June 14 ~ James 3:13-16
13-16 Do you want to be counted wise, to build a reputation for wisdom? Here's what you do: Live well, live wisely, live humbly. It's the way you live, not the way you talk, that counts. Mean-spirited ambition isn't wisdom. Boasting that you are wise isn't wisdom. Twisting the truth to make yourselves sound wise isn't wisdom. It's the furthest thing from wisdom - it's animal cunning, devilish conniving. Whenever you're trying to look better than others or get the better of others, things fall apart and everyone ends up at the others' throats.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Do you know a jealous person? They are pretty miserable, aren’t they? I would guess that pretty well everybody can think of someone from their childhood or even their high school days who was jealous of others – and who tried to make others look bad in order to elevate themselves and look smart and cool.
Sadly, there are jealous adults, too. They sabotage others in the workplace to make themselves look good with the boss. They pit church members against each other so that the attention is taken off of their own sins. They start vicious rumors about others in political elections so that they look like the better candidate. And in the end, they don’t look better at all. They don’t improve their stature, because ultimately, the truth will win out – God knows our hearts, and He does not have any tolerance for jealousy and revenge tactics.
There is a saying, “living well is the best revenge.” James would say that “living wisely and humbly is best.” He wouldn’t mention revenge, because those who are truly wise and humble are focused on serving and pleasing God – not on how they stack up against others. What about you? Where do you fit in this equation? Are you jealous of something or someone? Are you humble and wise – quietly living a life that pleases and serves God? It’s time for a reputation check – and possible remodeling! “Living wisely and humbly is the best reward.” Revenge or reward – which is your choice?
©2008 Debbie Robus
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June 13 ~ James 3:3-15
3-5 A bit in the mouth of a horse controls the whole horse. A small rudder on a huge ship in the hands of a skilled captain sets a course in the face of the strongest winds. A word out of your mouth may seem of no account, but it can accomplish nearly anything—or destroy it!
5-6 It only takes a spark, remember, to set off a forest fire. A careless or wrongly placed word out of your mouth can do that. By our speech we can ruin the world, turn harmony to chaos, throw mud on a reputation, send the whole world up in smoke and go up in smoke with it, smoke right from the pit of hell.
7-10 This is scary: You can tame a tiger, but you can't tame a tongue - it's never been done. The tongue runs wild, a wanton killer. With our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and women he made in his image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth!
10-12 My friends, this can't go on. A spring doesn't gush fresh water one day and brackish the next, does it? Apple trees don't bear strawberries, do they? Raspberry bushes don't bear apples, do they? You're not going to dip into a polluted mud hole and get a cup of clear, cool water, are you?
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
I cannot tell you how important this passage is for success in our daily living. Don’t we all know people whose mouth engages before their brain, and they say hurtful things or make comments that are untrue, or they “stir up trouble.” I know we all struggle with this, but once you have been on the receiving end of a hurtful comment, you have a better understanding of how important it is to guard your tongue!
Think of a tube of toothpaste. Have you ever squeezed the tube and far more came out than you could use in one brushing? What do you do with it? It will not go back into the tube, will it? Generally the only solution is to waste it… to wash it down the drain. It may not hurt anything, per se, but wastefulness is costly. And that’s how it is with our words. Once we have said something, so often it is next to impossible to take them back. They may not hurt all that much, and we may be able to offer a sincere apology to remove some of the sting. But sometimes they are very costly… relationships are damaged, if not ruined. Situations take a turn that changes the whole course of events, sometimes with dire consequences. And in some cases, lives are changed forever.
It IS ironic that the same tongue that can do such damage is the same tongue that often blesses and praises our Heavenly Father. Sorta cleaning the toilet with your toothbrush, isn’t it? Guard your tongue. Think about what you say before you say it. Prayerfully consider how your words will be received… and the reaction they may cause. Remember James’ admonition – this can’t go on! If you feel you can’t control your words, practice being silent until you are certain you can say something positive and encouraging – and pleasing to God.
