Month: November 2022

Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. James 4:7 While mired in my own drug addiction, I knew what I should do. I knew that the addicted needed to go to treatment, attend meetings, be honest, and change their lives. Did I do those things though? No, of…
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God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. James 4:6 This may be oversimplifying things, but in medicine, it’s generally up to the physician to write orders while the nurse follows those orders. Even writing that though, feels like I’m being patriarchal and domineering. In our independent culture, we just don’t naturally embrace…
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Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. James 4:4 When I was maybe five or six years old, my dad took my brother and me on one of our day fishing trips. We…
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You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. James 4:2-3 Yesterday was a blustery day. As I drove home from church, contemplating today’s passage, my truck was pushed around by 25-30 mph gusts. Driving into or perpendicular to…
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What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. James 4:1-2 When I was using my own license to divert opioid pain medications, it…
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But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. James 3:14-16 Last night,…
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Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. James 3:13 Part of the application and acceptance process for medical school was the personal interview. During the interview, I sat before medical school faculty, being asked several questions. There were many…
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And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. James 3:6 Several years ago, while doing some outdoor spring cleaning, I started a fire in our yard to burn…
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For we all stumble in many ways. James 3:2 I sat down with my wife one evening recently while she was watching one of those home renovation shows. I noticed that one of the hosts of the show had on pants that I thought looked stupid and so, I said as much. A moment later…
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Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. James 3:1 It was Halloween yesterday and I went to work pretending to be Jared Allen, a retired Vikings player known for his mullet. It was good fun, which Halloween is meant to…
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