Sep
07
Welcome, Fellow Readers-Along! Week One is here already! I don’t have the time or space to unpack each verse of Chapter 1 (I wish I did!), so I’m going to focus on a handful that stand out to me, and hopefully, the rest of you will hit what I miss.
Just so you know, I’ll be using the ESV (with other versions sprinkled in). Not because I think it’s the best, but because I have a pocket-sized ESV Bible, and it’s the easiest thing to take with me as I work to memorize the whole stinking entire book of James (!!!). I started today, and I’m already struggling to get past the bits and pieces of NIV lingo lodged in my brain from years past.
For a quick read of James 1 in any version, click here. And for details on the read-along, click here. Shall we dive right in the deep end?
Verse 2–Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds. (consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds–NIV off the top of my head–see??)
I hadn’t planned on “borrowing” thoughts from David Platt’s sermons, but goodness, he’s got some gems in there (listen here), and I can’t help myself. Platt says (and I heartily agree) that this verse denounces the whole health-and-wealth gospel. Notice that James says “count it all joy WHEN you face trials,” not “increase your faith because trials must mean you’re not believing/naming-and-claiming hard enough.”
Trials do not equal insufficient/weak faith. Trials are part of God’s plan to reveal himself to us and to help us grow more like him.
So often we want to just “fix” our trial (or other people’s trials) as quickly as possible, and get back to normal, to comfortable. But if we view our trials as a catalyst to knowing God more truly and deeply, we can really, honestly find joy even while we’re walking through them.
“Trials are joy when God is our goal.” (DP) And by joy, I mean a deep-down confidence that God is in control, knows what he’s doing, loves me intensely, and wants what’s very best for me. Joy isn’t wishy-washy, happy feelings (although happiness can absolutely be a part of it). And joy doesn’t mean absence of pain. They can go hand-in-hand.
Verse 5–If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. This verse fills me with more comfort than I can say.
The God who knows everything–and has never, ever, ever made a wrong move ever–is offering to give me his wisdom. I just read in 1 Kings today how God told Solomon to ask him for anything and he asked for wisdom to rule God’s people. God went giddy over his request. It’s very, very cool with God for us to ask him for his wisdom, rather than try to wing things on our own.
And really, why would we try to do that?? Why, knowing what I know about God, would I ever try to figure something out by myself when he’s there ready and willing with all the wisdom in the universe? Yet I do it over and over. Sigh.
Verse 19b-20–let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness that God requires.
I’m just going to flat-out admit right now that I struggle big-time with this. Just today, I got frustrated with my little home-schooler, and I lashed out with some really, really unkind (and loud) words. It says in Matthew that from the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks. And my heart was exposed today as being black and ugly.
Whenever I’m tempted to think that I’ve pretty much got it all together and I’m pretty righteous and everything, it only takes one quick outburst of anger at one of my kids (or husband) to remind me that I’m no better than child abusers, brothel owners, people who treat others like they’re less than human. If I can spew hateful words just because someone pushes my buttons, then what does that say about my heart?
It’s filthy, and I desperately need God to create in me a clean one (Psalm 51). James 1:26 speaks to this as well. If I can’t bridle my tongue, my faith is worthless. Sobering, sobering words.
Verse 27–Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.
As someone who’s in love with some very precious orphans, I love this verse. But as David Platt warns us, there are two parts to it–public/practical compassion and personal purity–and we each have a tendency to jump on one of these and ignore the other. The whole liberal left/right-wingers dichotomy thing.
But it’s a BOTH/AND statement, not EITHER/OR.
I need to care deeply about the poor while keeping myself pure in heart and my blasted tongue bridled. Tall order, huh? Good thing Christ gives me strength outside of myself.
Your turn, friend. Feel free to answer any/all of the questions below either in the comments or in your own post. And be sure to link to your post if you wrote one. I’m itching to hear what God said to you in this action-packed first chapter.
Discussion Questions:
1. If you could remove one verse from James 1 and never have to deal with it again, which one would it be, and why?
2. What one verse would you like (or feel compelled) to focus on/live out in the coming weeks, and how do you envision it playing out in your life?
3. If you could ask James for clarification on one verse/topic, what would you ask him and why?
[...] online read along? Check out the blog of my friend (may I be honored to call you that my dear?) MarlaTaviano.com. Share this:EmailFacebook Article By: Lori Mercer Categories : Christ, James [...]
[...] first week of our read-along of the book of James, we’ve been challenged not only to read the words of the scripture, but to actually do what [...]
