James 1:19-27

James 1:19-27 
English Standard Version (ESV)

 There's so, so much packed into these words.  Are you quicker to hear or to speak?  Does your anger rise too quickly?  Does the word that you hear call you to action?  Are in you control of your tongue?  Do you remember the orphans and widows?
  As Christians, there are so many verses that guide us in our daily lives.  It's easy to be overwhelmed -- you can feel like there's a thousand things to remember and so many ways to mess it up.  Remember that Christianity is a long game -- it's on an eternal scale.  We're all growing into the Kingdom of God.  Scripture gives us glimpses of what life will be like when we're on the other side of earthly life.  When we strive for the these things, we're practicing for eternity.  When we live into the words of Scripture, we're being shaped and molded.  It's not meant to inspire guilt, but rather to lead us forward, to let our hunger for the eternal teach us how to serve and love one another.