James 1
(Scripture version - New Living translation)
James is a brother of Jesus (Mark 6:3) and he takes a prominent role in the church, following Jesus’ death when Jesus appeared to him. (1 Corinthians 15:7) From that moment on, James becomes one of the great leaders of the church in Jerusalem and Paul even called him "a pillar" of the church. (Gal 2:9) This letter from James is written to Jews, "to the 12 tribes scattered abroad"; the people of Israel. Clearly from this letter, the people were having troubles in their personal lives and in their church fellowship. From worldliness to problems with their words, to straying away from God's word, James seeks to encourage his letter readers towards spiritual maturity, to grow up and be the people God asks them to be. Let the book of James be a “life-coach” to you in your journey with God.
“Remember, crap fertilizes growth.”
James 1:2-4
“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.”
James recognizes the storms life brings and seeks to help us look at them as growth-opportunities rather than just storms. When complaining about the “stuff” life can bring us I recall hearing someone say: “remember, shit fertilizes”. What a way to look at the hard times in life, that they are fertilizing new growth IN our lives! This perspective can bring much peace when in the middle of the muck!
“Seek God with Unwavering Faith”
James 1:6-8
“But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.”
The Lord knows your heart and He is keenly aware if you are not seeking Him with resolute faith. Stop trusting in God with 50% of your heart while leaving the other 50% on something worldly and human. God will weed that out in you and discard it with the wave of a hand. Doubts are normal, questions are normal… but you must develop the discipline of setting those aside and fully trusting in God. He always provides for those who are steadfast in Him.
“Temptation’s womb is in the heart’s desires.”
James 1:14-15
“Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.”
What a scary thought: temptation to sin is birthed in our very own heart, out of our worldly desires. Temptation is not a grenade thrown at you that explodes but rather, it is a grenade sitting INSIDE you with the pin still intact. When we act out our temptations, we then pull the pin. The Apostle Peter warns people in this way too: In 1 Peter 2:11 he tells his readers to “keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your souls.” My friends, spiritual warfare is real, and our life experiences and contexts have placed grenades in our hearts. Discipline yourself to leave the grenades alone… don’t even look at the pin on the trigger, let alone lay a finger on it as well. Own your temptations, fight against them, and keep a resolute faith in God.
“Hurry up and listen”
James 1:19-20
“Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.”
The norm these days seems to be quick to speak, faster to be angry, and listen later…. maybe. James brings great wisdom though. To stop and listen. Keep your thoughts to yourself for a time and make sure your thinking is rational and kind. Irrational thinking leads to hurt and pain for yourself and for others. I know, it’s so hard to do sometimes, but we need to keep a zipper on our mouth more often. When you take time to listen to people and avoid jumping to conclusions, assumptions, and defensiveness you discover a path to peace-filled resolutions. While anger is a perfectly normal emotion, it is one that can get us into a lot of trouble if we do not mind it. Feeling anger is not a sin, but what you do with and through anger most certainly can be. Discipline yourself to be a devoted listener and slow responder.
“Do not just read The Word, LIVE The Word.”
James 1:22-24
“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.”
There’s not a lot to say about this powerful point from James. Simply put, there are too many Jesus fans today and not enough Jesus followers. Too many people who claim Christianity, but following attendance at the hour on Sunday they return to their regular lives and forget what they heard. Be a Christ-follower and live The Word rather that just reading The Word. Scripture study is not an item on a religious to-do check list. It is a precious life skill designed to change you, shape you, improve you, and cause you to be more Christ-like in all your daily actions. When you read the bible, invite the Holy Spirit to speak to you and convict you… then, follow through!
“Only you are in control of you.”
James 1:26 & 21
“If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself and your religion is worthless.”
“So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.”
Nobody makes you do anything, for you are in control of you. James reminds us to control our tongue, mind your choice of words, and work at removing the “filth” in our lives. It’s up to you to do this, to make the choice to pursue righteousness. A dirty mouth and foul language are not righteous and does not honor God. Filth leads to more filth and the build of filth can be a huge mess if left unattended. What filth do you have in your life that needs to be washed away? How is your language, do your words and speech honor God? Whatever you need to do in your life to address these items James brings to the forefront, just do it already… what are you waiting for?
(All scripture references are from the New Living Translation)
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