©2008 Debbie Robus
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June 12 ~ James 3:1-2
1-2 Don't be in any rush to become a teacher, my friends. Teaching is highly responsible work. Teachers are held to the strictest standards. And none of us is perfectly qualified. We get it wrong nearly every time we open our mouths. If you could find someone whose speech was perfectly true, you'd have a perfect person, in perfect control of life.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
Do you get what this passage is saying? There are plenty of Christians who could do a good job of teaching. They could study, prepare, and deliver the lessons and teach others about the Bible and help them build their Christian faith. BUT… James is showing us that God expects those who teach His word to hold themselves to very high standards.
Yes, ALL Christians should aspire to high standards. But if you are going to set yourself apart as a teacher, you have to be ready to really live your faith – all day, every day! That means that when you see someone in Wal-Mart who wants to visit, and you are in a hurry, you must be polite and, at the very least, give the person a kind and considerate wave and smile as you explain you are running late. It means that when your friends go to a party that may be a little questionable, even if they don’t plan to participate in anything offensive, you must decline attending. You can’t even give the suggestion that you were near something that might not be totally “on the up-and-up.” You have to more carefully choose your friends and associates – and your business partners. You have to give a more thought to your wardrobe and appearance – and any “signals” you are sending by your behavior.
“Geez,” you might be saying, “in other words, if I am a teacher, I have to be a snob or a ‘goody-two-shoes’?” No… and none of us will ever be perfect… but you do have to aspire to be the most upright, moral, and faith-filled Christian that you can prayerfully be. And honestly, if God calls you to teach His word, He will equip you with everything you need to be His servant.
The point is this… sometimes we look at others and think to ourselves, “I could do that,” and we don’t consider all that is required of the position. We are quick to criticize and assess others and declare that we could do better. But we don’t consider the cost. We don’t consider all that is asked of those persons – all that is expected and all that they are striving to accomplish. When we look at it in those terms, James’ admonition not to get in a hurry to become a teacher makes a lot more sense. AND… we realize that those among us who have accepted God’s call to teach deserve our respect, our prayers, and our encouragement.
©2008 Debbie Robus
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June 11 ~ James 2:19-26
19-20 Do I hear you professing to believe in the one and only God, but then observe you complacently sitting back as if you had done something wonderful? That's just great. Demons do that, but what good does it do them? Use your heads! Do you suppose for a minute that you can cut faith and works in two and not end up with a corpse on your hands?
21-24 Wasn't our ancestor Abraham "made right with God by works" when he placed his son Isaac on the sacrificial altar? Isn't it obvious that faith and works are yoked partners, that faith expresses itself in works? That the works are "works of faith"? The full meaning of "believe" in the Scripture sentence, "Abraham believed God and was set right with God," includes his action. It's that mesh of believing and acting that got Abraham named "God's friend." Is it not evident that a person is made right with God not by a barren faith but by faith fruitful in works?
25-26 The same with Rahab, the Jericho harlot. Wasn't her action in hiding God's spies and helping them escape—that seamless unity of believing and doing—what counted with God? The very moment you separate body and spirit, you end up with a corpse. Separate faith and works and you get the same thing: a corpse.
(Scripture from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
When James talks about “works,” he is referring to more than just physical action – doing nice things for others. He is also talking about “putting your money where your mouth is” so to speak with regard to faith. In other words, we say we believe God will protect us, and then we wring our hands and worry our situation until we are almost physically ill. We say, “I believe God is leading me to help with that mission project,” but instead of actually following through, we let something else get in the way and call it a “schedule conflict”. Joyce Meyer loves to tell of a time she heard God telling her to pay the bill for someone in line ahead of her at the store. She didn’t do it, and afterward, she felt bad about it for days. It wasn’t a huge sum of money, but she just didn’t obey, and she not only missed a blessing, but she was troubled by her disobedience.
