Restoration

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Since we are winding down our “FaithWorks” sermon series on the book of James, today will be the last day of our daily devotions for a while. As we evaluate this tool, please leave a comment below with your name so that we can discern who has been reading the blog postings and plan for the future. Thanks again for reading!


“My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” –James 5:19-20

Often when I’m talking to old friends, a name will come up that I haven’t heard in a while. In the midst of the conversation I will discover that the person is no longer following Christ. Sometimes it is a blatant rejection. Other times it was a gradual slip. However it happens, I can never get used to it. What is worse, often times I will wind up running across that friend either in person or online somewhere. There’s always this very awkward feeling that is tough to get over. But rarely do I know what to say.

James closes this book with a note of encouragement towards us who are striving to restore someone. He in essence tells us that our work with people who have fallen away may ultimately have eternal consequences. We can make a huge difference in their lives by bringing them back to God.

One thing is for sure: it is rarely easy to bring people back to God. Often times there are hard feelings, hardened hearts, and sometimes hard liquor that have to be overcome. There’s no guarantee that anything we do will work. But we are called to persevere and to continue to love no matter what happens.

It is fitting that this passage comes right after a section that focuses on prayer and healing. While most people who have fallen away are not yet ready to have us pray for their restoration while they are around, I think the principle is certainly there that we must pray without ceasing for them. We should pray that God would work in their lives in order to open their hearts back towards him in any way that he can. He will be faithful to work. Whether they are faithful to respond or not is totally up to them.

Have you noticed that someone has slipped away lately? Is there someone who has been on your heart that needs restored? If so, pray. Pray for opportunities to share with them. Pray for the courage to share. Pray that God would be working in every area of their life to bring them back.

May you experience the joy of seeing a dear friend come back to Christ when you are faithful to seek them out and to pray.

Praying the Tough Prayer

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“Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.” –James 5:17-18

Earlier in this passage, James mentions praying the ‘prayer of faith.’ This has often been abused to say that whether our prayers are answered or not are dependent upon the amount or quality of our faith. This, amongst other things, causes people to really twist their interpretations of events in order to protect their dignity. It also makes a lot of people feel bad because they didn’t get what they asked for.

Here we see that this is not at all the case. Unless Elijah was some kind of traitor, he would not have wanted to pray the prayer that he prayed. This was something that he did because he was able to discern the will of God for Israel. When he as a prophet made this decision, it was not popular. But it was for the best of God’s people. You must understand that a modern day equivalent would be for Christians in America to pray for the stock market to collapse so that people here would start seeking God again. It would not be a popular prayer at all.

I’m not sure how to instruct you to pray the tough prayer for our country today. But I can tell you that there are a lot of tough ‘prayers of faith’ for you to pray for yourself. Maybe a prayer for God to reveal any idols that you might have in your life would be tough. Or how about asking God to remove any distractions that you have in your life that keep you from him? I know a girl I went to college with prayed that prayer. She was an avid fan of music. The next day she went out to her car to find that her new car stereo and all of her music had been stolen. Now I know you can over interpret that one, but she got the point. Her music had been distracting her from God. She prayed, and she will tell you that he got rid of it. It wound up becoming a period of great spiritual growth in her life.

Are you willing to pray the tough prayer? It may not be easy. It may even cost you now. However, in the long run it will be worth it.

Confession

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“Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.” –James 5:16

Over the past few years, the idea of confession has become quite twisted. I remember hearing the advertisement for a show called ‘Taxicab Confessions’ where people would talk in front of a camera in a taxi and tell all kinds of raunchy details of their lives. But instead of this being a remorseful confession, it was almost a celebration of their depravity. It was more boasting than confession.

This type of behavior has continued today. Look at the shock treatment that we receive from our so called heroes from Hollywood and the rest of the entertainment industry. We celebrate their immorality, and then are shocked when they die young. This was very apparent to Kristen and me when we visited the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. So many of the greats that we saw all seemed to die between 27 and 29 years old. Yet we celebrate their lifestyles.

Christian confession is much different. It is the willingness to open ourselves up to other people and to reveal our sins and sinfulness so that we might find forgiveness and healing. Often we dismiss confession to others and convince ourselves that we just need to tell God about it. However, there is great value in humbling ourselves to others and speaking words of forgiveness to each other. I’ve heard it called the physical representation of the spiritual reality. In some ways it is a lot like the Lord’s Supper. Is it symbolic? Yes, but it is not just symbolic. It is the physical representation of the spiritual reality. So when we speak those words of confession, it is very much a representation of us speaking the words to God. And when we hear the words of forgiveness, it is a representation of God speaking those words to us. It is quite meaningful.

Do you have someone you can confess to? This may be one of the single greatest needs in today’s church. Who is it that you can trust and relate to? I encourage you to find someone who would listen, challenge, and offer those words of forgiveness to you. I think you’ll find that in confession there is great healing.

Breakin' Out the Oil, Part 2

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“Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.” –James 5:14

Yesterday we asked whether this passage is referring to a physical or spiritual healing. We looked at the inconclusive evidence surrounding anointing. Today we will ask what it means to be ‘sick.’ Well, here James uses the Greek word astheneo, which is also a very generic word that has a wide range of meanings. Paul uses it in 2 Corinthians 12 when he describes his thorn in the flesh (NIV translates astheneo as ‘weakness’). It can mean a physical or spiritual weakness. We also have to ask ourselves whether they would have even seen a difference between physical healing and spiritual healing. The answer to that is: probably not near as big of a difference as we do today, but there would have been at the very least a slight distinction. Unfortunately, the other pieces of evidence in the passage leave us as confused as ever. So what do we do with it?

I’d like to recommend that there are two very good sides to an argument over this passage. While I think it is important to take a look and figure out what we believe, ultimately there really isn’t anything here on either side that goes against scriptural teaching (except for the extreme views, which are, well, extreme). So, my basic philosophy is to say this: I think we should be more than willing to practice these basic principles when people call for us in both physical and spiritual sicknesses.

That being said, when I look at this passage, what I come away with more than anything is not the principles to guide me in praying, but rather that in every circumstance, I should pray! Prayer needs to be our first response in both times of pain and times of celebration. We should be quick to turn to God in prayer in all circumstances. How can you turn to God in prayer this week in a way that you did not last week?

Breakin' Out the Oil, Part 1

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Breakin’ Out the Oil, Part 1

“Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.” –James 5:14

Since this passage has its fair share of difficulties and intriguing notions, we’re going to spend a few days on it. The first is simply asking the question, “What does it mean to anoint someone or something?”

The concept of anointing is very simple: It takes place whenever we set someone or something apart for God’s service. This was often done by pouring oil on a person’s head. Whenever someone was to become the king, they would be anointed. There are also many prophecies of Christ where he is referred to as the ‘anointed one.’ In fact, in the New Testament, the original word for anoint in Greek is chrio, which is where we get the name Christ (No, Christ is not Jesus’ last name).

So, it seemingly makes this passage simple. James is talking about a spiritual anointing here, right? Well, it would be that easy except for the fact that James doesn’t use chrio, he instead uses another generic word that can be used for a spiritual anointing, but is more commonly used for any type of the rubbing of medicine on a person’s body. For example, in the story of the Good Samaritan, it says that he anointed the person’s wounds. In modern words, he broke out the first aid cream.

So, is this referring to a physical or a spiritual anointing here? Well, there is more evidence to be examined later, but for today let us simply reflect on Christ, the anointed one. God set him apart so that we might be saved.

Choosing to Pray

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“Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.” –James 5:13

At first glance this verse looks pretty simple: If things aren’t going well, you ought to pray. If they are going well, then praise him, which is really a form of prayer too. So, no matter what you are doing, pray. There’s nothing wrong with that interpretation, and it is certainly valid with Scripture. However, I think there is an even more significant meaning when we look at the book of James as a whole.

If we look at the immediate context of the book, we will see that the previous section just talked about how we are to be patient in the midst of suffering. When we look at the book as a whole we see that this is a recurring theme, from the beginning to the end. So, while it certainly includes praying always, it has a more significant meaning of choosing to praise God and pray in the midst of suffering.

Whenever we face hardships and suffering, we also find an open door for spiritual growth. Whether God causes or just allows these situations, we can always grow through them and become more like him as we endure. Sometimes we will even find ourselves cheerful (this is closer than the NIV’s ‘happy’) in the midst of that suffering. This is next to impossible to explain, but it happens. When it happens, we should simply praise God. But there are other times when in the midst of trouble and trial when it absolutely gets a hold on us. When this happens, our response should essentially be the same: pray.

