Words of Wisdom #18

So far in James 4, he has brought us back to the mirror for a good hard look into our motives and attitudes. He has challenged us to look for selfishness, bitterness, jealousy, and arrogance. He now exhorts us:

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

Choose sides! Make up your minds! Make purity of heart and life your pursuit. Show the sorrow of repentance. Humbly come to God Who has His grace ready to help you. This is not a clean-up-your-own-life program; this is submitting-yourself-to-God life change. It's letting Him bring glory through us. The exaltation He will bring is not an egotistical "Look at me!", but a humble and joyful "Look what God has done!"