"The letter of James shows one of the church's early pastors skillfully going about his work of confronting, diagnosing, and dealing with areas of misbelief and misbehavior that had turned up in congregations committed to his care." Eugene Peterson, Intro to JamesI appreciate how James cuts to the chase and doesn't sugarcoat anything he has to say. No ambiguity here. This love letter has long been a favorite of mine because it offers God's wisdom in many of the areas I struggle with, particularly:
You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. (1:3)
Don't fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear! (1:22)
Real religion, the kind that passes muster before God the Father, is this: Reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight, and guard against corruption from the godless world. (1:27)
Talk and act like a person expecting to be judged by the Rule that sets us free...Kind mercy wins over harsh judgment every time. (2:12-13)
Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense? (2:17)
By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony into chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell. (3:6)
Real wisdom, God's wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. (3:17)
Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. (4:8)These verses challenge the temptation to excuse or overlook my sin. I'd like to think I'm doing alright, but these black-and-white verses remove that option. They force me to acknowledge my sin - my sharp tongue, my desire to avoid pain, my lack of compassion, my complaining spirit, my self-centeredness - and encourage me to repent before my Lord.
In fact, if you know the right thing to do and don't do it, that, for you, is evil. (4:17)
Friends, don't complain about each other. A far greater complaint could be lodged against you, you know. (5:9)
With these words, I can no longer pretend this is "just who I am," if I want to be like my Father, if I don't want to waste my one-and-only life.
"[W]hen your faith leads to a consuming desire to love Me and others at any cost, when your faith is accompanied by a consistent pattern of good works, your life in this world will not be wasted, and your life in the next world will be uniquely blessed. Grasp that truth, and you will discover the power to resist your favorite temptations and to keep walking the narrow road to life, to fill your life with good works...
I saved your soul from eternal separation from Me when you placed your faith in My Son. Now save your soul from a wasted life by listening to Me, by using your tongue to celebrate Me and advance My plan, and by expressing anger only when whatever offends you is offensive to Me. In doing so, you will save your soul from missing out on the unique joy of reigning with My Son in the glory of His well-deserved leadership, of taking part in leading the dance." 66 LL
3 comments:
No wasted lives on this blog. Loved when you said "my one-and-only life."
And the one about judging others stood out to me too. I'm far worse than anybody knows and need to focus on what's stirring in my heart. I'll stand before Him and give account of me not of my children or husband or ...
I read the first two verses of James and wonder how I can welcome better the challenges of life. Tonight we sit in Austin---suppose to be spending Christmas with family in Dallas---been packed since 9am ready to leave but my college son listened to the doctor at UT who told him not to get a yellow fever vaccination cause Britt has had recent mono (for one year). So he didn't get it and now his trip to Bolivia is in jeopardy. Had to spend the day here to straighten it out. Challenges. Not how I wanted to spend my day but aren't interruptions really God's Plan A. Slept 4 hours last night cause of interruption so I'm off to bed. Love you guys. Hope I sign in tomorrow from Dallas, LORD willing.
This is such a power-packed and practical book. Talk about putting the cookies on the bottom shelf! Super accessible.
Here's what stood out to me today:
If you could find someone whose speech was perfectly true, you'd have a perfect person, in perfect control of life. (James 3.2)
Where do you think all these appalling wars and quarrels come from? Do you think they just happen? Think again. They come about because you want your own way, and fight for it deep inside yourselves. You lust for what you don't have and are willing to kill to get it. You want what isn't yours and will risk violence to get your hands on it. (James 4.1-2)
Praying for you, Bev, and for Britt's trip. I'm so thankful for your many encouraging words over recent days. Love you too!
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