When you face a trial, no matter whether you are cheerful or downtrodden, may your response be the same: turn to God in prayer and praise.

Trustworthy People; Trustworthy God

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‘Above all, my brothers, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. Let your "Yes" be yes, and your "No," no, or you will be condemned.’ –James 5:12

We have all been lied to. We have all had people break their promises to us. Maybe it was an investment gone bad or something that someone never had the intention of carrying out. We’ve probably had a car or furniture salesman take us a time or two as well. And unfortunately, we’ve probably been on the other end of it as well where we are the ones who have broken our promises.

God designed our church, our family, to be a very vulnerable community. It is a place where God desires us to be able to share everything about ourselves in a trustworthy environment. We shouldn’t have to worry about people stabbing us in the back or gossiping about us. We should be able to depend on each other for support, encouragement, and nurture.

James is responding to a culture where there were very legalistic teachings about when a person could break their vows. It is very similar to the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. Some have taken this to extremes to say that we shouldn’t take any oaths at all, such as in a courtroom or in any type of legal contract. That kind of teaching is missing the point. James is challenging us to be trustworthy people who keep our word based on who we are, not merely upon a legal document that we sign.

How do people take your words and promises? One of the best places to evaluate yourselves is in your home. Do your children and your spouse see you consistent with your promises, or do you way too often fail to live up to your words? The home is both the best and the toughest place to start, as it is there that you tend to be the most comfortable.

May you be a person who is absolutely trustworthy in everything you say and do, and through your words and your actions may both the church and the world know that our God is absolutely trustworthy too.

Hebrew Heroes

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“Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.” –James 5:10-11

No two situations are exactly alike. Every time we suffer, it is a little different than what we have experienced before, and it is different from how others have suffered. Yet we can still find a common bond of identity in the experience. James gives two examples of Hebrew heroes that would have hit home with his audience: the prophets and Job.

The prophets were generally regarded as outcasts. They were people that were willing to be unpopular, even if that was hard on them. They considered the message that they had to share more important than their popularity. Often they suffered from ridicule and scorn. It seems that certain prophets even struggled with depression. Yet look at the mark that they left behind. They stuck it out and persevered without compromising who they were in the Lord. We too will face seasons of ridicule and scorn. May we find comfort from identifying with them.

Job’s situation was completely different. Here was a guy who was highly regarded in his days. He was rich. He was healthy. He was successful. He had a great family. And then Satan took it all away (of course, he only took what God let him take). He went from being visibly blessed to apparently cursed. His friends told him to curse God and die. They tried to talk him into a lot of bad theology. Yet he (for the most part) stuck it out. Ultimately, he saw God in the end. God finally brought about a great blessing for him. We also will face seasons where we lose our health, our wealth, loved ones, etc. May we find comfort from identifying with Job.

May we realize that perseverance is not just an extreme form of stubbornness, but rather is something we learn when we come near to Christ. May we not only identify in the great examples of the prophets and of Job, but most importantly, may we find our greatest example in the perseverance of Christ.

Patience with Others

Patience with Others

“Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!” –James 5:9

This last weekend at a softball tournament, the game just before ours got a bit heated. There were no punches thrown and the language really didn’t even get nasty, but people got pretty ticked off at each other. We really hadn’t seen it all year, but since this was the elimination game of a tournament and things got urgent, everyone started taking things into their own hands and were very impatient with each other. It is amazing how a little adrenaline really sets people against each other.

This Scripture interests me, because often times Christians get overly zealous when we start talking about the urgency of the faith. Sometimes we start getting pushy with each other. Other times we get extremely defensive of ourselves. I think that the urgency of the faith in and of itself can be a healthy thing. We need to understand the importance of what we do as followers of Jesus. However, we must be patient with one another through it all. We must be peacemakers, especially within the body of Christ. Before we can be peacemakers, we must first be peaceable people.

To live out this Scripture, we cannot merely wait until we are in the situation in order to make decisions as to how we will treat others. We must prepare our hearts and change our bad attitudes before we ever face the situation. Often that means guarding ourselves from gossiping about people who we have regular conflicts with as well. There is such a thing as wise counsel, but generally we overstep those bounds rather quickly.

Who is it that you have a tendency to ‘grumble’ about? Is it your parents? Your spouse or boss? A neighbor? Be patient and know that God wants to bring peace into the situation. He can change your character if you let him.

So When is it Going to Happen Anyway?

“You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near.” –James 5:8

I think we’d be lying if we said we weren’t curious as to when or how it is going to happen. I mean, look how many books have been sold that talk about the return of Jesus. While I don’t agree with the theology of most of them, it is impossible to deny their popularity. If you really wanted to simply boost attendance at your church, just publicize that you are going to be teaching on the end times, and you’ll perk everyone’s attention in a hurry.

But here’s the reality: we really don’t have a clue as to when it is going to happen. People have been speculating since day one, and nobody’s got it right yet. Jesus even said that only the Father in heaven knows when it is going to happen. But it will happen, and it could happen at any moment in time.

But there is something that has always intrigued me about the debate. It is that no matter what your end times theology is, anyone who has studied the issue will tell you that along with any prophetic passage about the second coming, there is always a biblical call to holiness. One of the most famous comes at the tail end of I Corinthians 15, and we see one here too. People like Dr. Lowery at Lincoln Christian Seminary would even argue that the entire book of Revelation is not about foretelling the future, but rather about making disciples of Jesus. I don’t suppose that is as exciting, but it is true.

So James continues here by not telling us when it will happen, but encouraging how we are to live until it does happen. It is simple: we must remain patient until it does. So here’s to not having it all figured out, but simply hanging in there until Jesus is revealed.

A Lesson from the Farmers

“Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains.” –James 5:7

OK, so Kristen and I both grew up in farming families, so I’ve got to confess: this Scripture makes me laugh. Really, James? Are farmers really that patient? I mean, I remember growing up around farmers, and it could quickly turn to panic time if we didn’t get a good rain. This year we even saw the opposite, where we got too much rain. The farmers were waiting for it to stop raining. But I wouldn’t call them all that patient.

But then I realized what James is talking about. You see, we seem to make patience into some type of feeling rather than a demeanor. When I think back to the seasoned farmers that I know, I realize now that while they always talked about the weather, most of them realized there wasn’t much they could do about it, except wait. That’s what they do. They probably pray more when they really need rain, and they can certainly get testy as well. But they wait, knowing that they are totally dependant upon God’s provision.

In the same way, this is what we are called to do. Just like the farmer plants his seed in the spring, fertilizes it throughout the year, and harvests it at the end of the season, so we are called to live out our lives in faithful obedience to serving God where he has placed us. But ultimately, just like the farmer, we have to realize that we are totally dependent upon God’s provision. While we will see much of that provision here in this world, we will only see it fully and completely when he returns. May we be patient until then.

Ouch.

“You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter.” –James 5:5

Ouch. That’s all I can really say when I read this. Ouch. I can get through the first part of this passage ok, because I guess I don’t consider myself rich—not that being rich in and of itself is a sin. I even do ok with the ‘hoarding wealth’ part, because I know that there is a balance to keep between being generous and saving for the future. I’m ok with that. But this is tough. Luxury and self-indulgence. That strikes right at the heart of America. And too often, it strikes right at the heart of Dustin.

I know what you’re thinking. Most of us really don’t live in luxury, right? I mean, I’m a sucker for the simple in many ways. I hate high-class restaurants. My father in law would call them ‘hoidy-toidy.’ I don’t live to extremes. But the trouble is I’ve been other places. I’ve seen people who have next to nothing sacrificing for the needs of others. I’m confident that what we often call necessity is really luxury. If you don’t agree with me, then that’s fine. But how often do we excessively hoard things for ourselves and call it God’s blessing rather than seeing if God really wants us to bless someone else with it. Which brings us to self-indulgence.

So maybe we aren’t willing to confess to luxury, but self-indulgence abounds in us. Maybe the best way to reveal this is by looking at how we over-entertain ourselves. Think about how much of our time we spend always listening to music, watching TV or movies, playing video games, going to concerts, or just overdoing it when we eat. Self-indulgence is something we take pride in doing here in America. Unfortunately, it desensitizes us both to God and to those who are hurting around us.

When I look at Jesus, I see someone who put his focus on God. While he still took time to relax and refresh himself, he was not someone who lived luxuriously or a self indulgent life. He had an excellent balance that we should also seek. So I would simply encourage you to do this: turn off the TV for a few days and pick up the Word. Take a look around you and see if there are people in need that you haven’t seen before. Take a look at your life too and see where you are living in excess and self-indulgence. Simplify. It will make your life much more useful to God.

