January 4th - Reflection

James 4:11-17 (NRSV)
Our plans for our time are in God's hands
Do not speak evil against one another, brothers and sisters. Whoever speaks evil against another or judges another, speaks evil against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is one lawgiver and judge who is able to save and to destroy. So who, then, are you to judge your neighbor?


Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there, doing business and making money." Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wishes, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. Anyone, then, who knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, commits sin.
Reflection
I tend to speak evil of others at times. I tend to judge others at times. Other times I don't obey the law. Who do I think I am? It's all true. I can witness many times that I have been guilty of the above sins. There are difficult sins to obey.

So I repent and try to do better with God's help. If my time were all in my own hands, I would fall into the trap and continue in my sinful ways, not wishing to be forgiven. Not even caring. I read an article in the USA Today just yesterday about how many people in the United States have reached that level of just not caring about religion, spirituality, God or anything else. It was this same attitude of "who cares?"

We must care. I'm not the judge of other's. Speaking evil is wrong and hurtful. I must learn to be kind and patient and understanding. I am here to love my neighbor. My time on this earth does matter. God does have a plan for me and for you.

I repent and then follow the change God has prepared in my life. I stumble along the way but out of love I seek the patience and kindness and love that God wishes. I am watchful that the judgmental attitude and the boasting and the evil speak do not sneak back in. It's all part of going to God daily, looking at your sins, rejoicing in the forgiveness and blessing and seeking the change and plan and way God has for you. It's a daily meeting with God. Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Lord, I come to you this morning to listen to what you have to say. You are my life. You are my way of being. You are my guide and my way. Teach me, show me and lead and guide me to be what you would have me to be... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen