Better Than IKEA Directions (James 4:7-8)

For a drifting church

James wrote to believers who were quarreling and flirting with the world. In 4:7-8 he lays out the way home in three steps. DeWayne joked it's clearer than IKEA directions.

Submit

Submitting to God isn't weakness. It's getting into formation under the One in charge.

Resist

From under His authority you can stand your ground, and the devil will flee. Not stall or think it over, but run.

Draw near

"Come near to God and He will come near to you." God isn't waiting with folded arms. Most of us didn't fall away overnight. We drifted a little at a time, so coming back can start with a single step.

What about discipline?

A participant asked how God's correction fits if He never forces us. DeWayne said the Spirit convicts, but the choice is still ours. Consequences come from love, the way a parent disciplines a child so they'll come home. Someone else compared it to touching a hot stove. You don't blame the stove, but you learn.

Try this

• Before you open your inbox, name one thing that has been pulling you away.
• Take one specific step toward God today.