James was a very smart man.

So in all my years of being a "Christian," I've always been horrible about consistently reading my Bible. Now, not that five days in a row is consistent or anything, but it's a start. :) When it comes to reading the Bible I never know where to start. So in our Thursday night group we kind of touched on the book of James. I was intrigued by what was said in there so I decided that's where I would start. It's nice too since it's only five chapters long. :P So today as I was reading it was like a light shined down on me and the angels sang "Ahhhhhh!" and I was struck by a new understanding. I still have one more chapter to go before I get completely through it, but these are a few of the things I've learned so far.

When I ask God for things and I don't receive them, it's not because I don't really want them, but more because my motives for wanting them are not pure. Rather than asking for selfish things, I think I need to focus more on things that can benefit others before I worry about myself.

Not my plans; His. This is a profound thought for me. I mean, when I think back and I talk about how my plans for my life have not happened as I would have had them, it's because they're not my plans to make. God has a plan for me, and even though I think I might know what I want, He knows better. I need to learn to trust in this.

I should not be envious of what others have that I don't. To be thankful for what I have and not want more is the goal. Should I be blessed with more, then more thankfulness should follow!

And ultimately, life is a learning curve. I could go on making the same mistakes, never learning from them and making no forward progress --OR-- I can learn from my past (and keep it there) apply what's written in the Bible toward my life and move on.

Happy! Happy! Joy! Joy!

And with all this said, I want to leave you with just a few of the verses from James that really stand out to me :)

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." -James 1:2

"You do not have, because you do not ask God. when you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." -James 4:2-3

"Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." -James 4:7

Maturation of Self

Change is inevitable. Even when you think you're the same, something changes. The good thing is, I don't mind change. As they used to say in the Arby's commercials "change is good." And yet as much as things change, I feel like I'm stuck in a cycle. I've arrived at the part of the cycle where I embrace changes and hope that the changes are evident enough in my life that those around me can see the change also. So now it's about breaking the cycle. I feel like I've blogged about this before, the changes in my life. I guess I just hope that this time they stick. Or at least as I keep changing that I don't regress to where I've been. Learn from my mistakes and move on is the new goal. And with these thoughts, I'd bid you goodnight.