Confessions of an Art Major: Coffee with Christy

Every Friday I have coffee with Christy.

Who is Christy?

Christy is my friend/accountability partner. I met Christy almost two summers ago when we worked at the same summer camp. She graduated from college with a degree in Graphic Design. Now Christy is back home (which happens to be the same town as where I go to college) and is seeking God's will and direction for her life. You can check out her website here or check out her blog here.

Anyway, every Friday we get together at the local coffee shop and go through the Bible together. Prayer is also a big part of our time. When I saw the current trend/linky party of Coffee Fridays, I knew right away that I had to take part. My plan is to share with you what scripture we discuss and how to apply that to your life. So here we go for our first Coffee with Christy!

Coffee with Christy

Today we read:

James 5:7-12

What this means to me:

Whew! This was a smorgasbord of topics. First it talks about waiting patiently for the Lord's return and then it jumps to complaining and swearing. I thought about how while we are waiting patiently for the Lord, we also need to remember that He is sovereign and He has authority over time and salvation. While we might really want to see people in our lives get saved, He has plans to draw them near in His time. This reminded Christy of Galatians 6:9 which states, "So we must not get tired of doing what is good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don't give up". He is sovereign. I was so convicted about complaining in verse 9. I am a major complainer. I have so much to be grateful for and I take almost everything in my life for granted. Then, this section on scripture moves on to discuss endurance. Verse 11 brings up Job and his endurance in trials. Then it goes on to proclaim how merciful and compassionate our Father is. I've never endured such trials as Job yet my God has still poured so much love and affection on me. I'll never understand how He can love someone so dirty and full of wrong motives. This section ends with verse 12 which urges us to not swear and let our "yes" be "yes" and our "no" be "no". The part that spoke the most to me was the message that God is our author. He is our merciful, sovereign author. He has a hand over our trials, waiting periods, and every situation in life. Let's give Him our life so that He may take over writing our story to be part of His story.

How can I apply this to my life:
I want to do less "controlling" and more trusting. I need only be still and know that He is God.

Memorize:
"See, we count as blessed those who have endured. You have heard of Job's endurance and have seen the outcome from the Lord. The Lord is very compassionate and merciful."

James 5:11

Pray for Christy: