Do you know anyone who has, to quote James, “wandered from the truth”? Sometimes people walk away from a doctrinal belief in God and His gospel; other times, someone might believe all the right things, but no longer live by them.

The depth of our conversations reflects the depth of our relationships—what we choose to share and how we do so sheds light on the closeness of each relationship. Likewise, what and how we pray reflects our inner spiritual condition and how we’re doing in our relationship with God.

I’m sure many of us have been careless with our words one way or another. Perhaps you had agreed to pray for a friend, but you forgot all about it.  Do we take our words seriously?

Patience as a virtue is a process of waiting on God and trusting in His timing, instead of being anxious about results that don’t appear immediately. And James reminds us that we don’t have to wait indefinitely.

As my husband and my savings inched up and up, It became tempting to stay put and continue building up our wealth, and holding on to a stable job would promise financial stability for the family. Inch by inch, it became a matter of what or who do we trust in.

We might make plans and arrange our lives around our ambitions and assumptions of success, but the truth is, none of us can offer any guarantees.

We may not hold actual physical records or voice aloud all our thoughts. But if we were to list down all the thoughts we’ve had about others, let’s just say they would probably not be as pure as we imagined them to be.

Let’s face it, submission to God—be it to His Word or His Person—is easier said than done. It takes a great deal out of us to put aside our pride and the rights we think we deserve, and to humble ourselves in obedience before God.

I made up my mind to quit because I did not want to place myself in a position where I could be influenced by gambling and compromise on my values. I was afraid that one day, I would also join them in placing a bet.

It’s a tale as old as time, from Cain to modern-day murderers. Let’s face it: we live in a world that prizes and pursues the gratification of our personal lusts at whatever cost.