A Heart for the Working Class

“Look! The wages you failed to pay the workmen who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty.” –James 5:4

My generation is one that has grown up with a large number of corporate scandals. The most famous one was Kenneth Lay and the Enron scandal that cost thousands of people their jobs and their retirement plans. As a result of this and other scandals, we have become very conscious about corporate responsibility, especially making sure that people are treated with honesty and respect in the work place. This is a very good thing.

What we see here is that this is a reflection of the heart of God. While there will always be differences in pay scales in this world, it does not mean that people should not be treated appropriately and fairly. God desires for business owners and bosses to treat their employees fairly, even when it may mean personal sacrifice.

It is tempting for me to drift to tangents in this discussion about when and where unions are a good or bad idea, but that is not the point of this Scripture. The point is that when we are put in positions where we lead others in the workplace, we are called to treat them fairly. If we cheat them, there will be both earthly and eternal consequences.

Does your heart towards those who have served under you reflect the heart of God, so that you treat them fairly and with respect?

Rusted Gold

“Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.” –James 5:2-3

You might have to worry about a cheap ring turning your finger green. You might even have to worry about white gold turning yellow. But you should never have to worry about one thing: gold should never rust. Some people think that since James was most likely poor, he just didn’t know better, as the literal word here is not corroded, but rather is rusted. But I don’t think that is the case.

James introduces a section of Scripture that speaks about the ‘last days,’ which generally in Scripture is not speaking of an immediate coming of Christ, but rather an eminent return, meaning it could happen at any moment. It may not be for 1,000 years, or it could be before you finish reading this sentence. But yet James does not say that moths will eat your clothes and that the gold will rust. He says it is already happening.

I believe that James is warning us that even though our gold might not rust now, it really is rusting. In other words, it is becoming less and less satisfying every day, or they are corrupting us more and more every day.

Have you noticed how money changes people? Have you seen people get corrupted by putting too much trust in their stuff? It doesn’t take being rich—it can happen even with middle class and poor people. It could happen to you.

Gold may not rust, but it sure can corrode our hearts. How much are you trusting in wealth and stuff instead of God?

A Little Harsh?

“Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you.” –James 5:1

Now before we look into James 5, I think we may have to do some damage control first. I can hear what some of you are saying: “Isn’t James a little harsh in his language?” It’s a fair question. But James is referring to the language that the prophets regularly used in order to call the people to repentance. In all reality, we don’t look at this type of literature nearly enough. So, let’s simply spend today reading some of these Scriptures where the prophets use similar language to call the people to repentance:

Wail, for the day of the LORD is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty. –Isaiah 13:6

"In that day," declares the Sovereign LORD, "the songs in the temple will turn to wailing. Many, many bodies—flung everywhere! Silence!" –Amos 8:3

They do not cry out to me from their hearts but wail upon their beds. They gather together for grain and new wine but turn away from me. –Hosea 7:14

Wail, O pine tree, for the cedar has fallen; the stately trees are ruined! Wail, oaks of Bashan; the dense forest has been cut down! –Zechariah 11:2

In the streets they cry out for wine; all joy turns to gloom, all gaiety is banished from the earth. –Isaiah 24:11

For Me, or for Humanity

“Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you.” –James 5:1

I remember being stressed upon me from the very earliest days of my life that “God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life.” Now this is great, and in and of itself I don’t have a problem with it, when it is understood in its right context. However, the problem is that we understand it within our plan, and not God’s plan. In other words, we think that God blesses us so that we can live in the upper tier of society, or so that we can one-up our neighbor when it comes to having the most or the nicest toys. All this and yet we claim to have a sacrificing God. We claim that Jesus came and denied himself so that he might die for our sins, yet we can’t see past ourselves.

It seems that we focus an awfully lot on God’s will for my life without ever taking into account God’s will for humanity. This has to change. To think that we are favored above the poor in God’s eyes is a farce. If there are people living in poverty around us and yet we have an abundance, we have to consider what we can sacrifice to improve their lives. And this cannot be forced upon us, but come from our own desire to see the basic needs of humans met.

It just can’t stop with our neighbors either. We must also look to how we can make a difference around the world. There are millions still going hungry and without clean drinking water, not even to mention the billions who have never heard the Gospel, let alone don’t even have a Bible in their own language.

So are you looking for God’s plan for your life, or are you looking for God’s plan for humanity? Because what you are looking for will greatly affect what you find.

The Haves and the Have-Nots

“Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming upon you. . . . Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains.” –James 5:1; 6

There is something very appealing about wealth. There is a sense of power when we can totally disregard any concern for the cost of anything and simply live the way that we want to live. But yet wealth never lasts. Either we’ll lose it here in this world, or we won’t be able to take it with us.

One of the more interesting stories over the past couple of months was that Ed McMahon, Johnny Carson’s long-time sidekick, was going to lose his house because he couldn’t make his house payment. The 80+ year old McMahon explained that he hadn’t been able to work lately because of a neck injury. He was several hundred thousand dollars behind on his payments. But just how long did he think he was going to be working anyway? I mean, was he planning on retiring at 95? It just didn’t make sense.

James chapter 5 begins with a word of warning to the rich, but continues with a word of comfort and hope to the Jewish-Christian believers, most of who would have been impoverished. On the surface, this looks like a story of the haves and the have-nots. And it is, but not like you might think. You see our definition of the haves are those who have financial wealth. But in God’s eyes, those who have nothing, yet have him, have everything. It is the rich who are the have-nots, as they have so often found comfort in their wealth and cannot see their need for God.

Are you content being a ‘have’ if your definition of ‘have’ has nothing to do with wealth, but everything to do with God?

A Little Batman

Tomorrow we’ll get back to the book of James, but today I want to talk to talk a bit about Batman . . .

Throughout the book of James there has been a continuous theme of the need for our humility. We must realize how desperate for God we really are, which means understanding how little we can do without him. For leaders, it also means that we need to understand that we can’t be a one-man show, but that our goal must be to equip and empower others to do the work.

So what does this have to do with Batman: The Dark Night? Well, this Batman was different, as a continuing theme throughout the movie was that Batman was not the answer to stopping all the crime in Gotham City. Rather, the people had to emerge and step up to the plate themselves. But that transition has to work in two ways. First, Batman has to get out of the way. Secondly, the people have to step up and take responsibility. But how tough it is to get out of the way . . .

In our Christian lives, the temptation of leadership is to make everything revolve around us, so that we are the only ones who are empowered to do anything. Rather than people seeing a need and meeting it, they are simply trained to call the leader. I suppose part of the problem is tradition—you know, it goes all the way back to the priests being the only ones allowed to do ministry. We have never fully gotten over that. But a huge part of it is that often leaders need to feel needed. Too often we get our self-worth from the ministry that we do for others, rather than the sacrifice that Christ has made for us.

So, do you stand in the way of others doing ministry, or are you constantly walking alongside of others and encouraging them to get their hands dirty too?

Are You Ready?

“Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.” –James 4:17

I have heard a great deal of excitement both in our church and in our community about our upcoming Together for Lincoln project on September 28th. On that day we will worship at each individual church in the morning, go and serve out in our community in the late morning-early afternoon, and gather that evening for a combined worship service at Lincoln Christian College. We currently have about 13 churches participating, so it should be a real hoot.

But before we go and serve together in the streets of Lincoln, I feel like I need to warn you as well. What we are doing is basically taking a one day mission trip into our own community. We will go and serve people we may or may not know. We will go to parts of town we might generally just ignore. We will go and meet needs that we never even realized existed before. When we do that, God is bound to do something even larger than us. As much as we are hoping and praying that God does something through us, we are also hoping and praying that God does something even bigger in us.

Our prayer is that while this is technically only a one day event, that it will plant a seed within us for something much greater. We hope that we would begin to see the needs in our community not just when an application for help comes in, but whenever we go out. Chances are, if we really let God move, this could radically change the way that we live. We will begin to have a greater passion to serve people that will require us to either bury those desires or to choose to go and to live them out by serving others. This could be a very costly day.

Are you ready? Are you prepared to see Lincoln like you’ve never seen it before. Are you willing to let God move in your life in order to meet the needs of others? Are you ready to truly be the hands and feet of Christ?

