Easier to Tame a Tiger; James

May the mumbling commence!

I have a deep respect for all teachers.  I pray for them daily.  In many ways, I am a teacher at heart.  But to be a teacher can be trying.  It is not easy.  Teachers are held to a higher standard.

There is power in what we say.  Power in our speech is a part of being made in the image of God.  And teachers are held to a higher standard.  Be careful what you say, teachers.  And I am speaking to myself as well.  Oh, that tongue is so hard to tame.  Read from James chapter three (NIV):

Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.  We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. 

When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal.  Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go.  Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.  The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 

All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness.  Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be.  Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring?  My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water. (Verses 1-12)

Might as well try to tame a tiger than tame the tongue.  I may spend hours at a time thinking that I have a hold on my tongue; but, then, my tongue becomes disconnected with my brain and heart.  Then I say some pretty perverse things.

I spend my share of time praising God.  I also spend my share of time saying words that tear other people down.  Like James tells us – this is not right.

Have mercy on me, God.  Guide how I think.  Guide my attitudes.  Guide my words.  Guide my work.  I need you, Lord.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Humility is Hard; James

May the mumbling commence!

“O Lord, it’s hard to be humble…”  But humble we must be.  And humility is hard.

       

Lord, give us the grace of humility.

What does humility consist of?  Humility consists of submission to God and resisting the devil.  So much in our culture tells us the lie that if we wish to be free, we need to follow the ways of the world.  Those ways only lead to slavery.

So much in our culture tells us that submitting to God will diminish us.  There is nothing further from the truth.  Do you want to be all that you can be?  Who better to go to, then, than our very Creator?  God alone can set us free.

How do we get access to that freedom?  Draw near to God.  God will take three steps for our every one.  Resist the devil, and he will flee.  Recognize your sins and cleanse your hands… purify your hearts… be of one mind with the Holy Spirit of the living God.

When we embrace our need for God, misery and mourning and weeping will be the rule.  It is a part of humility before the Lord.  But these feelings are not the end.  Read from James chapter four (NASB):

Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: "He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us"?  But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says,

"GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD,

BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE." 

Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.  Be miserable and mourn and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning and your joy to gloom.  Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will exalt you. (4:5-10)

Do these things and God will exalt you.

Praise God.  Exalt God.  Humble yourself.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Tear Down the Walls; James

May the mumbling commence!

Alas!  We live in a much stratified world.  There are artificial walls built up in between all different kinds of people – walls that demark nationality, race, religion, socioeconomic status.

Our God is not in the business of erecting walls.  The Lord is in the business of tearing them down.  The persistent call of God is come together and worship me.

Surely, these artificial walls are not in the Body of Christ.  Alas!  The church seems in many ways to be no different.  It is not right!  Read from James chapter two (NJB):

My brothers, do not let class distinction enter into your faith in Jesus Christ, our glorified Lord.  Now suppose a man comes into your synagogue, well-dressed and with a gold ring on, and at the same time a poor man comes in, in shabby clothes, and you take notice of the well-dressed man, and say, 'Come this way to the best seats'; then you tell the poor man, 'Stand over there' or 'You can sit on the floor by my foot-rest.' 

In making this distinction among yourselves have you not used a corrupt standard?  Listen, my dear brothers: it was those who were poor according to the world that God chose, to be rich in faith and to be the heirs to the kingdom which he promised to those who love him. 

You, on the other hand, have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who lord it over you?  Are not they the ones who drag you into court, who insult the honorable name which has been pronounced over you? 

Well, the right thing to do is to keep the supreme Law of scripture: you will love your neighbor as yourself; but as soon as you make class distinctions, you are committing sin and under condemnation for breaking the Law.  You see, anyone who keeps the whole of the Law but trips up on a single point, is still guilty of breaking it all. 

He who said, 'You must not commit adultery' said also, 'You must not kill.' Now if you commit murder, you need not commit adultery as well to become a breaker of the Law.  Talk and behave like people who are going to be judged by the law of freedom.  Whoever acts without mercy will be judged without mercy but mercy can afford to laugh at judgment. (Verses 1-13)  

Love of neighbor does not allow for any artificial walls to be erected.  We cannot exclude or treat as second-class citizens anyone based on their income.  Such exclusion breaks the essence of the Law of God.  It is wrong.  It is sin.

