Takeaways

 Whether you’ve heard it said that repetition is the mother of learning, retention, or skill, it’s valuable and beneficial to repeat certain truths until they become ingrained. It’s the reason for basic training when someone goes into the army or why, as an aspiring chef, you spend endless hours learning to chop all manner of vegetables. You may not be quick on the draw or fluid loading and unloading on your first day, but three months in, it’s all muscle memory, and you surprise yourself at how quick you’ve become. The same goes for any skill you diligently repeat with consistency and regularity.

The world likewise knows this, and so they repeat and regurgitate lies often and with great conviction until more and more of the population believes them to be true. They will even employ the services of trustworthy and reputable individuals to push their narrative because they know it works.

There is no shortage of examples, and we are seeing an entire generation believe demonstrable lies because everywhere they turn, the lie is repeated by talking heads with fake smiles and no morals or ethics. I guess the call to believe the science only applies in certain situations. When science bumps up against the narrative, science is subjective and malleable. When it agrees with it, it is absolute and unerring.

There are two main takeaways from the first few verses of the fifth chapter of James’s epistle that are likewise worth repeating because just as one can retain and learn nonsensical lies through repetition, one can learn the truth through the same practice as well.

The first big takeaway is that everything in your life must submit to God’s authority, including your plans, personal aspirations, or vision for your future. It matters not how right they might look in your eyes; they must be right in God’s eye. God’s not there just to rubber-stamp everything you want. He is there to guide you in the way He desires you to go.

The second takeaway is that though you are presently persecuted, reviled, exploited, marginalized, and abused, your attitude must be one of patient perseverance until the coming of the Lord. Be anxious for nothing. It’s hard to pull off, I know, especially given the times we’re living in, but there is a peace that abounds in the heart that has learned to lean fully upon Christ that no amount of safety nets we’ve built for ourselves can match.

The coming of the Lord is at hand; everything else is static. When He returns is solely God’s purview, but because we know He will, we can be patient and persevere however long it might take. When our focus is on patience and perseverance rather than a particular date or a particular year, it repositions our mindset on our relationship with God rather than an end goal. Too many believers are living like they’re holding their breath underwater, hoping they make it to the surface before they pass out, rather than in joyous unity and fellowship and intimacy with God. The journey is not the destination, but the journey has its own merits as well. God’s creation is a glorious thing to behold. Family, friends, brothers, and sisters in Christ are all experiences we should cherish.

Some people find joy in the direst of circumstances, while others fail to find it while living lives others would only dare to dream of. It’s an issue of perception and what we choose to focus on. It’s whether or not we’re constantly assessing whether the neighbor’s grass is greener or appreciating our own lawn.

With love in Christ,

Michael Boldea, Jr.