The Good Samaritan Law

“Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins.” –James 4:17

I must confess that my favorite television series of all time is Seinfeld, although The Office is quickly catching up. In the very last episode of Seinfeld, Jerry finally lands a contract with NBC, so they offer to allow Seinfeld and his friends to use the corporate jet to fly anywhere. Well, on their flight, they have engine trouble and have to land in a small Massachusetts town. After they land, they decide to take a stroll around town. There on the town square, they see an overweight man being mugged. Instead of helping, they instead start laughing and making fun of the man. People see them laughing as the thief gets away, and the police arrest Jerry and his friends for breaking the town’s ‘Good Samaritan Law.’ In other words, if you can help someone and don’t, you are breaking the law. They are arrested, and at their trial, they bring several of the past season’s characters to testify against them in a humorous trial. Of course, they are found guilty and sent to the clink, where Jerry does stand up comedy for the inmates.

It is an absurd notion, isn’t it? Do you really think that we could be arrested for the things that we don’t do? Well, I’m sure a law like that would never stand in America. However, the Bible tells us that we are not just held accountable for the things that we do, but also for the opportunities that come our way to help others.

This verse is in the midst of a passage that talks about our own plans and how foolish they are compared to God’s will. It is here that we read James saying, “Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins.” It is an interesting notion, isn’t it? After we stop trying to control every aspect of our lives, we start to see that God has a bigger plan that includes others. And we just can’t say, “Nah, no thanks. Maybe later.” When we see people in need and don’t help, we sin.

I want to be careful here because I think that we could easily think that we must go overboard and spend every second out helping everyone that we possibly can and berating others who don’t. While God definitely puts people in our path, we could easily develop a ‘messiah complex,’ thinking that we are the only ones who can make a difference and wind up taking too much on our plates and burning out. That isn’t healthy either. Chances are, you and I don’t have that problem though.

Would you consider taking a look around you and observing whether or not you are doing the good that you should? How often have you diverted your plans in the last year to help someone in need? Maybe it’s family. Maybe it is someone you work with, or someone you don’t even know. Remember, sins aren’t just things that we do, they are also things that we know we should do, yet don’t.

Not Where, but Who

Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil. –James 4:15-16

I hate it when people ask me questions about the future. People often ask me, “Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” Or, “How long do you see yourself living here in Lincoln?” Of course the worst and most frequent question of all is, “So when are you going to have kids anyway?” I would love to tell you that I hate these questions because we’re just trusting Jesus to guide us and we don’t ever worry about the answers to them. I suppose that would be the Sunday school answer. Perhaps we do live that out to a certain degree. But the real reason that I hate them is because there is a certain part of me that thinks that I do have it all figured out, and I’d love to give my answer based on my plan. And it isn’t even that it is a completely pagan plan. However, it is me trying to discern how God will lead, rather than me simply being faithful.

James says, “As it is, you boast and brag.” When we think we have God’s plan cornered, that is really what we are doing. When we share with others the lofty plans that we have, we are often encouraged and celebrated as people with great plans, rather than rebuked as people who aren’t leaving enough room for God to work. Kristen and I were at a conference this past year where they introduced a boy who was around 8 years old who knew every presidential fact that you could ever imagine. It was his dream to be the President of the United States—and he had it all figured out how he was going to get there. In fact, his plan had him landing in the White House at a ripe old age of 35! Everyone in the arena clapped for him and celebrated his plan. Now, I hate to be the sour puss here, but really? Do we really want a 35 year old president? Shouldn’t someone have the guts to say to this young man, “Hey, don’t you think you should wait until you are at least 45 or so and have a little more wisdom?” Now granted, I know you are thinking, “Easy, Dustin. The kid is not even 10! Give him a break!” I understand that, but the problem is not the kid, but the culture that we have created.

I have mentioned before that I am not against planning. In fact, I am very much in favor of wise planning, so long as it is made by people who are seeking after God’s heart and is open to his continued leading. But here is a challenge for you: rather than planning where you are going to be or what your career will look like in 5 years, wouldn’t it be a better investment of your time to discern who you would like to be in 5 years? You know, how you would like to deepen your walk with God, how your character would be better, how you’d treat your spouse differently?

More importantly than where we are is who we are. I don’t know where God will send you, but I can promise you this: whenever and wherever he sends you, he wants you to be like Jesus.

A Lousy Night to be an Atheist

In honor of baseball’s All-Star Break, we’re going to take a little break from our postings in the book of James. So here’s a story that has refreshed me a great deal:

I normally get sick of Christian athletes who talk about how Jesus helps them hit home runs. It generally borders on health and wealth teaching. However, Josh Hamilton’s story is far from typical. Josh was selected as the number one overall pick in the 1999 Major League Baseball draft. But Josh’s personal life was a mess, as he quickly became addicted to drugs and alcohol. From 2002-2006 he did not even play baseball, as he was even barred from baseball at one point for failing multiple drug tests. By all accounts his career was over. Even worse than that, he regularly overdosed with the hopes that he simply wouldn’t wake up.

But God didn’t give up on him, and neither did his wife or grandma. His wife, a devout Christian, often told him that he wasn’t done yet, and that he would play professional baseball again someday. Eventually, Hamilton surrendered his life to Christ. He is very specific about that word ‘surrender,’ as he acknowledges that of all his natural abilities that he has, there is no way he can overcome the addiction on his own. Since his surrender, God has done an amazing work in his life, as he has been clean since October 6, 2005. Through this time, God has also restored his relationship with his wife, Katie.

But we can’t forget the baseball! In 2007, the Cincinnati Reds picked up Hamilton and he had a successful rookie season. More importantly, his witness was incredible, as opposing players and even the umpires regularly encouraged him. His teammates even did not make him perform one of the rookie duties of making him carry the beer onto the team plane, as they were aware of his addictions and wanted to see him succeed. Over the off-season, the Reds traded Hamilton to the Texas Rangers, where he has simply been stellar. He was elected as a starter on the All-Star Team and was also selected to hit in the Home Run Derby on Tuesday night, which was simply amazing.

Back when he was still strung out on drugs, Hamilton had a dream that he would be hitting in the All Star Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium. He didn’t even know that there would be an All Star game at Yankee Stadium, as it had not even been selected yet. In the dream, he also gave glory to God for his performance. Well, Tuesday night that dream came true as Hamilton stepped up to the plate as the eighth hitter in the home run derby. The leader at the time had 8 home runs, and Hamilton absolutely shattered that lead by hammering 28 out of 38 swings as home runs. These were no cheap home runs either, as many of them were over 500 feet. Just as the players and umpires had been behind him before, the 56,000 fans in attendance were going crazy. While he didn’t eventually win the contest, everyone will remember his performance, as he obliterated the previous one round record. After the derby, he shared this account of his dream a few years back:

“I was at the plate, I saw all the guys sitting around and then I was at the plate walking toward them and actually a lady came up and interviewed me,” Josh said. “I was able to show everybody how I was there, why I was there and that was because of God's grace.”

Well, all of this happened and more. Here is the quote from the interview Hamilton had with the ‘real’ lady who interviewed him on Tuesday night: “It's amazing in the past few years what God has done in my life and how quickly he has done it. I just really want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for all of this. I just want to glorify him.”

As powerful as Hamilton’s words were, the quote of the night came from famous sportswriter Rick Reilly, who simply said, “It’s a lousy night to be an atheist.” A lousy night indeed!

Hamilton has not let his success go to his head. His addiction definitely keeps him humble. He has three drug tests a week my MLB, which he welcomes because of his self-awareness as an addict. He also keeps a busy schedule of going and sharing his message with other addicts, as well as young people. And with a story of grace like that, why not? If he keeps playing like he is and sharing his story, there cold be a lot of lousy nights for atheists for a long time to come!

To read other articles about Josh Hamilton, click on one of the following links:

Sports Illustrated Cover Story from June 2008
ESPN.com - Hope is Never Lost

Are we seeking God's will or God himself?

Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." –James 4:15

It is easy to read this verse and to think that this verse is just talking about words. You could say that James just wants us to talk about God’s will, like we are putting God’s approval upon our plans. But this isn’t what James is talking about. When we look at the verses around this one verse, we see that James is referring to people who are boasting in their own plans, rather than trusting in God’s plan. This is especially true in America today, where we simply separate out God’s will into some different area of our lives instead of really applying it to all of our lives. We try to have control of everything, from when we’ll have kids to the exact day that we will retire without really seeking God through prayer, Scripture, and godly wisdom.

Let me be clear that I am not discouraging planning. God does not want us to just ‘wing’ everything. However, a little trust wouldn’t hurt anyone here. We could all use more discipline in seeking God’s will.

