Humble Pie

The book of James has been teaching me SO MUCH lately. It's been applying to my life in every aspect.

James 1:19-20 says:
My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.

James 1:22-25 says:
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-he will be blessed in what he does.

James 3:9-12 says:
With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

James 3:14-17 says:
But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such "wisdom" does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, of the devil. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

James 4:1-3
What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.


All these verses have been teaching me so much humbleness. I think that if I would live by these principles every day, they would be the ultimate solution to the majority of my problems. I'm also living by James 1:2-4, which talks about trials and temptations, and perseverance through them. Just skimming through the rest of James, I can see so much more that is encouragement to many of my situations right now, but I haven't gotten there yet. I will soon :)

Ahh, I need to be so loving and so patient and so humble right now. I need to remember that we are all children of God. I need to remember that God and others grant me patience. I need to remember that I have to let down my pride. I need to remember to pick up the cross every. single. day.

Humble pie. It's bitter at first taste, but so satisfying in the end.