Scripture is paved with speed bumps—words and phrases meant to slow us down. One of my favorites is the simple phrase, “but God.” Not the whiney “but God, why?” but, a heroic “but God!” as in, “Things may look bleak…but God!”

There’s a “but God” speed bump you’ve got to see in the Book of James. It’s so youth ministry. We hit it just after James really thrashes his readers—people he’s already addressed as “believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ.” Now James is inferring they’re spiritually “adulterous,” even “enemies” of God. Evidently they were struggling with living out the gospel in the day-to-day grind. In fact, here are some clips:

James 4:1-4
1 What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? 2 …You quarrel and fight… 3 When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures. 4 You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

Sounds like these folks were a long way from winning any “church of the year” award. In fact, James could have admonished them from several directions. I could see him saying something like, “You guys should take a cue from the Philippian church. They bring joy to their mentor, Paul!” Or he could have encouraged them to replant. Things were pretty bad. Then the speed bump:

James 4:6-10
6 But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come near to God and he will come near to you.… 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Think About It
You quarrel and fight…but God. You choose to make friends with the world…but God. He gives more grace; things can look bleak, but He gives us more grace. Then James gives some practical instructions. Take another look at James 4:6-10, and jot in the space below the instructions you see.

Apply It
As youth workers, we’ve seen our students suffer consequences from the same issues James’ readers dealt with: infighting, selfish choices, friendship with the world rather than with God. Like James’ original readers, teens often struggle to live out the gospel on a daily basis. Students may get frustrated trying to follow through on commitments. A “why try?” attitude can settle in, putting distance between them and God. They may start to have jitters (read guilt) about getting back to God, but He gives us more grace. Make the slightest move toward Him (humble yourself) and He runs toward you.

Pause on this speed bump before you turn the page to another article in this magazine. Think about your students. Pray about how you might encourage them to replace their frustrations and “God-jitters” with the simple promise that if they draw near to God, He will draw near to them.