Many times, we sit back waiting for God to do something for us. We sit on comfortable couches in the name of waiting upon the Lord. Instead, you need to act. Here, in this context, action refers to moving or doing something guided by the Holy Spirit.
In the book of James 4, the Bible shows that there are things you must do. If you wait for God to do them for you, He will not. God only acts in response to your actions. So, if you don’t act first, God will not act. Your actions trigger God’s response.
Submit to Resist
Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7).
‘Submit’ means to be accountable or to be subject to someone — God, society, or fellow believers.
People like hearing that the devil flees from them. But how? By resisting the devil. Before you resist the devil, you must first submit to God. If you don’t submit to God, you may resist the devil, but he will not flee. For the devil to flee from you, you must first submit to God. Then, after submitting to God, resist the devil. These two actions — submitting to God and resisting the devil — cause the devil to flee from you.
Draw Near, Cleanse and Purify
Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. (James 4:8–9).
To draw is to move closer to. Therefore, it is your duty and responsibility to draw near to God. When you take a step towards God, God takes a step towards you. The steps you take towards God determine the steps God takes towards you. Keep in mind that God is great. Therefore, your tiny steps trigger God’s enormous steps towards you. God is waiting for you to set the pace towards Him. Draw near to Him and let Him draw near to you. Ignite the journey and let Him Spring into action.
Cleanse means to make clean, pure, and holy. It’s your duty to cleanse your hands. If your hands are not clean, you have failed to take the necessary action. So, take action. Cleanse your hands.
Purify means to make pure or remove both physical and moral blemishes; it also involves becoming ritually clean. It is your responsibility to purify your heart — God will not do it for you. How can you do this? Through prayer and fasting. James 4:9 says, “Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.” (James 4:9)
Lamenting, mourning, and weeping simply mean praying and fasting. They involve humbling oneself before the Lord through prayer and fasting. Prayer and fasting are personal choices. When done in humility, God honours them. When God honours them, Isaiah 58:6–12 provides the answer. Therefore, draw near to God, cleanse your hands, and purify your heart. This is achieved through prayer and fasting.
Humble Yourself
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. (James 4:10).
Humility is not thinking too highly of oneself; it involves bringing oneself low or prostrate, which can also imply a lower social or economic status, or being meek and gentle. Many people are not humble; they are humbled. However, the Bible states that you are the one to humble yourself, not to be humbled by others. God lifts you, but this lifting is based on your act of humbling. When you humble yourself in the sight of God, He lifts you up. Your elevation is connected to your humility before God. Therefore, when you humble, God lifts you; when you are humbled, there is no automatic lifting. Lifting comes through a personal decision to humble yourself before God. The action of humbling yourself in His presence prompts God to lift you up. Your elevation from God results from the conscious act of humbling yourself in His sight.
Don’t Speak Evil of Others
Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. (James 4:11)
Refrain from judging. When you judge, you will be judged.
Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you. (Luke 6:37–38)
So, take action. Do your part. The rest, God will do. Complete your assignment and wait upon the Lord to do His.
Contributor: By Gilbert Magomere Ayieko
