I love when somebody stops me at church and talks about the blog. Especially when it leads to a good observation like: This book is way too practical, there is not much that you can get around when it comes to interpretation.
7-10 So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he’ll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet.
James calls us out for the games we play, for the back and forth, for walking the thin line between our own self-centered lives and surrendering fully to God. The encounter of God, is about changing, is about rebuilding the brokenness that rules us from birth and keeps us anchored in a cycle of self indulgence and destruction. That encounter is about the realization that there is a hope for each and everyone, that encounter is about emptying one self, and making a decision to mature.
So today we are challenged to do a quick review of our lives, draw that line in the sand and take a step towards being a mature christian. Sometimes that requires a little more work than we would like to do, and maybe even a challenge to reach out and get some help. It might start with a prayer or talking to somebody that walk that road before you.
I pray that today can be that day when each one of us can encounter God in a new way.
Be blessed,
Bo M.
First Pres Joliet 
January 27, 2014 at 5:56 am
Today I personalized this passage and turned it into a prayer. There has been a recent divorce in our family that has caused so much pain because we love everyone involved. Except “the other woman”. The part of the passage reminding us not to slander another particularly caught my attention. It will be easier to forgive my nephew because I loved him first. The new woman will be harder to forgive and accept. But I’m reminded that because I am forgiven much, I am asked to forgive much. So I will begin that journey of forgiveness. I can use your prayers.
January 27, 2014 at 6:18 am
“being a mature Christian” I sit here thinking about my life and my relationship with God that I have had since very young. God has saved my life in so many ways, but I’m not sure about my maturity. Sometimes I go it alone and find a mess, sometimes I follow His way and have a life of serenity. Help me God to grow in maturity.
January 27, 2014 at 6:53 am
Once again, here’s James laying it down in as simple and direct a way as possible. We as a human race get into quarrels with one another because we want what we want and no one is going to stop us, right? Well, but in the end, God’s hand is still in it, and if it is in His will, then maybe we get what we were trying to get, and other times we end up disappointed. It would be better if we always stopped to pray about it first before we actually try to get what we want.
Sometimes, if I find a quiet place and pray for something I want, I find that particular want makes me seem so selfish. I end up realizing that what I want isn’t really THAT important. Other times, I find myself for days stressing about something that I think I need but can’t get or can’t afford, or whatever the case may be, and it takes a few days or more to realize how selfish I am being.
January 27, 2014 at 7:47 am
May we always remember James’ words that we need to give a loud “NO” to the devil, but a small whisper will bring God to us. May we follow Him and His ways each and every day.
January 27, 2014 at 8:06 am
Yes. WAY too practical.
January 27, 2014 at 8:20 am
Love how direct James is, and spells out to us what needs to happen. “Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet.”
January 27, 2014 at 10:26 am
It looks like something had gone horribly wrong with James’ group of Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. It looks a “civil war” broke out between the have’s & have not’s coupled with some very public sinners (v.1-4) in their midst. They were “onto” each other. Since all they could is talk, they were talking.
James says (v.7-10) “cool it”, start over, go to your separate corners, and “submit yourselves to God…” The problem they have is that they are “double minded.” They know in their head that “Godly” living is best, but there are parts of them, that won’t 100% buy into it. It’s good that this is a story about “them” not “us.”
James goes back to his theme (v.11-12) of “living out” or “doing” one’s faith as the prescribed cure. Judging one another goes nowhere because they are all guilty before God.
For 1000 years, this book was placed after the Acts in the NT followed by letters from Jude, Peter, John, and Paul. I think it made good sense to put it there because it, along with the Gospels, bridges the gap between the Old and New Testaments.
January 27, 2014 at 12:29 pm
The last sentence should read “”…bridges the gap between the Old and New Testament letters.” The NT was arranged as it is to have Christ presented in the Gospels. Acts and the epistles are an explanation of what that all means to the Christian. Martin Luther didn’t care for James because is scarcely mentions Christ, thus it’s demotion. Martin Luther was also an anti-semite. That also explains why he didn’t like the book of James.
January 27, 2014 at 3:02 pm
Sometimes I wonder what will happen if we did not know anything about the people that wrote these letters or those that made major contributions to the interpretation of them.
January 27, 2014 at 4:19 pm
Bo, if we didn’t have the background of the writers of the Bible, I think it would be much more difficult to interpret and already tough collection of books to understand. Putting them in the context of when they were written and the circumstances with which they were written helps us (me anyway) interpret their meaning so much more. Thoughts from anyone else?
January 27, 2014 at 4:28 pm
Matt my question is related to the oral tradition that has been a huge part of the sacred writings. It seems that at times we tend to put more value on a writing based on a guest authorship. For example the Pentateuch is attribute to Moses so because of that it carries a lot of weight both in the Jewish tradition and Christian as well. The reality is that many parts of the creation story, the flood and so on appear in a few other early cultures.
The premises if my question stands from an inquiring mind of what is Sacred, what gives us the modern readers the god sense that it’s in the very heart and soul of those writings. Is it the name attached to the writing? Is it its acceptance in the philosophical circles we belong? Or it’s the overall message that strikes our hearts and minds every time we read them?
January 27, 2014 at 9:14 pm
Just speaking for myself, Bo I think “god sense” comes from the overall message combined with the lesson/meaning that is often found within the details (or in the context in which the passage was written, as Matt was saying.) I think we need to read the lines and in between the lines. On the other hand, I do think that we can overcomplicate things at times and perhaps we should just ask ourselves “what would God want us to learn from this; what would Jesus say or do?”