Gotta be honest for a minute...
- Christine DiGiacomo
- Jul 2
- 4 min read
podcast: https://www.pastorwoman.net/podcast/episode/1eef001d/gotta-be-honest-for-a-minute-james-no17
God did it again.
He set up a couple conversations,
(seemingly random ones at the time),
like at my new dental office yesterday...
turns out they were seed for this Morning Briefing.
Strange really, because the three young women in the front office had nothing but time on their hands to chat because their internet was down, which also took out their phones. After a few minutes of conversation, I somehow brought up faith in God and that I write...adding, 'I'm currently teaching through James!' To which one excitedly said, 'Oh, I love the book of James!' And we were off!
Why does she love the book of James? Because it is clear and straightforward. While James had no idea about our 21st century lives, one could think he was writing specifically for us today--that is how relevant his content.
In 'Choices...what to do with yours,' https://conta.cc/4aNVezS, I gave you a look at all of James chapter four, which speaks to why we fight, why we lack,(we don't pray!); James talked about the choice to live for God rather than be under the thumb of the world's values; he speaks of God's great grace--particularly to the humble, why we should refrain from judging others, and holding 'tomorrow' loosely as it is God who holds our future.
James chapter 4: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James%204&version=NLT
New friends, keep in mind that James was written by the half brother of our Lord, who most certainly did not believe Jesus was the Messiah until he saw him after Jesus walked out of the tomb. And then those 40 days between the Resurrection and Jesus' ascension into Heaven galvanized the disciples, not just Jesus' inner core but also those he loved and influenced, (including his family), into a formidable cast of world changers.
Hmmmmm.....I wanna be a world changer, do you? How and where do we start?
It begins with what I believe about God, and what I believe about myself.
God created me, God loves me, God's heart is good -
God has a plan for my life, and it is a b o l d adventure -
And hey, I don't want to just do it halfway !
I want to live my life before God, fully engaged,
living in the extreme, and totally sold out!
--->>>because mediocrity is not in God's lexicon
-> As a sold-out follower of Jesus Christ, I know that God wants all of me; he is not interested in second place in my life. It starts with an acknowledgment of Jesus Christ as my Savior, the only way to life with God - a relationship with him while I live, and eternity with him when I die...
Okay, so how do we live daily as a world changer for God? James 4.5 gives us a clue, but is a bit of a head scratcher. [If you run into scripture verses or passages that confuse, look at various translations to unlock the meaning, and of course, commentaries help too. biblegateway.com is my 'go to']
James, 4.5, ESV: Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? huh??
Look at God's Word Translation: “The Spirit that lives in us wants us to be his own.”
Ah...God desires our fidelity to him - that we would live to honor him in what we say, do and think, and do so on a daily basis--made possible by the Holy Spirit of God who lives in us.
A little expansion and context from the surrounding verses, 6"But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”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."
(three comparative Bible translations)
What does this mean? What does God want from us? What is James saying?
warning, warning: This next statement separates the men from the boys:
God calls us to surrender to him.
Surrender ...hmmm... I take you back to the bed of that white Ford Raptor
in the San Clemente parking lot in the summer of 2020,
when we were running around half-scared all the time.
While this notion of surrender to God was not a new concept for me, I knew that God was saying to all of us, 'I've got you - stop worrying, but hey, you, Kathy, Megan... do I really got you?
Not unless you give yourself to Me--like, all of you, to Me, get it?'
Because I was a schoolteacher for years,
I know the value of props in making my point. (visual aids)
So, on this matter of surrender?
I broke off a rough-hewn stick from my apricot tree, about three feet long,
tore a section of white sheeting, and tied it to the stick, made a white flag.
I waved it from the truck one Thursday morning,
'Maybe this is how you think of surrender' -
a vanquished foe reluctantly coming out of hiding, waving the white flag,
giving himself up to a punishing opponent ...
you know, the Ukrainian soldier surrendering to the Russian soldier,
terrified of what is about to happen to him.
-> But, surrender to God? That is, choosing God's plan over your own, giving up your agenda for his, and choosing his better way - Jesus described it this way:
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.
I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.'1
I gotta be honest here for a minute about what I've experienced...
surrender to God means living in freedom such as I have never known.
Friend, God wants you to soar ... he wants you to live above the level of mediocrity. How? First, surrender your will, your plans and desires to the God who loves you madly; seek his way first, and you will really live.
When I woke up this morning, I said, 'Hey, I think I will live a totally mediocre day today.' Said. no. one. ever. No, instead, I thought, 'I know I have an E ticket2 for the bold adventure...nothing less.' So, I was honest - how about you...Surrender?
Listen: "I Surrender", Hillsong:
Christine
1 - John 10.10
2 - "E" tickets were paper tickets for Disneyland - the best rides in the park!
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