Lent Day 24–Center of the You-niverse

Toby Keith recorded a song written by Bobby Braddock called I Wanna Talk About Me.  We can all laugh at lyrics like:

We talk about your work how your boss is a jerk
We talk about your church and your head when it hurts
We talk about the troubles you’ve been having with your brother
About your daddy and your mother and your crazy ex-lover
We talk about your friends and the places that you’ve been
We talk about your skin and the dimples on your chin
The polish on your toes and the run in your hose
And God knows we’re gonna talk about your clothes
You know talking about you makes me smile
But every once in awhile I wanna talk about me
Wanna talk about I
Wanna talk about number one
Oh my me my
What I think, what I like, what I know, what I want, what I see
I like talking about you you you you, usually, but occasionally
I wanna talk about meeeeee

Yes, it’s hard when someone we know is at the center of their own Youniverse.  Unfortunately, for  many of us, that You is Me—all the time.

In today’s passage (James 4:1-12), James has a few words for those of us living at the center of our Youniverse:   Get real.

James, known for his straight-forward manner, says

You want something but don’t get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want.You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask God.  When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures (James 4:2-3).

Look at all the you words in those two verses!

But then James gives us the antidote to the Youniverse:  the God-centered universe. 

[God]  gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”   Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.   Come near to God and he will come near to you.  Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.  Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up (James 4:6-10).

When we see who is really at the center of the universe, we’ll get real about humility.  God will respond by lifting us up to walk on the Way of Holiness.