There have been times, I must admit, and I would imagine so must you, when poor planning has brought about some serious problems in my life. And there have been times when I could have sworn that I DID plan things — it was just a lousy plan. I didn't take things into account; I didn't foresee real issues that could possibly (and often DID) pop up.

It's good to plan, for sure. If you are engaged in an important endeavor, it is good to think through the things that could happen that might be obstacles or challenges along the way. But here's the deal: you can plan and plan and even think of potential pitfalls and come up with contingencies, and there will still be times when things go awry - things totally out of your control, and things that frankly, you never thought of.

So how does GOD want His people to plan? I've unfortunately been a part of teams where it ended up that WE thought something was a good plan and then WE asked GOD to come alongside us and, essentially, bless this mess (as it turned out). Many believers live their lives like that: God, these are my plans; I'd like to invite you into my plans. When, as it turns out, God is asking us, His people, to find out HIS plans, and to find ways that we can fit into those plans, rather than vice versa.

This is what the next part of James' letter is all about: not presuming what the future will hold, and what plans you will accomplish, but to humbly ask God to guide and direct you where HE wants you to be, doing what HE has assigned and empowered you to do for HIS glory and HIS plans.

This last week in our Staff Meeting, I said some things out loud. And they weren't horribly critical. I think that they were just funny observations (at least in MY mind). And the staff basically told me how awkward it was to hear them. I told them that's what popped into my mind. And that's when Ethan said, they pop into our minds, too, Trey - but those tend to be INTERNAL conversations with us! 🙂

That was funny. But then it got me thinking, in light of this week's message: how often do we let things slip out of our mouths with no filter at all; things that SHOULD have stayed as INTERNAL conversations that flow out of our mouths. Now again, mine weren't critical at all… having fun with people's names, as I recall. BUT I have to admit that there have been times when what comes out of my mouth IS critical. And like Thumper's mom, I would do well to listen to the advice: If you can't say something nice…don't say anything at all. Especially if I'm not saying things in a helpful way.

Sometimes the things that come out of my mouth have been downright judgmental. And THIS is exactly where we find ourselves in our study in the book of James: slander and unrighteous judgment. And it shouldn't be surprising. Again, James is writing to those who had been a part of his congregation, people in the First Century Church in Jerusalem. And the times they were facing were getting tough. But these were REAL PEOPLE who were learning how to "do life together" in Jesus - people who in many instances came from completely different backgrounds, with the only thing they had in common (often) WAS their faith.

Several years ago Barbara Walters interviewed General Norman Schwartzkopf, one time commander of Operation Desert Storm in the Persian Gulf. When asked about the cost of the war in terms of human life the general began to cry. Walters rather bluntly inquired, "General, aren't you afraid to cry...?" To which the general replied, "Barbara, I'm afraid of a man who can't cry!"

Here is a soldier who’s been trained to be tough, a man who’s seen more death and destruction than I know I will ever see and yet doesn’t apologize for his tears. In fact he's afraid of the one who can't cry.

Many of us aren’t so much afraid of tears as we are ashamed of tears. Maybe it’s because of the steady stream of messages we get: stop crying, shake it off, only babies cry. Crying makes us feel vulnerable, and we fear being vulnerable.

But in that same vein, I also have come to realize by experience that sometimes the absolute best thing you can do is to break down when you realize things are not as they should be. And things are NOT good. The situation is NOT funny. And sometimes you just have no choice but to cry.

That's a part of what we get from the next verse in our study, as we are in James chapter 4. Turn with me to James 4 and let's look at verse 9: "Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom." (ESV)

Draw near to God. And guess what? He will draw near to you. That's where we ended last week, if you'll recall. What this means is that some of us have to quit thinking that God is so far away, playing some sort of cosmic hide-and-seek game with you. James is clear: make connection with God your destination and you'll find Him coming towards you the same way!

