I could never ask for more than to be encouraged and challenged in the faith.
After reading through James 1 tonight and discussing it a bit with the Community Group (AustinStone), four things continue to linger on my mind.
On doubt:
Have none.
None. Pretty intense. I hate when I fail to think beond the abilities and limitations of human realm.
I'm rather convinced that God may frequently laugh at our specific prayers.
For when we recall instructioins to seek, we knock and become too focused upon what WE wish to find.
Expectations, cultural definitions of success, and routine in our daily lives do so well to cloud the heart and blind us of God's surprises, gifts, and invitations. And how limiting is that! ...Especially considering that without God, and relatively, we're all idiots anyways.
So much is there to fuel us.
And when we seek his will, it's always easier to find his way.
On perserverance:
GOD does not tempt us, our own evil desires do in his absence.
People don't see what's boiling inside of us - they only see the overflow.
Quick to obey - So much easier that way.
On humility:
Take pride in your low position.
Much joy in the honour of being able to purely serve, as doers of the word and not hearers only (v22).
The highest form of imitation being flattery, the dedication to mimic Christ's identity is not a discipline, but a passion, and a death to self we are privileged to humbly accept.
On wisdom:
That I may never cease to seek wisdom and strength to obey His word, to be filled only with His love, make me
quick to listen, and quite frankly quick to respond, as ironically, I speak too much in person and yet withhold initial responses online - digital communication often gets the best of me.
Is not one form of communication just as documented as the other?
The alarm just went off, which =s time to get on with the spanish paper.
(You know you're an insomniac when you don't need an alarm to wake. It's there now, just to tell me when to sleep.)
Dreams lately, seem to be my only motivation to climb into bed. Lately however, and luckily, they've been treating me quite well. For another blog.
Here's to the gifts, every one of em from above.
