Do.

"My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires." -James 1:19 & 20

This verse today in my life?  Epic, epic fail.

I just deleted a really petty list of reasons why I was so cranky today.  I have no excuses.  My new goal this week: to be incredibly quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry.  Slow to become irritated, and more apt to be less focused on myself.

James goes on to say: "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do." (22-25)

Another pitfall in my life?  Doing what I know I need to do.  Seriously, I can't remember what my face looks like when I try to picture it in my head.  I am this person that James is talking about.  What would help is to look more intently into the eyes of Jesus, and listen to him more as I'm reading his word. 

I'm so thankful for worship, and the way that as I bring my crud before the Father, I can lay it all down at his feet.  That he comes and takes all of my stuff, and makes me clean.  And it's just amazing how he knows what I need to hear.  I've been singing this song all week, and we sang it at church this morning.  It's by a guy named Charlie Hall...

Oh Christ, be the center of our lives.
Be the place we fix our eyes,
Be the center of our lives.

You're the center of the universe,
everything was made in You, Jesus
Breath of every living thing, everyone was made for You

You hold everything together, You hold everything together...

Oh Christ, be the center of our lives!
Be the place we fix our eyes,
Be the center of our lives.

We lift our eyes to heaven,
And we wrap our lives around Your life
We lift our eyes to heaven, to You."

I distinctly remember singing this in the hospital the night after my surgery, and it is still my continued prayer for this very week.  Nearly three months in, and I'm still praying it.

Christ, please be the center of our lives.  Please be the place we fix our eyes; be the center of our lives.  And not just by our words, but by the way that we live our lives.