Ok its late im running on kid induced no sleep but i commited to myself to do this so sorry if i make no sence thoughts are hard to put together. Verse that stans out to me is 19 but i think the “quick to hear gets me more. Dontget me wrong i loose it with my son and husband and say meanthings at timesbut i struggle more withbeing quick to hear esp.if idont like the way some one says something. I also get so busy i forget to be quick to hear Gods voice.
I think also i can easily forget to be joyful in suffering and can easily have a woe is me attitude then when things get better thank God but i also need to thank Him in the hard stuff because thats what has strenghthen my faith the most.
I think about this a lot now that i have kids. I hate for them to go through the hard things i went through as a kid/teen/young adult but i have the ability for great love and empathy and the ability to trust God or at least know to call on Him in my most hurting moments. I still dont want to see them go through hard things and i would rather not either but i want to know Jesus in a very real way and I want them to also.
I also want to along with that be able to reconize the perfect gifts talked about in verse 17 and be as vocal about them as i am my trials.
oh and lastly every time i read this i remember that i still need to work on the whole bridled tongue thing…. Sorry just random thoughts and not answers to the questions
Random thoughts are perfectly acceptable and absolutely welcome! Thanks so much, Jessica! GREAT point about the challenge of really listening, especially when we know we’re not going to like what we hear!!
I can’t remember by password for my own blog. That’s terrible. Anyway, I’m leaving my post in the comments section until I get the password situation figured out.
I love the book of James because it is real Christianity. I may not like every aspect or it may shine light into an area that I don’t want to change but that’s what I need.
v.27-”…keep oneself polluted by the world.” is what I am going to comment on today. All summer long my family lives in a bubble. We spend time with just each other and outside intrusion is much smaller than during the school year. I can listen to Christian Radio all day. I feel like a better mom. But now school has begun and there is a whole lot of pollutin’ going on. My reaction is to want to hunker down. I want to quit my job as a teacher, keep my kids home, and live my life in this bubble. But I remember that God called me to be salt and light. So I balance my desired to remain pure from the world and the need for me to “be Christ” out there. Does anyone else feel like they want to run from it all? Is this really a solution for non-pollution? Christ spent his time with some yucky people. Am I really a better mom when I try to shelter my kids? Does the devil want me to separate myself? Hmmm…
Oh, wow, Melanie. I ask myself this kind of stuff all the time. Don’t forget v. 5–ask God for wisdom, and he’ll give it to you!
I am loving James! Thank you Marla for leading this discussion.
We will have troubles but we must use our troubles to grow closer to God because God wants us to ask him for His wisdom during these tough times.
One important question I need to answer in my daily walk is, how can I focus less on earthly possessions and more on people to be like Christ?
I love vs 18: “his prized possession” How often we do me feel like God’s prized possession-he loves us that much!
From David Platt: We are responsible in our temptations-Ouch!!!!
So much more to process! I look forward to reading everyones post. Blessings.
You’re so welcome, Cheryl!
Does anyone have a story of when they faced a trial and had joy through all of it? I’d love to hear how God produced joy in you in the face of adversity.
[...] hear + do (james 1 in action) Hello there! If you are new here, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic.Powered by WP Greet Box WordPress PluginWe’re going to get down to some nitty-gritty living-out-our-faith-for-REAL details here in a minute, but first, a quick recap of the James Read-Along Day 1. [...]
[...] started my read-along of the book of James today. I’ve read this book several times and there’s always something fresh to be seen. [...]
I am loving the motivation to read James!! James 1:2 really jumped off the page at me (“Consider it PURE JOY, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,”) I am so, so blessed and yet selfishly find it easy to get down when silly things don’t go according to MY plan.
This is definitely one that I will be committing to memory!!
Oh goodness, I know it. I somehow have it all twisted up and think my plan is the best.
Focus: it is hard to choose one. I so much want to be more swift to hear and slow to speak and consider it joy when i am facing trials but my choice is based on what hit me in this chunk of scripture that I never recall standing out to me before. vs. 6-7 In reading these verses I recalled hearing vs. 6 before, where it relates a doubter to a wave being tossed by the wind, but when i got to vs. 7 I took a sucker punch to the stomach. Paraphrasing vs 7 here, doubters should’t think they will receive anything from the Lord. I realize I treat faith too much like an emotion or allow my emotions to affect my faith when I shouldnt.
Clarification: I would love to have James clarify vs. 17. In this verse I lack knowledge on the phrases father of lights and shadow of turning. Anyone have any help for me on that?
That is a really, really good question, Mindy. I don’t know the answer but will try to find out.
I love your statement about v 27 being AND not an either/or statement. I noted the same thing. Enjoying this already!
So glad you joined us, Melissa!