tempted.

james 1:13-14

"when tempted, no one should say, 'God is tempting me.' for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed."

often when we are struggling, we blame God for our suffering. but this verse tells us that it is not God tempting us but our own sinful desires. when things go wrong in the world, we ask God why so many things are wrong because we think it is His doing. when i struggle, i usually shift the blame towards God but reading this verse, i realize that own sinful desires are the reason why i suffer. not only do we blame God, but we blame others for our mistakes often. i think it's so hard to admit that i'm wrong. it's one of the hardest things to do, even if i know i'm wrong. i think humbling ourselves enough to admit that we're wrong is something that we do not do easily. i'm not sure the reason why other people don't like to do it, but the reason why i don't like confessing my mistakes is because i'm afraid of the consequences, whether it be being scolded or deemed unreliable. perhaps that fear of consequence is also a part of our sin?

how great is our God.

john 21:25

"Jesus did many other things as well. if every one of them were written down, i suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written."

this is the first time i ever read this verse, and i just happened to cross it by chance while flipping through the Bible. the Bible tells us of some of the things that Jesus did, but it does not tell us everything that he did. i'm sure that Jesus performed many more miracles, yet the Bible tells us that people were not completely convinced because, ultimately, he was crucified. despite all the evidence that pointed towards Jesus being God, we - as sinful people - were blinded and could not see him for who he truly was. reading this verse makes me realize how sinful we really are but how amazing and awesome God is. he has been patient with us, even though he could have given up a long time ago because we repeatedly sin and turn our backs toward him. but he loves us enough that he sacrificed his only son so that we could be free of our blemishes and have a relationship with God.

prayer.

james 4:16

"therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."

obviously, prayer is pretty important. it is a way for us to communicate to God during the good and bad times. even Jesus, before being crucified, went to pray to God in isolation. despite knowing that he was about to be sacrificed, he wanted to pray as a last act before he died. according to verse 15 of this chapter, prayer can also heal others. several times, people have come up to me and told me about their personal life and how much they are suffering. i never know how to respond except to sympathize and give them advice. however, i think that prayer would be much more effective because it would be putting that person in God's hands rather than my own, and God is infinitely more wiser and powerful than i could ever be. often times, i am unsure about what i should pray for, but there is so many things wrong in this world that we should continuously pray that God would work through us to make a difference.

saved.

colossians 1:22

"but now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation"

every time i hear this verse, all i can think to myself is "what an amazing God." to be quite honest, if i were God looking down on earth, i probably would have given up a long time ago. but God, one who is perfect and all powerful, chose to save us from our sins by sending His only son to take the place of us. when the israelites were traveling in the desert, they forsake God continuously, despite the fact that He sent moses to deliver them out of egypt and lead them to "a land flowing with milk and honey." many times we see God working in our lives, but it's not enough for us to forget everything and follow Him. personally, it's difficult for me to believe in something that isn't tangible because i need proof. but God shows us His existence through nature and the love that Christians have for one another, even if they don't know each other. i pray that He will give me the strength to believe and have faith in that which i cannot see.

gossiping.

james 3:9-10

"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."

many times, myself included, people talk badly about others behind their backs. we're supposed to be encouraging and saying things to uplift others, but often we can only find faults in peoples' lives. i have been trying to speak only good things about others, but i'm not perfect and neither is anyone else, apart from Jesus. even walking on campus, i hear people talking badly about their close friends or professors. it's so important to speak good things about others, even when they aren't the nicest person to you. this is something that i struggle with a lot because i easily find fault in others. hopefully, God will change me and i will be able to love others, even with their flaws because we are all flawed.

talking the talk, but not walking the walk.

matthew 15:8-9

"these people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. they worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men."

a lot of times, i feel as though i'm going through the motions of being a Christian but not actually living it. in these verses, i feel as though Jesus is basically telling us that our actions do not mean anything if we do not have a heart to serve God. sure, it is important to show God's love for us through what we do, but what is the point of doing good things if we do not do them out of a love for Christ and others? then we are no different than non-Christians. i hope that i will be able to do things out of love rather than for my selfish desires..