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.