But while we’re talking about God’s will, let me caution you here too. I do believe that we are to seek God’s will in our daily decisions and for major guidance in our lives. I’m just concerned that all too often we seek God’s will without seeking God. We want more of God’s blessings and more of his wisdom to keep us from falling flat on our faces, but if we’re really seeking him, then maybe it begins when we are flat on our faces, humble before him and longing to know him for who he is. My guess is that if we are truly seeking God in all that we do, we won’t have any trouble seeking God’s will.

Vapor Trails

“What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” –James 4:14

When I was a kid, I used to love to sit outside and look into the sky and watch the jets fly overhead. I got to be pretty good at identifying the different types of planes. I especially enjoyed when an occasional B-52 would fly over with its 8 jet engines. But what always fascinated me was that as each jet flew over, it would leave behind a white vapor trail. The vapor trail would be solid and unbroken at the back of the jet, but as the jet moved along, the vapor trail would start to dissipate. Within just a few minutes, it would completely disappear.

If James were writing this Scripture today, he might say, “You are a vapor trail that appears for a little while and then disappears.” Interpretation: Your life is short and quickly forgotten. If we could only truly understand just how short this life really is, we would be much better off.

But what are the benefits of truly understanding how short our lives really are? There are several. Here are a few: 1) We are more humble 2) We learn to rely on God more 3) We don’t waste as much time on meaningless things 4) We value our relationships more. These are just a few, but they all are significant in shaping our lives.

Have you embraced the brevity of your own life? We won’t be here for long, but when we submit to God, we can make a huge difference while we are here.

The Wisdom and Folly of Planning

‘Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow.’—James 4:13-14

In the Bible, planning is commended as a wise action. Yet here, we see that planning without seeking God’s wisdom is a very foolish thing. This hypothetical situation that James brings up is a very structured business plan. It describes the when (today or tomorrow), the where (that city), the how long (spend a year there), the what (carry on business), and the why (make money). It looks like wisdom to me! This is a plan that I could see myself buying into. Yet James seems to consider it foolish.

So what are we supposed to do? Are we just supposed to make it up as we go along? Do we need to even have an idea about what we are supposed to do in life? I think it is safe to say that planning in and of itself is wise. However, we have to ask ourselves, where is God in all of our planning? Are we seeking his will, or just doing what we want?

God may or may not allow you to be successful at your plans. Sometimes our plans fail so that we have to learn to rely on him. On other occasions, we simply are never content, no matter how successful we may be. God will do everything he can to get our attention without violating the free will he has given to us.

So, here’s the question: how has God ‘ruined’ your life? Are you willing to listen when his plan goes against your plan?

At the Mercy of God

“Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.” –James 4:10

There is nothing worse than being at the mercy of someone that you have offended. We see it in movies where the warrior is captured by the enemy and as he kneels before them in humility, the only thing he can do is hope that the enemy shows mercy. We see it in our own lives, as what we have said or done to offend someone comes back to bite us, and we have to go and humble ourselves before them. While we have to reveal what we have done to offend them and apologize, ultimately the course of action is largely up to them. Either they will choose to pass down some type of repercussions upon us, or they will choose to forgive us. It is up to them.

When we come before the Lord, the situation is similar, only the consequences are greatly magnified. We have to humble ourselves before him, but we are dependent upon his character. How will he respond? James tells us that when we humble ourselves before him, ‘he will lift us up.’ He will not push us farther down. He will not hold a grudge. He will forgive us and restore us through his unconditional love, just as Christ restored Peter after Peter had betrayed him three times (John 21). When we humble ourselves before God, we can be completely restored, not because of who we are, but because of who he is.

When you approach God in humility, are you able to trust in his character, or do you still see him unhealthily?

The Rarity of Repentance

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.” –James 4:7-9

When I read this passage, I immediately think back to a specific time in my life when I was awakened to the reality of how I am supposed to live for Christ. I was going into my senior year in high school and while I was known as the ‘good kid’, I was not taking holiness all that seriously. I had a great experience at a Christian conference, and I responded to the message that night in a very emotional way. I remember weeping in repentance and how absolutely freeing it was to experience God’s grace. It was so odd: complete brokenness, weeping, wailing, and complete freedom all at the same time.

While I have had other times where I have been brought to my knees like this since then, I must say it has not been often enough. I have not taken to heart the biblical commands to truly mourn over my sin. While to some degree I repent everyday, most of the time it is not a complete brokenness. Now please hear me: if we had these experiences everyday, it probably would not be healthy. However, not having them at all is not healthy either.

Let’s face it: true and complete repentance is a very rare thing in our society. We don’t like to do it, and we really don’t take it all that seriously. I believe that part of this is due to our focus on self-composure. We are way too proud to admit that there is anything wrong with us. While we don’t always need to publicly repent in front of others, we must confess that we cannot truly separate who we are publicly from who we are privately. So often our pride is not only found in how we act in the presence of others, but also how we act in the presence of God.

So, how is your repentance? Do you practice a steady diet of it, or is it a rare occasion for you? Repentance can be a very painful experience, but I have always found it extremely freeing and empowering to the life that Christ has called us to live. May you be willing to weep, mourn, and wail before God, and yet come away dancing as he frees you from your sin.

God's Opposition

But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." –James 4:6

Sometimes when you say something too much it isn’t heard, but when you say it less, it is heard louder. During the whole book thus far, James has never mentioned the word ‘grace.’ He seems more bent on calling people to personal and communal holiness mixed with very practical application. Martin Luther even called the book of James ‘the epistle of straw’ because its theology seems at a distance to be so contrary to that of Paul. But here, in one verse, James gives us something that helps us remember how we can really live out what he is teaching. How do we live it out? By God’s grace. What attitude must we have to receive his grace? Humility.

Now let’s be clear here that we can’t earn our salvation. It is still a free gift. But we can’t come to God in our arrogance. In the spiritual progression that we see in the beatitudes (Matthew 5), it starts with “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” If we are going to live the life that God wants us to live, we have to both be humble and receive God’s grace.

But if God truly opposes the proud, this has a profound impact on the religious community. Ultimately, we can have a great systematic theology, have great programs in place, and have the most talented people, but yet are arrogant and proud, then God is not for us. He is opposed to us. The essential trait in every leader is humility. How are you living out God’s grace through your humility?

The Jealousy of God

Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, "He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us"? –James 4:5 (ESV)

It is difficult to understand the meaning of this Scripture. Some wonder whether ‘the spirit’ that James refers to is the human spirit or God’s Holy Spirit that he gives to believers. While I haven’t completely figured that out yet, the portion of this Scripture that jumps out at me concerns the jealousy of God. Now, this is not a jealousy that someone would have in an impure way, such as being jealous over your neighbor’s new car. Rather it is more like you being jealous in a pure way if some guy was flirting with your wife.

This week in church I discussed how God loves us like the very best of husbands love their wives. The language in the original Greek here displays us in a feminine sense, which reinforces the idea of us being God’s bride. He longs for us to be intimate with him and only him. When we sin against him and ‘cheat’ on him, it destroys the purity of that relationship. Yet, he keeps taking us back.

I heard another discussion that I also appreciated concerning the jealousy of God. The idea is that because God is all knowing, he knows what is absolutely best for us. To put it in very human terms, he has huge dreams for us because he created us to live out those desires. When we are not living out those desires (which are pure), then he is very jealous because we are not being the people that he has created us to be.

Who does God most desire for you to be? I can promise you it is not about the talents that the world sees but about the character that God sees. When we develop that character, then God can greatly use those talents for his glory.

Going Old Testament on You

“You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” –James 4:4

Well, there’s nothing quite like coming right out and saying it. James has been very blunt so far in the letter, but nothing is quite like what he says here. You can call someone a lot of things, but you call them an adulterer, and you’ve probably crossed the line. So what was James thinking? Well, he was just going Old Testament on them. By going Old Testament, I mean that James was bringing up imagery that the prophets used in the Scriptures that would have immediately connected with his Jewish Christian audience.

Here’s the picture: in the Old Testament, the prophets often conveyed the image that God is a completely faithful husband, but yet his ‘bride’, Israel, is like a cheating wife. The best picture of this is in the book of Hosea, where Hosea himself is acting as this faithful husband towards his cheating wife, Gomer (I’m not making that up). At one point, he actually goes and buys her back from her pimp. The whole point is that this is the same thing God does when we continually sin against him.

