James 1 – 3
Verses 1:2-4 opens with how we handle tests:
2-4 Don’t run from tests and hardships, brothers and sisters. As difficult as they are, you will ultimately find joy in them; if you embrace them, your faith will blossom under pressure and teach you true patience as you endure. And true patience brought on by endurance will equip you to complete the long journey and cross the finish line—mature, complete, and wanting nothing.
We always seem to think life will be rosy once we accept Jesus as our Lord, when in reality not much changes. Life is the same, or is it? The difference is how we view bad events in our lives. Do we spin off in self-pity or dependence on God? Think about it, what should change is not the problem but how we handle them. Do we show faith in God or do we spin out of control into a mire of depression? Verse 5 has the simple solution, pray for wisdom!!
Verse 1:19 starts a long dissertation on how the tongue is a problem:
Listen, open your ears, harness your desire to speak, and don’t get worked up into a rage so easily, my brothers and sisters.
I think this is what initially attracted me to James, his BLUNT approach and talking directly to me about my problems. Quick history, if you haven’t heard it, James was the first book I read in the Bible. I was waiting for D in the car and picked up my Bible to finally actually read it. James is where I landed and that inspired me to continue. That was around 10 years and 4 complete reads in 4 versions ago.
The key we need is right here, listen and process what is being said before making some story in our heads that causes us to stick our foot in our mouths. Crucial Conversations is a book that gives one some practical tools for doing just this, keeping important discussions from ratcheting into a mess.
Verse 1:22 is part two of the key to James’ writings:
Put the word into action. If you think hearing is what matters most, you are going to find you have been deceived.
In a nutshell he is saying “GO, DO” and not just live in our religious bubble. We need to step into action!! Vere 2:13 kind of sums the reason actions and mercy are so important:
although you can’t expect to be shown mercy if you refuse to show mercy. But hear this: mercy always wins against judgment! Thank God!
Think about it, the Bible is simple do to others as you would want God to do to you. Plain and simple words and direct from the Lord’s Prayer. We need to live as no other since we have to answer to one greater than no other. Oh as I run out of paper and time I could go on and on, James rocks!! If you could only see how much new stuff I pulled out of this 5th or 6th reading of James!! Read it all, over and over again … throughout your life!!