It is sad but true.  Lord, have mercy on us!  O Holy Spirit, help us to live like people under the law of freedom.  Help us to extend mercy so that we might receive it as well.

Mercy laughs at judgment.  Now, that’s Good News.  It is a message we all need desperately to hear.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Under Pressure; James

May the mumbling commence!

Feeling a little under pressure lately?  Not sure what to do?  James maps it out for us in the first chapter of his letter (Phillips Translation):

When all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives, my brothers, don’t resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends!  Realize that they come to test your faith and to produce in you the quality of endurance.  But let the process go on until that endurance is fully developed, and you will find you have become men of mature character with the right sort of independence. 

And if, in the process, any of you does not know how to meet any particular problem he has only to ask God – who gives generously to all men without making them feel foolish or guilty – and he may be quite sure that the necessary wisdom will be given him. 

But he must ask in sincere faith without secret doubts as to whether he really wants God’s help or not.  The man who trusts God, but with inward reservations, is like a wave of the sea, carried forward by the wind one moment and driven back the next.  That sort of man cannot hope to receive anything from the Lord, and the life of a man of divided loyalty will reveal instability at every turn.  (Verses 2-8)

Trials and temptations are our friends!  That is not a comforting thought when taken at face value.  With friends like that, I don’t need any enemies!

Exactly how are trials and temptations my friends?  Trials and temptations are a good workout for my faith.  They test my faith with the intent of making it strong and persistent.  These are not sprints but marathons.

If we embrace our trials and temptations, our faith and endurance will become fully developed and we will fully mature.  We will realize the right sort of independence – one that is dependent upon God and interdependent on our brothers and sisters in the family of God.

After all, what do we do when a trial or temptation should overwhelm us?  Ask God for wisdom… and be sure that you really want God’s help.  God’s help does not always come like a superhero.  Often God’s help comes in life transformation and maturation. 

If we are not ready to learn these things from our Lord, there is no hope for us.  The bright noonday sun will wilt us.  The winds will toss us about like waves of a shallow sea.  Our loyalty must be invested in God alone.  Any other investments that we make will only prove to be instable and cause us to fall.

Bring on the pressure!  Bring it on not because God is on my side, but because I am honestly seeking to follow and obey the Lord.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out

Take a Good Look at Yourself; James

May the mumbling commence!

Faith is hard work.  We have established that.  But do we really need to do that work?!?  If you are still struggling with that question, then you need to look closely at this passage from James chapter one (NLT):

My dear brothers and sisters, be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.  Your anger can never make things right in God's sight. 

So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the message God has planted in your hearts, for it is strong enough to save your souls. 

And remember, it is a message to obey, not just to listen to. If you don't obey, you are only fooling yourself.  For if you just listen and don't obey, it is like looking at your face in a mirror but doing nothing to improve your appearance.  You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.  But if you keep looking steadily into God's perfect law – the law that sets you free – and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it. 

If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue, you are just fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.  Pure and lasting religion in the sight of God our Father means that we must care for orphans and widows in their troubles, and refuse to let the world corrupt us. (Verses 19-27)

I have heard it said that we have two ears and only one mouth for a reason.  We are to listen twice as much as we speak.  If only that were true!  If it were, much more communication would happen than actually does.

How often can we truly say that we are quick to listen?  How often do we truly listen to what someone else is saying without thinking about what we are to say in response?  There is no wonder to me why there is so much anger in this world.

At times, it must seem to people that they are speaking into a brisk wind that quickly carries their words away from the ears of anyone who might be inclined to listen and to care.  But anger is no way to lead your life.  Anger will never make things right in God’s sight.  Anger cannot please God.

So accept God’s message of love and rightful relationships at its face value.  That message has the strength and moral fiber to save your soul.  And acceptance implies obedience.

It is not enough to get baptized and regularly attend church worship and activities.  It is not even enough to be intimately involved in the functioning of the church.  To accept God’s message fully we must seek to live the Way the Christ lived and taught – in full obedience to God.

Use God’s Word as your mirror, and see yourself for what you are.  What we see can be painful.  Have you ever seen a video recording of a speech or sermon or play you have been in?  It is painful to watch myself on video.  Do I really look and sound like that?