James has already used the term ‘double minded’ in his book. Maybe the term could be ‘two timing.’ Here we read that when we have friendship with the world, or living as the world lives, we are really two timing God. I know it isn’t comfortable to think about it this way, but we must consider the serious nature of our sin against God. So, here’s a challenge for you: take a stab at rethinking how you view sin. Do you view it as something minor, or do you see it as something that dramatically affects your relationship with God. Over the next couple of days we will talk about some of the ways we should respond to the sin in our lives, but between now and then, would you be willing to consider the thought that when we are sinning against God, it is like committing adultery against him?

Two Extremes

“You do not have, because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.” –James 4:2-3

There tend to be two extremes in Christian circles when it comes to ‘getting stuff’: people who tend to be overly self-reliant, and those who think that God will give them anything they ask of him, like he’s Santa on steroids. Neither extreme is healthy. So, let’s take a glance at each one and figure out a remedy.

First, extreme self-reliance. There is nothing wrong with hard work, but along with it often comes a tendency to forget that no matter how hard we work, if it weren’t for God we wouldn’t have it. He supplies every breath we take and every drop of water that we drink. Yet so often we let our pride get in the way and forget that. One of the ways that I have found to combat this in my life is to force myself to thank God for very specific things when I pray. When we bless the food, we remember that no matter how hard we worked for our money, it is still God who provided, and we thank him for that. When we come to this realization, we can begin to ask God for what we do not yet have, understanding that if we are to have it, it will come from him and not from us.

The second extreme is also rooted in pride. This ‘Jesus is my Sugar Daddy’ view doesn’t have a problem asking for things in prayer, but the problem is that we are asking for our own good, neglecting God’s will and other people as well. In this view, we tend to think that we are God’s favorites and treat everyone else as second class citizens. God has a way of responding to this: he stops giving us what we want. We have to learn the hard way. If we don’t respond well, it can even damage our view of God. But we must remember that just as our parents disciplined us and didn’t let us have everything we wanted, so God disciplines us and does not spoil us for our own good.

Which extreme do you tend to slide towards? Neither is healthy. If you are willing, either viewpoint can be transformed through prayer. Humble yourself beneath him, and remember who he is. You will see his provision in due time. And even more importantly, you will know him more intimately because of it all.

hedonism at its Worst

“What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you? You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight.” –James 4:1-2a

When I look back at all of the disagreements and arguments that I have had with people in the past, there is one common thread: selfishness. Either I was too proud to admit I was wrong, too self-centered to see things from their perspective, or too impatient to listen to what they actually had to say. Granted, the other party isn’t always innocent either, but that’s beside the point. When I’m selfish, it affects my relationships with others—and of course, with God too.

James tells us that our desires ‘battle within us.’ This word for desires is where we get our word ‘hedonism’ from. Hedonism is the quest for happiness at any expense. It is a form of selfishness that only cares about meeting one’s desires. It doesn’t think about other people. We don’t need to do a lot of discussion about these desires that battle within us. We all experience them everyday. We struggle with killing off the old self. And it doesn’t only affect us.

So here’s the skinny: how are your selfish desires affecting your relationships with others? It is a simple, but painful evaluation. So, today simply take some time to think about how your selfishness affects others. Start to take steps to determine how you can get your desires out of the way. Remember, this whole section focuses around verse 6. Don’t forget the grace!

Hot Dogs and Hypocrisy

“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.” –James 3:17 (NASB)

Not only was yesterday the celebration of the birthday of our nation, it also was the day when one of our great American pastimes was celebrated—Yes I am speaking of the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. Each year, the best eaters in the world get together and see how many hot dogs and buns they can scarf down in 10 minutes. If you have ever watched this, it is one of the most disgusting things you’ll ever see. However, in the pre-competition interviews, one of the contestants, who in 2007 downed 49 hot dogs, revealed his real profession. He is actually a chef for a food service that specializes in preparing healthy meals for those who are trying to diet! Now, imagine the surprise you would have if you knew that this man who downs 49 hot dogs in 10 minutes is the man preparing food so you could lose weight! Sounds like hypocrisy to me!

Today we take a look at the last trait that James teaches us comes from wisdom. The NIV translates it positively as ‘sincere,’ while the NASB treats it in a negative (and slightly more accurate) way as ‘without hypocrisy.’ I am convinced that the toughest thing for any ‘religious’ person to do is to keep from being a hypocrite. This was the biggest downfall of the Pharisees and the other religious leaders in Jesus’ day. If you want to hear how he addresses them, take a close look at Matthew 23.

So, how do we live a life free of hypocrisy? I see two simple ways. The first comes to mind immediately, and that is to simply live a holy life. The word hypocrite is an old Greek phrase used when an actor would put on a different face. We have to realize that we are not who we used to be. We are different people by God’s grace. The second way seems contradictory, but it really is not. Not only must we live a holy life, but we must also be very humble and honest about our shortcomings. Yes, we are new creations, but the old self keeps coming back around. We cannot act like we are perfect. We cannot demonstrate self-righteousness. We have to be willing to let people to see us for who we really are. This humility is refreshing to a lost and fallen world.

Holiness and humility. They may seem like they are worlds apart, but they really go hand in hand. In order to live the holy life, we must practice humility. Anything else is just religion that both Jesus and people who are genuinely seeking God despise.

The Stable Life

“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy.” –James 3:17 (NASB)

Today’s word is one of the most difficult to carry over into English. The NIV translates this word as ‘impartial,’ the NLT makes it a bit wordier by rendering it ‘shows no favoritism,’ and the always accurate NASB simply says ‘unwavering.’ The word is only used here in the New Testament, so we have nothing to really compare it to. However, this much we do know: it carries a quality about it that we see very rarely anymore. The idea is that we are not swayed by people, life circumstances, or any other factors.

Now let’s be clear that we are not talking about stubbornness. You could argue that bullheaded people also are unwavering, but this is not the stability that God desires. I have seen addicts who are simply stubborn enough to walk away from their drug of choice, only to deeply battle overcoming a serious case of pride.

What we are talking about here is a steadiness to our faith that does not succumb to popular opinion. We are the same no matter who we are around. Our language, attitude, and faith remain steady, even when we are ridiculed. It also means that when we face trials due to situations that arrive in our lives, such as illness or persecution, we still hold fast to Christ.

If we are to make a difference in our world for Christ, we must have this unwavering and impartial quality about ourselves. In a world of chaos that many people live in, we must be a steady and faithful voice, even in the midst of our own trials. Chances are that our greatest moment to reach people won’t be when everything is going right, but rather when everything is going awry. Just remember the cross. It was in the midst of such chaos that Christ worked to save us all.

More Than a Feeling

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.—James 3:17

I know that not all of you like to ask technical questions about the Bible, but I beg you to be patient with me for just a moment. As I have been looking at this verse all week, this one phrase has been bugging me: “full of mercy and good fruit.” Now of all the words that James lists here, why would James choose to put mercy and good fruit together? I thought at first that maybe these are the only things that you can be full of, but that isn’t true. So why? Am I just reading too much into this, or is there really something there?

The conclusion that I have come to is that mercy and good fruit are intrinsically linked. You see, if mercy is the heart, then the good fruit would be the hands and feet of the body. I guess another way to put it is that mercy isn’t just a feeling—it has to manifest itself in actions if it is truly mercy. So while mercy may begin with a compassionate feeling, it has to get its hands and feet along the way too. As our faith grows, there may even be periods where we grow more merciful in certain areas, but we haven’t figured out yet how to live that out. That is ok. But the important thing is that we wrestle with that and continue to grow and learn how to live out that mercy.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Aren’t we thankful that Jesus did not merely feel merciful for us, but that he chose to come to earth and show us mercy through his life, and ultimately through the cross? May our mercy be a reflection of the mercy that he has shown to us.

The Christian "S" Word

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.—James 3:17

If there is an “S” word in Christian theology, it is the word ‘submit.’ It is probably so controversial because we so often use it in the context of gender issues, quoting Ephesians 5:22, where Paul instructs wives to submit to their husbands, while often forgetting the previous verse where we are all instructed to submit to one another, and the following verses, where husbands are to ‘give themselves’ for the good of their wives. So what does a purely submissive attitude look like? Let’s break it down a little:

1. There is a specific submission to authorities. While there are certain ethical limits here, as a general rule, we should submit to the leadership and decisions made by government officials, church leaders, parents, bosses, etc. This doesn’t mean we agree with every decision, nor does it mean we do anything that goes against our conscience. I believe we even have the biblical freedom to discuss ethical issues with our leaders. If we are called to do something unethical by our employers, then we should confront them peacefully and humbly about the issue. If they don’t budge, then we should look for a different job. While this is specific, I think there is a larger issue here to discuss.

