetorical. It is very practical, and essential. Those who answer it honestly will change their behavior, and align themselves with the will of The Father.
Nothing will improve your prayer life more than coming to grips with the truth of, “Prayerlessness is pridefulness.” You prostitute yourself by turning any ministry into your mistress. Pleasing yourself was never meant to be your business. Selling out to the word should never be turned into your full-time job.
The Westminster Confession asks a great question too. What is the chief purpose of man? Answer: To love God and to enjoy Him forever.
Enjoy God? WOW. Who knew? The world paints a close relationship with God as either a fanatical passion or a pathetic pursuit. Spending time with The Father often appears to be robbing you of time that could be better spent enjoying more worldly pursuits.
Scripture makes it very clear. Being called an adulteress is pretty strong language. It is not a compliment, but an open rebuke. Don’t wear it as a badge of honor.
Rubbing up against the world should never become your way of getting your strokes. It should make your skin crawl and the hair on the back of your neck stand up.
At the turn of the 20th Century, Evangelist Billy Sunday was accused of preaching too strong of a message against worldly living. Having stepped out of the world of professional baseball to become a preacher of The Gospel, he called for the church to realign themselves with the will and the way of The Father. One irritated critic said, “Sunday, you rub the fur of the cat the wrong way.” Sunday responded. “Let the cat turn around.”
When friendship with the world begins to feel like a comfort to you, you have become deceived. Pleasing yourself and others at the expense of failing to please The Father, may give an initial sense of satisfaction. Any temporary relief from the battle against evil is short-lived and rarely life giving.
Personal preferences and pleasures bring comfort. That is why they are hard to turn down. They come to you like a small kitten, purring and climbing into your lap, seeking to be fed. The more you feed the kitty, the bigger it gets. Soon the purring kitty becomes a roaring lion, seeking you, and chasing you. The enemy has one goal. He seeks to devour you.
Note to Self: Don’t feed the kitty. Don’t let the world stroke your ego. Never feed your need to please yourself or others. Humble yourself and pray for The Father’s sense of direction, His protection and His correction. Turn around. Remember! “God is opposed to the proud, but He gives grace to the humble.” TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!