Week 44: Grumbling or Grace

This week's reading plan is as follows:

* Sunday (epistles): James 4-5
* Monday (the Law): Deuteronomy 7-9
* Tuesday (history): II Chronicles 29-32
* Wednesday (psalms): Psalms 125-127
* Thursday (poetry): Ecclesiastes 3-4
* Friday (prophecy): Zephaniah
* Saturday (gospels): Acts 11-12

The book of James is so packed full of wisdom. Almost every verse has something you could SOAP on. Verse 9 is one that convicts me:

Scripture
James 5:9: "Don't grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!"

Observation
James, the brother of Jesus, makes it very clear in this verse that we should not grumble against one another. If we do so, we will be judged by God, the Judge with capital J.

Application
Wow, what a conviction that is! How many times do I grumble against someone else in the church, at work, in the store, or in my own family! Way too many times. Think about doing ministry at the church. Wouldn't ministry be wonderful if it was done by just you and 10 perfect assistants who did everything you asked them to do, in just the exact way you wanted it! That's how all ministries at Woodhaven Community Church operate, right? Wrong! The opposite is true. We do ministry with real people who have real quirks and characters that are opposite of ours. At times it's a real struggle to get anything off the ground because of personal conflicts. And yet...

And yet, this is how God WANTS us to do ministry. With real people who are opposite in character. People that God places in our path, so we can love them just the way they are, just as Jesus loves us, just the way we are. By default, my old natural self grumbles against others, when things don't go the way I want it or like it. I grumble either directly at that person, or I grumble later on when I come home. James says: this should not be so my brothers and sisters. Don't grumble against each other. If you do, you will be judged! That is pretty strong language, and a reminder for all of us to let go of the grumbling, and to embrace each other's strength, and give grace where it concerns each other's weaknesses. Embrace and give grace!

Prayer
Dear heavenly Father, we thank you that you love us for who we are, with all our odd behaviors, and opposite characteristics. Thank you Jesus, that you came down to embrace us, and to give grace to us abundantly. We thank you for all you have done. Help us to not grumble against each other, but to love one another, the way you love us. In your name we pray. Amen.

Have a great week.

Dick