Balance

Drawing Close to God

 ¹ What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? ² You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. ³ And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure.

 ⁴ You adulterers!^[a] Don’t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. ⁵ What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the spirit God has placed within us is filled with envy?^[b] 6 But he gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say,

   “God opposes the proud
      but favors the humble.”<sup>[c]


 7</sup> So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ 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. ⁹ 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. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

Warning against Judging Others

 ¹¹ Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters.^[d] If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. ¹² God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?

Warning about Self-Confidence

 ¹³ Look here, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit.” ¹⁴ How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog—it’s here a little while, then it’s gone. ¹⁵ What you ought to say is, “If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that.” ¹⁶ Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil.

 ¹⁷ Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it. - James 4 (NLT)

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¹⁹ Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. ²⁰ Human anger^[g] does not produce the righteousness^[h] God desires. - James 1:19-20 (NLT)

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¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first of all pure. It is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no favoritism and is always sincere. ¹⁸ And those who are peacemakers will plant seeds of peace and reap a harvest of righteousness. - James 3:17 (NLT)

Balance

This morning I was praying to the Lord for a balanced perspective.  I've recently struggled with viewing tough situations in a completely different light than others.  I question whether I'm wrong in my thoughts, even though I am truly trying to do God's will.  What worries me is that I feel others may not be questioning their motives at all.

The Lord suggested that I read through James...and I did.  It convicted me (as it usually does) on many points, but it also affirmed many of my thoughts and actions.

I am going to pray on the insights that whispered to my heart as I read the wisdom of James today. I'm especially going to meditate on chapter 4.  There is so much pure, unadulterated truth in this chapter. It's not easy to read (especially if I'm struggling with pride and wanting things my own way), but if I let my resistance go for just a little bit and truly let God have control I can have that balance and "rightness" that I've been praying for.

Below is a note that was attached to a contemporary hymnal from the 70's that a very dear and wise man gave to me recently (thank you, Dan...you are a blessing and joy to my heart). I don't know who wrote this wisdom, but it came like a cool draft of water to soothe my burning heart.

     Lately I've been learning many things about myself, problems I can conquer and things I cannot help. It's strange that after all these years, it's only now I find, I've been learning how to live in God's own time.
     In God's own time I'll always find His plan for me is greater than any dreams of mine. So let me see and help me find what lies in store for me in God's own time.
     I used to pray with answers already in my mind, and wonder why His leading always seemed so hard to find, but now I'm more dependent on His will, instead of mine, while I'm learning how to live in God's own time.

To have balance I must let go of my silly notions of control.  My prayers should always be for His will to be done and for patience while I wait on His timing.

Dear Lord - Please help me to be in line with your will today. I beg of you to give me the wisdom and patience to wait upon your timing.  I pray that all your children will seek you first and have the courage to face their fears and let go of their desires.  Human desires, even if they are with the best intentions, can often times be exactly opposite of what you have in mind for us at that time.  I know, in my experience, if I have an agenda instead of having trust in you, I'm usually fighting an uphill battle.  I don't want to struggle anymore, Lord. I want peace, joy, contentment and security. In the midst of my turmoil, please help me rest in you and your sufficiency.  May I live today and always in your own time. I love you. Amen.

Blessings and PEACE,

Leah