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As we head into the holiday season, I am reminded of the need to focus on spiritual blessings. In the midst of celebration and being surrounded by material blessings, let’s turn to the book of James. One reason I love the book of James is that along with advice to help us with our daily trials and challenges, we read in James 1:3-12 a list of benefits or blessings that come from going through trials. Let’s look closely at two of these verses.
The writer of Proverbs 25:11 paints this word picture about good communication, “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” As a woman after God’s own heart, this kind of beauty should be the goal for all of your communication. Here are several of God’s keys to godly speech.
Not long after I accepted a position at the seminary where I received my own training, I attended a conference of professors from around the country. One of the speakers had a Ph.D. in religion and theology. It wasn’t long before it became apparent that, while this person knew a lot about God, he did not have a personal relationship with God through Christ. During a lunch break, I sat with him and initiated a conversation about salvation and the gospel message.
Sometimes the accounts of the faithful in the Bible can feel a bit intimidating. You may wonder if you will ever transform into a man or woman with godly influence. Maybe you feel that way when you read about the woman in Proverbs 31, or when you read about the life of Paul. Paul was Jesus’ “chosen vessel” to spread the Savior’s name “before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel” (Acts 9:15).
If today is “one is those days” that you’d rather forget, remember that God is available to you every moment of it, no matter what you are facing. Choose not to focus on your problems, but to focus on God. Begin by praising Him for the gift of your salvation.
The origin of forgiveness is in Genesis 3. What consequences happened after Adam and Eve rebelled against God in the Garden of Eden? First, the couple was sentenced to a life of pain and hard labor, neither of which they ever experienced before in Eden. Then they were expelled from the garden paradise they had always known and thrust into a sin-laden world to fend and provide for themselves. That’s the bad news.
When a conversation goes wrong and escalates into a battle, we have to deal with the aftermath and assess our part. It may help to ask yourself, "Am I shifting blame to others, making excuses for my actions, or am I accepting responsibility?" It’s amazing how many excuses we can come up with and how much blame shifting we do after giving in to sin.
“How can anything be so thrilling and yet so sobering?” This question was repeated over and over in my heart as Jim and I celebrated yet another military change of command for a dear friend and neighbor. The parade ground was packed with troops in formation who had been standing there for well over an hour before the ceremony even began.
Over the years, people have often asked me how they could “know” God’s will for their career. They thought if they had that answer, they would get a much clearer perspective on their jobs and their direction in life. I tell them God’s will regarding their work isn’t some mystical revelation they have to hunt for. Rather, it’s spelled out clearly in the Bible.