James 1 – 3
James is my favorite book in the Bible because it’s short and to the point. There are few flowery stories for illustrations, just hart hitting statements that cut to the point. Verses 1:2 & 3 talks about trials we have in life:
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
In two verses James is talking about when life gets tough and how we should be thankful. He also explains why we should be thankful. Often when we read short verses like this they become more cliché than fact. We hear them and instead of strengthening our faith we end up getting upset. We argue they do on understand what we are going through right now. I argue we don’t understand what they went through. As Christians today our “persecution” is prayers being banned in school or the Ten Commandments being removed from a courthouse, where they were jailed and often put to death.
So “quit yer’ belly achin’!!” Learn to be at peace with any trial knowing the end result will be more faith or a better understanding of God. I know the argument is always why would God allow this or that to happen, but we have to take a larger look and realize the ultimate design is to get us closer to Him.
Verses 1:19 & 20 are one of those passages I have to remember over and over again:
19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
For those who have known me a long time, it has taken decades to learn this. The first time I read this passage was in the parking lot of X-Games Skatepark in Duluth when it first opened. I was waiting for Devon to finish a session in the park and figured I would read something in the Bible. The first book I decided to look at was James since it was short. Did not realize how powerful it was and each time I read it I get something new or am reminded (as here) of something I forgot.
This blog is not here so you can get great spiritual truths from me, but rather get inspired to pick up the Bible and read! I am an idiot just guessing at what God is saying, you really need to do it yourself. Believe me it’s a daunting task, but if you start with James and avoid the OT for a little, you will see how easy it is and do it!!
Verse 1:22 is something that is argued often by many:
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
The standard argument to not doing this is we are saved by faith and not by works so therefore we cannot “earn” our way into heaven. The Jehovah Witnesses and the Mormons who dedicate time to talk to people get ridiculed by other faiths for trying to earn their way into heaven. I disagree! They are DOING the word and spreading the Gospel, not just sitting in church and praising God.
Sorry this is a touchy point to me and I feel this is critical in our walk. Our faith is “dead” is we do not act upon it. Let’s be perfectly clear that a person who lives mission work all their life and walks according to God will have the same stature as the murdering rapist who gains salvation in the “chair”. But at the same time I would hate to have to answer to God having been a Christian for 40 years and having done nothing for the “kingdom”.
Get connected to local missions in your area. Work with the homeless or just give someone encouragement while paying for their food or giving a GENEROUS tip. Don’t be secretive unless you have a note to give them so they know this was from God and not you. Remember also, the more you do is not to bring GLORY to you but to God. Don’t form a BRAG-A-MONY about how many mission trips you have been to in Africa, but rather just do them for God’s glory.
As you can see I am not into the two other chapter and have eaten up time and the blog. So read on your own and see what inspires you today. Some hints: 2:14 (expands on the last verse), 2:19, 3:1, 3:5 and 3:15 & 16.