James 4

It's Thursday so time for another dose of James. My LifeGroup is studying this little gem of a book on Wednesday nights so that's why I keep coming back to it.

So James busts right out and calls us all adulterers. Glad he's not pulling any punches here. What is he talking about? We have already given our hearts to God. We are the bride of Christ. And yet, the first section lays out how when we chase after stuff, the things of this world, that we are cheating on God. Now think about how seriously we would take it if one of us were cheating on our spouse. That's really no joking around. That's a full-scale relational emergency requiring radical intervention, counseling, and some serious talks.

So when we are distracted and drawn away by our fondness for sports, or our kids, or our jobs, or our house, or whatever, do we launch a full-scale attack? Nope. I can't recall the last time I've seen someone take our adultery against God as seriously as adultery in marriage. The next section says how to address it.

So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

This sounds much more in line with what you'd expect from a repentant cheater. So, I'm going to take some time to examine myself. I'd love it if you took some time to examine yourself too. I may not have listed your vice, but you know what it is. And if you don't, God will point it out. We already learned a month ago about what he did to humble Nebuchadnezzar so I'd rather humble myself. Let's come clean and get our relationship with God right again.