Last week we looked at the attitude of Humility: submitting to God, resisting the Devil, and drawing near to God. All of these things happen on the inside. But here's the amazing thing about Biblical faith: remember even the overall theme of the book of James is this: FAITH WORKS. Right? Yes, the Bible teaches that we are not saved by our works - it's by God's grace that He even extended the olive branch, the rescue rope, offering to pull us up out of the pit of our sinful nature; but it's also very clear from Scripture that the faith we have in that Grace causes us to move, to do, to obey, to become something different.

And so not only is the attitude of Humility important when we consider what it means to be saved, to live in God's eternal Kingdom, but our ACTIONS - the way we live, the decisions we make, the way we honor God with our bodies, the way we treat other people - these, too, are important.

Who needs grace today? Who really wants grace? Grace awaits - but notice to whom God gives grace… to the deserving? to the famous? No. It's very likely that those people miss the fact that they have NEED of grace. After all, why receive grace if you haven't done anything wrong?

So then, God gives grace to…the low-down dirty rotten scoundrels of this life?

Be careful before you give the church answer to that one. When we sing Amazing Grace, we DO sing the phrase "that saved a wretch like me." Grace DOES seem to be for those who NEED grace, those who are NOT perfect; the ones who do NOT have it all together. And that's what we celebrate when we sing that song - the fact that grace is available to the low-down dirty rotten scoundrels.

But I say be careful even with THAT sort of thinking, because something is missing in that equation. I'm sure that, like me, you know people who NEED grace, but won't receive it – ironically for the same reason that those who think they are deserving won't receive it.

James says it's all about HUMILITY. And you can be a pious do-gooder relying on your own moral behavior to make you right with God, or you can be an unrepentant sinner that doesn't care to have a connection with God because you don't want to ch

I want you to think back on a recent argument or conflict you had with someone. Could be your spouse, parents, kid, or somebody at work. What was the argument over? What was it about? Money, chores, politics, or something else. Regardless of the issue, what caused that argument?

That is the question that James wants us to deal with because the answer gives us deeper insight into why we have conflict with others. At the end of James 3 God gave us some incredible insight into what real wisdom looks like in our daily lives. Just because you are walking in wisdom does not mean you will not have conflict. This is why James 4 begins the way it does.

James just finished a section dealing with God’s wisdom and what it looks like and acts like in our life. When we are living by God’s wisdom, we are told that we will plant seeds of peace in our lives and in our relationships rather than seeds of conflict and division. So then, it's perfectly natural to follow that discussion up with a practical question: “Why do I get into arguments with others even when I’m trying to walk in God’s wisdom and pursue peace?” Such an important question that James begins chapter 4 with THIS question: “What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you?”

Wow. What a great question. Great because it seems to cut to get to the core issue. Many times when conflicts arise, we go for the quick fix - but ultimately what we end up doing is merely putting a band-aid on the problem without fixing it. A band-aid given to a hemophiliac. So you might take care of the immediate problem at hand - but wouldn't it be better to get to the root of the problem so you don't waste so many band-aids??

So it's good to find the cause of quarrels and fights. But before we do that, let's make sure we know what we are speaking about…

If you had just ONE wish, what would it be? Obviously this scenario is one that reveals what is at your core. If it's to win the lottery, I suppose people could conclude that financial security is most important to you. If it's to live to a ripe old age, perhaps family relationships are top priority for you. If it's to possess a certain ability, again, that would demonstrate what motivates you, or what do you care most about.

There's an event in the Old Testament in the life of young King Solomon, of whom God asked for his greatest desire.

What are YOU looking for today? Today, many seek riches, power, long life and other things…. but do you see how truly wise it was for Solomon to ask for wisdom? Because ultimately, one could live by the wisdom that is gained, and in doing so, you can take steps to get to some of those other goals that people have: financial security, relational harmony, physical and emotional health. Those things aren't bad. But by seeking wisdom, you might be able to benefit from MANY things because you have approached your decisions in life with wisdom.