2. There is also general submission to one another. While I could give you certain examples, I believe it is more important to talk about the attitude of submission that also applies to our submission to authorities. The attitude of submission is rooted in absolute humility. It is a respect for other people that calls us to listen to people because of who we are, not because of their title or position. Ephesians 5:21 tells us, “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” Having a submissive attitude means that we don’t always have to be the ones who are heard or to the ones who always get our way. We don’t need to be ‘pushy’ with our attitudes. We don’t need to get things done at the expense of relationships.

Simply put, Christ is the perfect example of a submissive attitude. He was submissive to the will of the Father, even when it was painful and unpopular. Even though he was God in human flesh, he even had a submissive attitude towards earthly authorities. Before Pontius Pilate, he remained mostly silent because he knew that the only power Pilate had was because it had been given to him by God. We must also choose to follow this attitude of Christ and to carry a submissive attitude about ourselves that is not just a respect for earthly authority, but also as an act of faith that God is in total control. Ultimately he will make all things right.

All Things Considered

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.—James 3:17

Often when I think about God’s call that he has for us, I start thinking about the things he wants us to do. I think about how we dream too little about how God could use us. I start to wonder if we’re doing everything that God has for us to do. But somewhere along the line, I start to realize that it isn’t just about the things that God has called us to do, but it is more so about the character that God has called us to have.

When I consider all of the things that I think God wants me to be, I must admit, being considerate generally doesn’t top my list. But James mentions it here as one of the character traits that we must make sure we have about ourselves. You can simply call it good manners, but it is more than that. Being considerate towards others is a part of our obedience towards God.

So, do you want to live out God’s will for your life today? Take out the trash for your wife. Leave a good tip whether the waitress does a good job or not. Let the person in front of you in traffic, even when they are driving like an idiot. It may not seem that complicated, but it doesn’t have to be rocket science to honor God. If we were simply considerate towards others, I think we’d be amazed at how God would use our character for his glory.

Lovers of Peace

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.—James 3:17

I must confess that I grew up thinking that peace was something for hippies who drove VW vans, wore tie died t-shirts, and didn’t shower nearly enough. But what I learned is that peace is a lot more than just getting along with people or being tolerant of others. Peace is something that takes a lot of hard work and a change of worldviews.

Being a lover of peace does not mean that we let people walk on us. It does not mean that we are weak. Sometimes bringing peace into a situation can be the toughest thing that a person will ever have to do.

Peace is not merely an absence of evil, but it is the presence of God. In the beatitudes, Christ calls us to be peacemakers. When we say we are peacemakers, it means that we intervene in situations where there is no peace and bring the peace of Christ. We live out our lives in such a way that rather than seeking revenge, we seek to make peace with our enemies.

But before we can be peacemakers, we have to be peace-lovers. That means we have a heart for peace. Our hearts break for people who are not living at peace with one another. Rather than celebrating violence through everything from war to video games, we mourn for the fallen state of our culture.

Is there a part of you that does not crave for peace? Do you still secretly enjoy some aspects of conflict? Are there certain situations where God may want you to bring peace, but yet your heart is not in the right place to do it? Remember, only God can redeem us and give us hearts for peace. May he develop your heart for peace this week in ways that you never before imagined possible.

Purity and Wisdom

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. –James 3:17

This verse is absolutely loaded with wisdom. In many ways it reminds me of the passage that talks about the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” So, each day this week, we’ll take one of the attributes listed here and talk about it more. We’ll start today with purity.

Purity is set apart at the top of the list for a reason: it is not necessarily the fruit that comes from wisdom, but rather the motivation for us to seek God’s wisdom. We all have turned from God. Evil is a part of our nature. But when we surrender to God, he washes our sins away and works to purify our hearts. In the beatitudes, Jesus says, “Blessed are the pure in spirit, for they will see God.” (Matt. 5:8)

There is something remarkably refreshing about the presence of people who are pure in heart—those who do not have bitter envy or selfish ambitions (see James 3:14). This morning in church we prayed for two missionary couples, Chris and Lori Urton, who serve in Papua New Guinea, and Matthew and Rachel Grossman, who are going to serve in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands. There is no question that they are very talented people. But what stands out about both couples is not their talents, but rather their hearts. They are amazingly trustworthy people. There is a very pure nature about them that is apparent from the first time that you meet them. That is probably why God sends people like them to faraway places, even if it is for a short period of time. He knows they will be received and trusted, because they are trustworthy people.

This world is hungering for those who are pure in heart. If we want to see our communities transformed for Christ, we must be willing to surrender to him and to see our own lives transformed first. The world does not need more religious people. The world needs more people who live as Christ lived. May you be one of them.

Reflections of the Heart

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. —James 3:11-12

There are only a few things more refreshing than coming across a cool mountain stream on a hot summer day. There is something very pure and healing about it. On the other hand, there are only a few things worse than getting a gulp of saltwater while swimming in the ocean. It can dehydrate you, and leaves a very nasty taste behind. Saltwater has its purposes, but drinking it is not one of them.

What James is saying is that what comes from our mouth is reflective of what is in our heart. One of the easiest ways to tell how much we have hatred towards a person is to reflect upon what we have said about them. It isn’t easy, and we may not like it, but it is true.

What we have to realize is that change comes from both the inside out and the outside in. In other words, if we want to change what we say, we have to focus on the heart. There is a deeper issue than just the words. However, our hearts are also changed when we bite our tongues. It is a two way street.

If people were to determine whether your heart is a spring of fresh water or salt water based solely on your words, what decision would they come to?

A Consistent Tongue

“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.” –James 3:9-10

One of the easiest things to do is to come to church on Sunday morning, sing praises to God, and then walk right out the door and start speaking negatively of others. We see an exceptionally rowdy child and we slander the parenting skills of the child. We hear a rumor about a person that we look down upon, and we play the telephone game and pass it on. We get into an argument with someone, and before we know it, we are telling them all of the areas where they are failing in their lives.

Sometimes we justify the things we say because we know that what we are saying is true. The parents really are that bad. The person really is bringing this upon themselves. And hey, I’m just being honest with this person to their face rather than talking behind their backs. But the problem is that it isn’t the character of the other person that James is talking about. It is our character that is supposed to be setting the standard. James encourages us to recognize the image of God in each person—it is put there by God, not by a person’s achievements.

So, how consistent is your tongue? Does it sound as edifying during the rest of the week as it does on Sunday morning? God desires that we worship him, but not just when we sing songs. God also desires that the way that we speak of others would be holy and pleasing to him as well.

The Wildest Beast of All

“People can tame all kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and fish, but no one can tame the tongue. It is restless and evil, full of deadly poison.” –James 3:7-8

I remember always thinking that it would be really cool to have a lion as a pet. I mean after all, they would really just sleep most of the time. They’re just a big cat. OK, a big, wild cat. Apparently though, some people just don’t think about this, they actually do it. I’m not just talking about the circus either. People have a small farm, so they decide to get a lion. They go out and pet it like a little kitten. It almost always seems to end in the same way, too. The animal either turns and attacks its owner, or it gets loose and causes a great deal of harm. My dad always said, ‘You can take the animal out of the wild, but you can’t take the wild out of the animal.’ If you raise a lion in your back yard, you’d just better expect trouble.

But according to James, the tongue is the wildest beast of all. Of all the things we can tame, the tongue isn’t one of them. I took this verse the wrong way for a while—it almost seems fatalistic. It almost seems like James is saying, “Why even try?” But I don’t think that is doing the Scripture justice. I think what we have to realize is that the tongue is untamable, but what do you do with an animal that is untamable? You put it in a big, secure cage. You don’t let it out. You have very clear boundaries that keep the animal from getting out of control.

Well, it is kind of tough to lock up our tongue and throw away the key. We do have to communicate, after all. But one of the things that they teach people who handle wild animals is to always remember that no matter how much that lion cuddles up to you, that he’s still a lion, and that he could kill you at any time he chooses. He is wild by nature. So, never get complacent around him. In the same way, we must never get complacent with our language. We must constantly be aware of the destructive nature of our tongues. We must always be very cautious with the words that we use.

What kind of reminders can you put in place to remind you about your tongue? Maybe committing a Scripture such as this one to memory would help. Or perhaps there are other subtle reminders throughout the day—a post-it note on the computer monitor or just a word that you remember whenever you feel the need to spout off. Whatever it may be, may you always remember the venomous nature of your tongue.

