Daily Reflections on James 1:12-18 (Catching Stuff)

It is very similar to catching a cold. Put yourself in the wrong environment and within a couple of days you've got the sniffles or worse. I say environment but weather itself doesn't cause illness. Diseases, colds and flu in particular, are passed onto us by those with whom we associate. Family, friends, co-workers, etc. are the culprits. Hang out with them when they're sickly and before you know it you've got it too.

Those pesky little germs sometimes stays dormant for a while, but then they get you. They've multiplying unseen and unchecked for days. When they've gained enough strength to attack your body, your in for it. The battle is on. Viruses are the worst, since all you can do is relief symptoms. They just have to run their course.

Sin works the same way. We get infected hanging out in the wrong environments. More often than not the affects of others influence in our life allows the seed of sin to be planted, cultivated and developed. It's not others fault. Sin is always our choice. But the process that James describes in chapter 1 is enhanced by the environment with which we surround ourselves. Environment includes our surroundings, situations, and of course people.

In the same way all of us are vulnerable to sickness, colds, and flu, none of us are immune to the temptation of sin. No one is perfect. Only one was sinless, that's Jesus. Hanging out with Him gives us a fighting chance. He came to give us the ability to fight off sin that can destroy our lives or that makes us feel miserable. It's through the power of the cross and the resurrection that we can be healed. Paul says that it was by Jesus' stripes that we are healed.

The message of Christmas is a message of reprieve and relief and renewal. Jesus isn't Vitamin C or Zinc or Echinacea or even antibiotics. He's not some magic pill we take to help our body/mind heal ourselves. He is the cleansing agent. He is the antidote. He's the healing power.

God, I know I need my daily exposure to you to stay healthy personally, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Cleanse me. Eradicate the seeds of sin that begin to grow in me. Foster the growth of your Word in me.