Seeing ourselves as we truly are means we need to strive for positive change.  It means judging others with mercy.  Yes, it means freeing ourselves from the need to judge others… when we have so much to improve in our walk with Jesus.  And anger is often defused.

And we are freed to help those people who are most vulnerable – the widow and orphans… the single parents and the “illegal” aliens.

Accepting Christ means a changed life.  There is no ifs ands or buts.

Enough mumbling for now…  Peace Out

Faith & Works; James

May the mumbling commence!

If being wise is hard work, then what about faith?  Aren’t we saved by faith alone?  Then, what is all this hard work about?  How are we to balance being and doing?  Read from James chapter two (NRSV):

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you?  If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill," and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that?  So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. 

But someone will say, "You have faith and I have works." Show me your faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith.  You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe – and shudder. 

Do you want to be shown, you senseless person, that faith apart from works is barren?  Was not our ancestor Abraham justified by works when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?  You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was brought to completion by the works.  Thus the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness," and he was called the friend of God. 

You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.  Likewise, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another road?  For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is also dead. (Verses 14-26)

James is not arguing an “either-or” proposition.  James is arguing a “both-and” proposition.  We will get into a meaningless argument if we try to defend one position alone – faith or works.

We need the being of faith.  We need the listening ears of faith.  We cannot survive for long in this world without doing these essential things.  Being is extra important in this culture of constant doing – 24/7.

Yet being alone is not enough.  What proof is there of your faith if all you do is believe?  James points us to the faith and works of Abraham.  Together faith and works made Abraham a friend of God.  Did not Jesus call us to be both hearers and doers of the Word?  Did not Jesus compare a bad foundation with those who did not do what the Word requires of them?

James also points us to the story of Rahab the prostitute.  Her faith and actions were a saving grace for her and her family.  We need to have both faith and works to be healthy and to get anywhere on this narrow path of Jesus.  Faith and works need to be in proper relationship with one another so that our relationships with God and our brothers and sisters do not suffer in the mix.  For a God of love, relationship is paramount.

It is definitely a “both-and” proposition.  It is like rowing a boat.  If we only row with one oar, we will go in circles.  If we row with both the faith oar and the works oar, we will get somewhere.

Both of the arms of faith and works need to be strong.  If one weakens, the other suffers.  I have seen a comic strip where a Viking ship was being rowed by skinny and weak men on one side and well-sculpted men on the other.  They went in circles. 

Being in relationship within a Christian community keeps us honest in this delicate balancing act.  Belief helps us to hope and to work.  And work supplements our belief.

Enough mumbling for now… 

Peace Out

Together - Wisdom; James

May the mumbling commence!

Do you want to be viewed as wise?  Know that true, godly wisdom cannot be removed from our relationships.  Wisdom cannot survive when relationships are not kept in perfect balance – when relationships are totally right.  Read from James chapter three (Peterson’s The Message paraphrase):

Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom?  Here’s what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly.  It’s the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts.  Mean-spirited ambition isn’t wisdom.  Boasting that you are wise isn’t wisdom.  Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn’t wisdom.  It’s the furthest thing from wisdom – it’s animal cunning, devilish conniving.  Whenever you’re trying to look better than others to get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the other’s throats.

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 tow-faced.  You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.  (Verses 13-18)  

A wise and holy life is characterized by getting along with others.  That can be a bitter pill to swallow.  Getting along with others can be hard work.  But, if we wish to be healthy and whole as a community, we must fully apply ourselves to getting along.  “The more we get together, the happier we’ll be”!  There is often profound wisdom in the songs that children sing.

Only together in imitation of Christ can we look our best – be wise. 

The essence of our wisdom is destroyed beyond repair by trying to twist things to make us look good and right.  The essence of our wisdom is destroyed when we denigrate others to make ourselves look better in comparison.  Actions like these ones only serve to divide us.

When we are divided, Satan laughs.  That has been his plan from the beginning.

 I need you to be all that I can be.  You need me to be all that you can be.  We need each other.  And together we need the steady guiding presence of the Holy Spirit of the living God.

Being wise is hard work!  There are no shortcuts.  Let’s get to work!

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out