Garbage

“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.” –James 3:6

When we read the word ‘hell,’ we immediately think of Satan and demons, or at least, pitchforks and flames. However, this isn’t quite what the Jewish people would have had in mind. The word for ‘hell’ is actually gehenna, which referred to the Valley of Hinnom. In the Old Testament, this valley was a place where there was a great amount of idolatry, until King Josiah instituted reforms. So, the Valley of Hinnom was viewed as a defiled place, and eventually became a garbage dump. They brought everything from trash to dead animals and criminals to be burnt there. In the days of Jesus, the fire would have burnt non stop. The stench would have been unbearable.

When James says that our tongues are set on fire by gehenna, it refers to the impurity of this world, or maybe you could say the ‘trash of this world.’ So, what is the ‘trash of this world’ that affects our tongues and our hearts? Well, whenever I would watch wrestling or some other questionable program on TV, my mom would always tell me to “Turn that trash off.” I suppose if we evaluate our TV watching, we can see how violence, foul language, and sexual immorality negatively affect our lives. Often we don’t even notice it is happening. We can’t just limit this to TV either. There are so many other forms of media out there that form us. Whether it is the music we listen to or the books we read, they all affect us in some way. We can have bad personal influences as well. We all have coworkers, friends, or family that tend to bring us to a place we shouldn’t be.

If you know me well enough, you know that I am not an advocate of total isolation from the world. But, here’s the question: do you recognize the trash that corrupts you? Are you able to sort out what is good and what is harmful? This is why we must continue to allow Scripture to mold us in every way. When we take every thought captive for Christ, we can see what is helpful and what is harmful. Then we must ‘take out the trash’ and let God mold us into his image.

What trash is stinking up your life right now?

Combustible Words

“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.” James 3:4-5

I recall having a conversation with a youth minister about a group of girls in his youth group who were simply known as the ‘freshman five.’ There was not a youth group meeting that went by where there was not some type of conflict with at least one of these girls. It was either someone gossiping, saying something harmful to another, or flirting with the other’s boyfriend, but they all had one thing in common: It all involved words. If only they had learned to control their tongues, my friend’s job would have been much easier!

If only freshman girls were the limits! We all are deeply controlled by our words. What great explosions we have because of the times we cannot keep our mouths shut! How extremely combustible our lives become when we open our mouths!

I wonder if you would simply evaluate your day today and the words that you said. What words do you regret saying? Are there some words that you wish you would have said that you didn’t? Did someone say something to you that impacted your day? Then ask yourself this: How can I improve on my words tomorrow? Would it be pausing before you respond so quickly? Would it be not verbally responding at all? You will find that your responses will not only shape your relationships, they will also shape you.

In Full Control

“Indeed, we all make many mistakes. For if we could control our tongues, we would be perfect and could also control ourselves in every other way.” –James 3:2 (NLT)

One of the ways that James has been kicking my tail lately is in the area of words. James seems to keep bringing up the issue from time to time to the point that it seems to be one of his main concerns throughout the letter. Then, in this one passage it all seems to come together. It shows us the centrality of learning to control our tongue. When we learn to control our tongues, it seems that we can control everything else too.

I’ve been experimenting with this lately. While I did not question that this was true, I didn’t realize the depth to which this affects me. This especially affects my humor. It keeps me cautious about the jokes I tell and how much I bring humor into situations. So often I cover up the depth of personal conversations by simply adding humor rather than going deep. I have realized that it is next to impossible to be the jester and the prophet at the same time.

But what I also realize is that when I focus on guarding my tongue, the other parts of my life tend to mature as well. Taming my tongue is a great way to whip the other parts of my life into shape as well. I’d challenge you to consider it as well. What does your tongue tell you about the rest of your life?

Teachers

“Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” –James 3:1

Most of us have had a person other than our parents in a position of authority who have made a huge difference in our lives. Often times it is people who we label as teachers. For me, I had several. They ranged from coaches to science teachers to shop teachers. But there is something about the way we are created that makes us especially moldable by influential teachers.

In the Jewish culture, the teacher (or Rabbi) held the most influential role within a community. Often, they would command even more respect than one’s own parents. Whereas many of our teachers spend a few hours a day with their students, often a Rabbi’s disciples would follow him around for years eating every meal with him and hearing every word that he spoke. Jesus even said, “It is enough for the student to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master.” (Matthew 10:25)

This is why James puts such a strong warning here addressed towards those desiring to teach. He is not trying to discourage the gifted. He is attempting to weed out those who are in it for their own selfish ambitions. A teacher can do a lot of good or a lot of harm, or maybe even a little of both. As teachers of God’s Word, we are not merely to be influential or powerful, but to be first and foremost, like Christ.

It makes us ask some tough questions of ourselves: Do our actions match our words? Are our words reflective of Scripture, or are they laced with our own agendas? Do we think twice before we open our mouths? Are we helping people to seek God’s will for their lives or our will for their lives?

Whether or not you are an official ‘teacher’ of God’s Word, you may be in a position where you will heavily influence others. Think twice about your responsibility. Do your best to become like Christ.

Finding Faith in Unusual Places

“In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.” –James 2:25-26

During my first ministry in college, I had the opportunity to preach each week to a very patient and gracious church. So, when Mother’s Day came around, I did not think that maybe I should do something special. I just preached the text that I was going to preach, which happened to be about Rahab, a prostitute turned servant of God in the book of Joshua. About halfway through the sermon, I realized that maybe it was not the best idea to preach about the faith of a prostitute on Mother’s Day. I paused in the middle of the sermon, and let’s just say we all had a good laugh about it.

So when I read this passage in James, I feel a little better. But I don’t think this is any accident. Here is James, writing to Jews, and he has just used father Abraham as a prime example. All of them would have identified with and completely revered Abraham. He’s got them hooked. So what does he do next? He brings up the example of a Gentile—and not just any Gentile, but one who is a former prostitute, and uses her as a great example of faith.

I wonder if we fail to look outside of our comfort zone to find true faith. We probably like the examples of people who look a lot like us, who are similar in social status and skin color. But what if we chose to look in other places to find true examples of faith? Now I am not suggesting that we look outside the bounds of Christianity to other religions, but what if we learned to look to the single mom, the grandpa in the nursing home, the father standing in the unemployment line, or even the migrant worker? What can we learn when we take a look at their struggles, and how they respond with faith in Christ?

Where can you look this week to find an example of faith that may stretch you? Maybe there are newer Christians, who have a seemingly unquenchable zeal. Perhaps it is someone who comes from a different denominational background and whose slightly different take on the Christian faith stretches and encourages you to reexamine your life. Whoever it is and wherever you find them, may you see Christ in them and be encouraged to live out your faith all the more.

Faith, Works, or Grace?

And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. –James 1:23-24

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. –Ephesians 2:8-10

When we read the two Scriptures, they seem at first to contradict themselves. One seems to say that our works justify us, while another seems to say that it is all about grace. So, is it a contradiction, or is there something else?

One thing we have to remember is that James and Paul (the author of Ephesians) were writing to two different audiences. James was writing to Jewish Christians, while Paul was writing to a church with many Gentile believers. Paul was emphasizing that in coming to faith in Christ, we do nothing to earn that salvation—it is a free gift that we accept by faith. However, that faith fuels good works within us (Ephesians 2:10).

We must understand that James was writing to exhort people to live out their faith in a meaningful way. They had grown up in the faith, and had seen it made complete through Jesus Christ. James wanted them to understand that this newfound faith was a free gift—but that it was a gift that bears fruit when we truly have faith.

There are obviously more issues than this that we could look at with this text, but the common denominator rests in the fact that our faith propels us to do good works—not so that we might earn our salvation, but so that we might live it out.

Training with a Purpose

“You foolish man, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.” –James 2:20-22

I’ve got to confess that I have become quite interested in a few new Discovery Channel shows. Two of my favorites are Factory Made and How It’s Made—they’re really the same. So far tonight I’ve learned how potato chips and combines are made. Now, that’s knowledge that will come in useful. It’s a little bit like sitting in on the most exciting parts of on the job training without ever having to work. Which got me thinking, could you imagine how frustrating it would be for a boss to train an employee for a full week and then for them to not act like they knew what they were doing when they started out on their own? It would be painful!

But think about how our church culture often works. We teach and train people each week through worship, small groups, classes, etc. While these activities are much more than just training, that is certainly a vital part of them. But the faith is really not complete until we actually do something to live it out.

What is your attitude towards church? Is it just a place to learn, or is it a place that teaches you to put your faith in action? God desires that we serve both inside and outside the church, and the best training for service comes from the Word of God. When we put what we have learned to work in our lives, we will begin to see our faith being made complete as well.