July 19th, 21

When God captures our heart with his love, when he tames our heart, with his love, our lives are changed. Its as if we've been reborn, we begin to live a different kind of life. James is contrasting two different kinds of life here. There's the spirit filled life, evidenced by a heart that's being tamed, by his love. And there is the heart of the flesh. James points to something as simple and mundane is the tongue and our words. And he shows us that this little tongue of ours simply cannot be tamed. It can't be controlled. It often controls us. It creates circumstances in our lives, that are simply beyond or out of our control. It's a flame of fire, he says, and that fire finds its source in hell itself. He tells us that if we could control the tongue, we'd be perfect. But alas, we can't even control this tiny little tongue of ours and we are not perfect. We can even affect the change we want in something as simple as the use of our words. It's as futile as trying to draw a fresh water from a salty spring, James says. But in Christ, our heart is tamed by his love. And we begin to participate with that love. And we begin to learn to draw from the refreshing springs of Christ, His presence with us, in us daily, we experience something completely different. In Christ, we can learn to have wisdom that is pure and peace loving. We can learn to be gentle, we can learn to yield to others to show mercy to be sincere, to not show favoritism. We can learn to be peacemakers. A life tamed by his love In the end, will yield a harvest of righteous living. James is describing in such beautiful detail here what the Spirit filled life looks like. And that life is possible if we want it is not possible on our own effort, but it is possible when we are captivated, tamed by the love of God. So let us look into the face of Christ and see the one who is love itself. Let us be hold the manner of love that has been poured out on us in him unqualified, unconditional, fully received, fully embraced. Let us live in this love of his and let us participate with the spirits work by offering that love to others. Let Christ live his life. In in through you. You even today. That's the prayer that I have for my own soul. That's the prayer that I have for my family. For my wife, my daughters, my son and that's a prayer that I have for you. May it be so

You are loved!