YOUR situation may not be so profound as God telling you to pay someone else’s bill. But you know when you get nudges from God. And you know when you pray about something and “give it to the Lord,” and then you continue to worry and stew about it. We all do it so much of the time. But that, my friend, is faith without works. We must start exercising our “faith muscle” and strengthening it. We must start standing on God’s promises, and really, truly having faith in His power, grace and mercy. We must get to a point where faith and works cannot be separated in our mind and heart. THAT level of belief is the challenge AND the goal. Make it yours today!
©2008 Debbie Robus
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June 10 ~ James 2:14-18
14-17 Dear friends, do you think you'll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, "Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!" and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?
18 I can already hear one of you agreeing by saying, "Sounds good. You take care of the faith department, I'll handle the works department."
Not so fast. You can no more show me your works apart from your faith than I can show you my faith apart from my works. Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
I know people who are “religious” – they go to church, they study the Bible and can quote chapter and verse. They are good and kind and “live a Godly life.” But they tend to be a little self-serving. “What is God doing for ME?” “How will this improve MY Spiritual life?” “What can *I* get out of this Bible study – how will it help me to grow in the knowledge of the Lord?” Rarely, if ever, do I hear them say, “I visited with So-and-so who is sick,” or “I sent a card of encouragement to someone who had suffered a set-back.” Maybe they do these things in secret, but based on my observations of how they respond to the conversations we have and I overhear them having with others, they really aren’t about doing good works unless there IS a reward in it for them – or some recognition.
On the other hand, don’t we all know people who we would say are really a “good person” who “would give you the shirt off his/her back” or “do anything in the world for you.” And yet the extent of their Spiritual life seems to be filling a church pew on Christmas Eve and Easter Sunday. They rarely attend a worship service, and to your knowledge, they seldom open their Bible. From all you know of these people, the only prayer life they have is an “emergency prayer” for help when they get into a jam! And from what you have seen and heard, they rely more on their own abilities than faith in God to navigate life’s challenges.
James is clear on this point. You can’t have a solid Christian faith without some “works” to go along with it. AND… being “a good guy” is not enough, either. You may spend all of your spare time doing things for others and seeing about their needs, but if you do not have a strong Spiritual life, it’s all pretty worthless.
So I encourage you to check yourself. See if you find any lack in either area – faith or works. If you do, get busy doing whatever you need to do to correct the imbalance! Faith and works – works and faith… make sure you have a full measure of both!
©2008 Debbie Robus
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June 9 ~ James 2:8-13
8-11 You do well when you complete the Royal Rule of the Scriptures: "Love others as you love yourself." But if you play up to these so-called important people, you go against the Rule and stand convicted by it. You can't pick and choose in these things, specializing in keeping one or two things in God's law and ignoring others. The same God who said, "Don't commit adultery," also said, "Don't murder." If you don't commit adultery but go ahead and murder, do you think your non-adultery will cancel out your murder? No, you're a murderer, period.
12-13 Talk and act like a person expecting to be judged by the Rule that sets us free. For if you refuse to act kindly, you can hardly expect to be treated kindly. Kind mercy wins over harsh judgment every time.
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
I told you the scriptures in James were not easy! Do you know someone who simply rubs you the wrong way? And maybe even worse, that person really likes you and comes your way the minute you are spotted. It’s sort of like, “Oh, no… here he/she comes again!” And maybe you have turned your head and pretended not to see this person, or you have “ducked and run” down another aisle at the store to avoid them, or you have impatiently tolerated their company for as short a time as possible without being out-and-out rude.
But let someone you admire and want to get to know enter the room, and you are suddenly eager to be noticed – and to spend time with that person. In fact, you do everything you can to be near this person and to impress him/her. Moreover, you may have done things you know you shouldn’t – think speeding, making up excuses (or lies) to avoid having to spend time with someone, or borrowing someone’s I.D. in order to get into a movie or a club you were too young to enter. Or maybe someone gave you a $10 bill instead of $1 when making change, and you kept it. After all, YOU didn’t miscount, did you? These are all harmless actions, aren’t they? It’s not like you murdered somebody or committed adultery!
