James 4: 9-10 — Preflight Checklist

Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

What kind of person are you? Are you extremely sensitive to the people around you? Are you sent into spasms of guilt simply because someone gives you a stern look? Or, are you one of those people who need to be whacked upside the head with a 2×4 so someone can get your attention? Whatever your personality type, God has some scripture written just for you.

As I look back over James’ letter, his passion for serving God correctly is clear. His understanding of God is acute and sharply honed. His method of sharing that understanding is somewhat akin to a Marine Corps Drill Sergeant barking orders at recruits.

Some people take offense at the bluntness of James’ approach. Yet everything he says is completely in line with the rest of God’s Word. The only difference is how he says it.

Today James gives us a tutorial on how to approach God with the correct attitude towards our sinful nature. Recognizing that we are all double-minded (James 1: 6), sinners under the law (James 2: 10), we have a tongue is a “world of evil” (James 3: 6), we are guilty of favoritism (James 2: 9), we are guilty of being judges with evil thoughts (James 2: 4), and that we are totally dependent on God’s grace (James 4: 6) he tells us to “grieve, mourn and wail.”

Can you imagine approaching the King of Everything with an attitude of expectation? When you are standing in line waiting your turn to meet your Maker are you looking at all the wailing going on around you with disdain? Are you thinking God is looking forward to meeting you in person because you did such a great job here on earth?

The right attitude is everything. Approaching God with deep humility allows Him to lift us up. There is nothing better than being lifted up by God.

Application: Before getting on your knees to pray tonight, do what pilots do before they take off: Check your attitude. Are you humbling yourself before God?

Food for Thought: Are we really as bad as James makes us out to be?