Pray for 2 - James and Joy

One of my favorite books of the Bible is James. He doesn’t pull any punches and tends to hit you like a spiritual 2x4. Let’s ponder this little slice of shock and awe from May 22 “So submit yourselves to God. Resist the Devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you of two minds. Begin to lament, to mourn, to weep. Let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy into dejection. Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you.” Now, does this mean we’re supposed to mope around like Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh? No – we know that joy is nothing short of a fruit of the Holy Spirit. In the gospel of John, Jesus even says, “I give you my joy so that your joy may be complete.” What James is saying it that our sin is lamentable and not something to gloss over. The gravity of, “being of two minds” should weigh on us, especially when we choose to avoid confession and lug sin around unnecessarily. Drawing close to God means trusting that His way and His will for our lives truly is what’s best for us. Let’s pray – Merciful father…you give us the free will to choose your love, or to turn away. Help us to see the wisdom in your paths. Help us to draw close to you, trusting in faith that you will draw close to us. Amen.