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already seen, an untamed tongue, as well as partiality or injustice. If our trust is not viably in the Lord and we lean not on him but elsewhere, our paths won’t be straight but will continually zigzag in unrest. Thank God for his mercy. That’s where James moves next. God yearns over the spirit that he’s made to dwell in us, James writes (4:5). He yearns for the Spirit given us in our spirits, and so draws us forth with him. Believers may bury or drop into a vault the Holy Spirit’s presence in their lives, even to the point of deeply grieving him. But for Christians, the Holy Spirit is always there, waiting to rise phoenix-like. That’s why the apostle Paul tells his protégé, the young pastor Timothy, that the Holy Spirit is to be fanned into flame (2 Tim. 1:6). God, not we, makes himself, the Holy Spirit, living and active in us. But that doesn’t mean we just sit as couch potatoes waiting for that to happen. We are to fan the Spirit into flame. How do we do that? James tells us. God gives more grace (Jas. 4:6). Good thing, since if it were left up to us, we’d give up. To fan a flame so that it rises means that the wood or coals in the fire need to be further consumed. God gives more grace, but to the humble (4:6), James writes, to those who are willing to have their lusts consumed away instead of continuing to have these lusts consume them. The humble are those who know who they are before God—sinners deserving his judgment, who are poor in spirit and mourn for their sin. The proud, however, will only be opposed by God. God is the one who gives more grace, but notice, as James explains, this means he draws us not to the top of the mountain but to the bottom of the valley so we can see how high the mountain really is. Submit yourselves therefore to God (4:7), James tells them, if you hope to stand on the mountain. But wait a minute. We’re Christians. We’ve already been there and have done that. We already know all this. Next time I’ll take a look at what these off-kilter Christians need to learn that they think they already have. It’s not complex but simple, and if we’re honest, we’ll see we’re also like these first-century believers more often than we may want to admit.

Mr. Gerry Wisz

is a writer, college instructor, and semi-retired public relations professional who, with his family, is a member of Preakness Valley URC in Wayne, NJ.

Reformed Mission Services, Inc. is prayerfully seeking applicants for a PROMOTIONS COORDINATOR

Reformed Mission Services, Inc. (RMS) is a Christian non-profit corporation that matches missionaries with manpower and resources. It also matches individuals desiring to participate in short-term mission projects with opportunities to do so. In short, RMS currently seeks a Promotions Coordinator who will be responsible for promoting RMS activities to its 55 member churches, recruiting participants for its several mission projects, assisting with new mission projects, and documenting RMS events on its social sites and in its archives. Request detailed job description from rob@rms.org.