Fitness Challenge Day 3: The Book of James

Today is day 3 of the Fitness Challenge. I've challenged robshep.com readers to read a chapter a day of the book of James from the Bible.  I love the book of James. I'd love to have been able to hear him preach. He has great illustrations! Did you know that James' brother was Jesus? That means that he probably didn't believe in His brother until after Jesus rose from the grave. You can read it about in John 7:1-5 and Matthew 13:55.  Here are some thoughts on chapter 3 of James...

• vs. 1 Have you ever wondered why people who teach the Bible are judged more strictly? It's like if an obese person gives you weight loss advice it just feels off. Or if a person with massive debt gives you financial advice. Or a person who makes poor relational choices gives you relationship advice. I'm not sure but I don't think that a Christ Follower who teaches is judged more strictly by God. I think that they are judged more strictly by people. If you are going to teach it you better be living it.
• vs. 3-6 Great illustrations to make a point!
• vs. 9 You can't love God and not love people. You can't praise God and then curse humans who are made in His image. A true sign of a persons love for God is how they treat and talk about others. Including others who aren't like them. No one can tame the tongue...without God's help. God is big enough to help us tame the beast.
• vs. 14 If you harbor selfish ambition you shouldn't boast about it. So I shouldn't boast about my dreams to sell adds on robshep.com and make millions? I kid I kid. This is very convicting. It's easy to get excited and boast about selfish ambition. It's easy to want to make "me" the center of every conversation. It's easy to want to boast about the things that I do. It's easy, but selfish. Now this doesn't mean that you can't be proud of yourself or that you can't take a compliment. It just means that when you boast it should be boasting in how great God is.
• vs. 16 Where you find disorder you will find selfish ambition and envy. Why is there disorder in our lives? Maybe it's because we have selfish ambition to make much about ourselves, and or we get upset when others succeed? What would happen if we stopped saying whoa is me when we don't have what others have. I'm so proud of Monica in this regard. For six years we tried to get pregnant and for six years Monica did not envy other women. She was great at celebrating when others got pregnant. She would spend lots of money when she went to baby showers. She would celebrate when others got pregnant. We get depressed because there is disorder in our lives. We don't feel like we have what we are supposed to have.
• vs. 18 I'm still wrapping my head around this one. How can I sow in peace? It's like planting a garden of peace wherever I go. Do I bring God's peace into every situation I'm in? Do people feel God's peace by the words that I say? It's hard work to plant a garden. In a world that is filled with disorder we need more peace makers.