Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread.

Our reading titled, How's My Driving?

Was written by Adam R. Holes.

Arr, I yelled as the repair truck cut in front of me.

That's when I saw the message.

How's my driving? And a phone number.

I picked up my phone and dialed. A woman asked me why I was calling and I vented my frustration.

So she took down the truck's number. Then she said warily, you know, you can always call to report

someone who's driving nicely.

Ouch, her tired words instantly punctured my smug self-righteousness.

Embarrassment flooded me.

In my zeal for justice, I hadn't paused to consider how my rage-filled tone could

affect this woman in her difficult job.

The disconnect between my faith and my fruitfulness in that moment was devastating.

The gap between our actions and our convictions is what the book of James focuses on.

In James chapter 1 verses 19 through 20 we read,

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. Later, he adds,

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

None of us is perfect. Sometimes our driving in life needs help. The kind that starts with confession

and asks for God's help, trusting him to keep filing

...