James 4:14

May 24, 2009

Setting Our Church on Fire!

James 4:14
You do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life?
For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes…

For the past six weeks I and the Women in God’s Spirit group have been studying the Letter of James. James is believed to be the actual brother of James. The Letter of James is concerned with social justice, faith and works. There is much in James that is applicable to the world of today. As I read the Letter of James I found myself deeply moved by several passages.

The above verse was one that when I read it I had to stop reading and reflect for awhile on its meaning. We really do not know what tomorrow will bring. Tomorrow can be full of sorrow or full of joy. We can reflect upon our yesterdays and plan our tomorrows but “What is your life?” James asks us. Are you happy with your life? Do you think God is happy with your life?

Our lives are truly like the “mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” We are a mist... a real mist of nature, is a life-giving force. Moisture in the air drifts along and lands on plants giving them water and life. The existence of mist is short but very life-giving. We, like mist, drift along giving life to one another.

Each of our lives is very brief in comparison to the age of the cosmos and it may be tempting to ask “What difference does my life, my existence, make in the universe?” Do we use the gift of life to help one another, as Jesus would, or do we squander each day getting caught up in the everyday tasks of life? I know my life may not make a difference in the long scheme of things but I know I can make a difference in one or two lives around me and they will make a difference to a few others and together we can change the world.
---God Bless, Holly Clark