James is telling us that we can’t have it both ways. We can’t love those we think are “special” and snub those who are “hard to love.” We can’t pick and choose which laws (commandments) to follow either. In God’s eyes, any disobedience is unacceptable. And remember, we may be someone else’s “hard to love” person. Imagine how that would feel. We are called to love one another as we love ourselves, and most of us think we are pretty wonderful, don’t we? So how can we treat others as if they are anything less? It’s just possible that if we start treating those who are hard to love as if they are special and worthy, they might actually start living up to our expectations! Either way, it’s what God requires of us, and that is truly all that matters.
©2008 Debbie Robus
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June 8 ~ James 2:5-7
5-7 Listen, dear friends. Isn't it clear by now that God operates quite differently? He chose the world's down-and-out as the kingdom's first citizens, with full rights and privileges. This kingdom is promised to anyone who loves God. And here you are abusing these same citizens! Isn't it the high and mighty who exploit you, who use the courts to rob you blind? Aren't they the ones who scorn the new name - "Christian" - used in your baptisms?
(Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson.Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved. For copies of The Message call (800) 366-7788.)
I have known people with LOTS of money and influence who were so humble and unpretentious that you would never know they had a dime. I have known others who flaunt their wealth at every opportunity and use their “power” to oppress those around them. They feel a sense of entitlement – that by the very snap of their fingers, people should come running to bow before them and serve their every whim. (Think Donald Trump!)
I have known people who, as my grandmother would say, were “as poor as Job’s turkey,” and yet they love God and serve Him with everything they do have, and God sees their faithfulness, and He will bless it. When I was a little girl, I thought my dad’s parents (my grandparents) were rich. In truth, my grandparents worked HARD from sunrise to sunset. The food I thought was so wonderfully abundant from their freezer and root cellar was a result of hot, hard labor in a garden and over a stove, sterilizing glass jars, pressure cooking the fruits and veggies. Their Black Angus cattle had to be tended morning and night, and when one was butchered, it meant hours cutting and wrapping the meat for the freezer.
My grandmother made a lot of our clothes because “store-bought” ones couldn’t be afforded, and the beautiful Barbie doll dresses were created from the scraps. My grandmother worked two jobs. She drove a school bus each morning and afternoon, and in between, she was a chairside dental assistant. I don’t know how long or how hard my grandfather had to work as a heavy equipment operator on the county road crew to pay for the furniture he enjoyed having delivered to our home – television sets, couches, and bedroom suites … much of which my mother still has in her home today!
But what I do know that my grandparents always kept God in the equation. My mother recalls my grandmother sitting with us when we were little, and when Mom returned, she was reading her Bible while we slept. My grandparents spent their evenings reading the Bible and their Sunday mornings listening to “gospel hour” on the radio while getting ready for church. My grandparents’ legacy was “doing for others.” They were always ready to help a neighbor, friend, or fellow church member – or stranger. They loved others.
When my grandfather died suddenly in 1984 as the result of a stroke, my grandmother stood over his lifeless body and prayed with my sister and me. She thanked God for their life together (hard as it was), and the knowledge that my grandfather would be rewarded in heaven for his faithfulness. She knew that the days and years alone would not be easy – and they haven’t – but she remains faithful and serves as much as she can at 95 years of age. They are among God’s chosen people… those some would consider poor by the world’s standards, but rich beyond measure in Heavenly rewards.
Where are you? What will be your legacy? There is nothing wrong with working hard, making a lot of money and having nice things. But what will you do with them? How will you treat others? Will you serve your wealth… or God? Your answer can make all the difference.
©2008 Debbie Robus
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