Mercy Triumphs

I've been working on Beth Moore's latest bible study, "James: Mercy Triumphs". I'm only on week three of the study and have already been convicted more times than I can count. You see, James is speaking to christians about how they need to do better, to be better, to love better, to serve better. He preaches how, when we don't keep a tight reign on our tongue, our "religion" becomes worthless; how if we don't help our brothers in need, we are not fulfilling our calling; how if we become polluted by the world, we cannot be the blessing. Those three things all seem impossible to live daily.


Beth offers this encouragement:
"James wrote for people serving actively, openly and humbly right in its thick, pungent pollution. So, how on earth do we serve in it without smelling like it? With serious discipline and determination, that's how. With courage and deep conviction. With a large daily dose of the Holy Ghost, as my girlfriends say. You don't live this kind of life accidentally. You make up your mind who you want to be and daily die to the rest. You surrender yourself to living in the tension where you'll always be stretched and often be broken. Religion pure and undefiled is grit without grime. You accept that far easier ways to live exist, but you were born for nothing less. And when we sniff ourselves and smell the world, we run to the One who can wash us."


James 2:18
But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds and I will show you my faith by what I do.