Yearly Archive: 2008

Have you noticed that there are only eight months left in 2008? Hard to imagine that all the things we/I do have kept me busy this many days. And it seems like the days just keep rolling on and on, one day into the next. Amazes me that I think I am doing the things that I also did while working. Now how did all these/those things get done.

Yes, I watched “Idol”, “Gray’s Anatomy” and “House” last year; read emails and e-newsletters; spent time at soccer, hockey and basketball games. Guess the old adage “the work available fills the time available.” Not hundred percent sure, but that seems to be what happens so often.

That’s why we set priorities, and what we put first may or may not help us have (or seem to have) more time.

It’s like yesterday – rather than start with by Bible reading, I started on emails and before I knew it, an hour and a half had zipped by. This morning though was different.

James 4 has some highlights, but the ones that stood out for me were “Where do quarrels and conflicts come from?” and “You don’t have because you don’t ask” or “You ask, but for the wrong reasons.” There were some other things, but those three hit first, and were seed for thought. Better they be seed (impetus) for action, cause it’s not what you know, but what you do with it.

There is more in James 4, but more about that later…

Finally finished James 3, and had to spend time looking up word definitions. The search even got me looking back at what James said in verse 12 about fig trees producing olives. Interesting that Jesus talked about the same kind of things (grapes on thorn bushes, etc.)

What struck me though, in 13-18 was how we are supposed to show that we have “wisdom”. It should be done in humility rather than in arrogance. My response to someone like that is kind of along the line “if you are so good with money, why aren’t you rich?”. To me, an arrogant person (who is a “wise” pretender) will bully their way through life. Big words come out, but their lives are not right.

They get caught up in themselves and forget that they don’t know everything. James says it’s tied to jealousy and selfishness. Something to watch for in my life – seeking God’s wisdom brings different results. Check out verse 17 and then take a look at Philippians 4:8.