Attitude Check

I love the Bible.  I know that statement sounds a bit like I should be wearing a shirt that says "Jesus is my Homeboy" and passing out tracts.  The truth is, it's a book that provides me nothing but wisdom, guidance and reassurance.  There is one book of the Bible that I tend to avoid.  I know what you're thinking, it's got to be one of those books of the minor prophets like Habakkuk.  While those can drag a bit, it's a book written by a guy who was 1 degree away from Jesus.  Granted I'm pretty sure they didn't play 6 Degrees of Jesus back in the day, but how cool would that have been.

I'm referring to James, the half brother of Jesus.  Maybe it's just me, but anytime I study James, I go through a rough patch.  The book is very small, but it has 67 commands in it on how to live your faith in your daily life.  It deals with things like gossip, taking the plank out of your eye before you take the speck out of someone else's, reliance on God through trials and our attitude, to name a few.  It never fails that God will give me no less than 67 chances to work on each of these.  While Jesus died and rose again for me, James convicts me. 

I can tell you right now, it's actively happening and we just started the study on Sunday!  We only studied the first 4 verses.  My friends, that's the power of James.

Things in life aren't where I pictured we'd be today.  Our family isn't in the place we thought we'd be in.  It's hard.  Really hard to be separated the way we are and basically being a single parent during the week.  It's hard working full-time when my heart is at home with Zoe.  Nothing in this moment is where my heart is.  Yet I know that's our future.  I know that's what God is preparing me for; preparing our family for.

Of course God would lead me to the study of James.  I need a checkpoint to make sure my eyes and my heart are focused on Him rather than on this situation.  I need James, despite the fact that he's the guy I only want to have coffee with every few years.