A couple of years ago we made a Doulos Intro-Video called “Eric Yiulander”. In this video, we had the debut of Mamagatu (played by Henry Kuo). The reason I bring this up is because through the video, Mamagatu encourages his followers to bury their true feelings and emotions with a superficial smile and laughter. It is interesting because I think we tell people in the church that they should always be joyful, always be laughing, always be happy. But how can we laugh and be joyful over sin in our lives. We avoid dealing with the deep roots and the dirtiness of sin. We want to gloss over it with a sweet worship song or a happy face. How many times have you heard someone tell you turn your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom at church? Well, I am glad you are doing this devo because the Word is going to tell you just that.
Please read and reread James 4:1-12
We see here in James 4 that it can be broken down into three sections. The first two show us the problems that are out of control in the church, while the third proposes a solution. In the first three verses we see how James rebukes believers for their prayers for they are marked by anger and selfishness, not an attitude of trust in God. Verses 4-6 shows there are differences in living in this world (for the readers it would be the Roman world, for us it would be in the US society) and life lived according to God’s desires. A choice must be made and we must be aware that no one can satisfy the demands of both. Then verses 7-10 give us the solution to various problems and that solution is a call to repentance.
From NIV Application commentary – “In urging grief and a shift from laughter to mourning and joy to gloom, James reminds his readers that the false paths they thought would lead to true laughter and joy are dead ends and need to be abandoned. This abandonment must carry with it a recognition that the pursuit of these old false paths has not only grieved God, but endangered the Christian community and harmed many of their sisters and brothers. The recognition of such hurt carries with it an awareness of guilt and responsibility that are not appropriately mixed with laughter and joy.”
So spend some time in reflection. Turn your laughter into mourning – what are things that we have falsely headed towards and thought would bring us happiness? Ask God for forgiveness and turn now towards God’s ways.
Tuesday: Pray for your family
Praise God for parents because they love you and take care of you.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Monday, February 8, 2010
Wisdom from Above
When I was in high school, I remember one of the biggest controversies at our school my senior year was between the valedictorian and the salutatorian. At a highly academic competitive school, there was constant jostling among the top 10 students to be ranked higher and higher. This desire to be the top ranked student got so bad that the salutatorian falsely accused the valedictorian of cheating. The school, eventually got to the truth, but the valedictorian was so offended by what had happened that he eventually skipped the graduation ceremony to protest. I think its interesting that in our culture (and maybe even more so in Asian culture) there is a struggle and push for academic success, for wisdom. So much that it can be quite cutthroat when it comes to academics. This exists not only in high school but in college, grad school, all the way through the upper echelon of academia. James in his letter to the church spends a lot of time talking about wisdom and how the desire for wisdom fits into our lives as the people of God.
Read James 3:13-18
James talks here about the pursuit of true wisdom. It’s the complete opposite of earthly wisdom. Earthly wisdom would tell you to pursue the elevation of self and leaves you with bitter jealousy and selfish ambition (3:14) But true wisdom isn’t demonstrated with head knowledge but rather in how you live that wisdom out. (3:13) “Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.”
In verses 13-14, there is such a clear contrast between meekness and bitter jealousy selfish ambition. What is meekness? Not to be confused with weakness, being meek, can be defined as “trusting God and therefore being set free from anxious self-promotion”1 It’s the ability to allow God to define who we are rather than us defining who we are. The opposite of that, jealousy and selfish ambition is not from God. James uses some powerful terminology here calling it “earthly, unspiritual, and demonic” and it leads to disorder and all kinds of sin. So then how do we know that what we’re pursuing is true wisdom from God rather than something from the world? By the fruit it produces. James 3:17-18, “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” That’s quite a list. The challenge for us is to examine our own lives and see if we are living these qualities out. Are we gentle to others, open to reason. Are we impartial and sincere. God desires that we seek the wisdom that comes from Him so that we can live out these characteristics with the rest of the household of God. Notice that the character God calls us to pursue always works itself out within the context of community.
Spend sometime asking God to show you areas in your life where you lack in wisdom from above. Examine your own hearts and see if you are truly bearing fruit that comes from having wisdom from above. Spend time asking God to give you wisdom, “who gives generously to all without reproach” (James 1:5)
Read James 3:13-18
James talks here about the pursuit of true wisdom. It’s the complete opposite of earthly wisdom. Earthly wisdom would tell you to pursue the elevation of self and leaves you with bitter jealousy and selfish ambition (3:14) But true wisdom isn’t demonstrated with head knowledge but rather in how you live that wisdom out. (3:13) “Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom.”
In verses 13-14, there is such a clear contrast between meekness and bitter jealousy selfish ambition. What is meekness? Not to be confused with weakness, being meek, can be defined as “trusting God and therefore being set free from anxious self-promotion”1 It’s the ability to allow God to define who we are rather than us defining who we are. The opposite of that, jealousy and selfish ambition is not from God. James uses some powerful terminology here calling it “earthly, unspiritual, and demonic” and it leads to disorder and all kinds of sin. So then how do we know that what we’re pursuing is true wisdom from God rather than something from the world? By the fruit it produces. James 3:17-18, “But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” That’s quite a list. The challenge for us is to examine our own lives and see if we are living these qualities out. Are we gentle to others, open to reason. Are we impartial and sincere. God desires that we seek the wisdom that comes from Him so that we can live out these characteristics with the rest of the household of God. Notice that the character God calls us to pursue always works itself out within the context of community.
Spend sometime asking God to show you areas in your life where you lack in wisdom from above. Examine your own hearts and see if you are truly bearing fruit that comes from having wisdom from above. Spend time asking God to give you wisdom, “who gives generously to all without reproach” (James 1:5)
Friday, February 5, 2010
Quit Your Jibber-Jabber!
Read and Reread James 3:1-12
Hey, shout out to all those leaders out there! Yeah, you're going to be judged with higher standards than those who aren't. I know we ain't perfect. We're going to trip and fall. And if anyone doesn't mess up what they say, they're perfect, because they're able to control their entire body. You know how we're able to make cars go where we want them to? We have a steering wheel. What about ships? They have those little rudders that control where they are going. Crazy eh? Something so small can control the direction of these things. Just like the tongue. Even though it is so small, it can do things that we don't know it can do.
You know those forest fires in California? Yup, those were started by a small spark. Our tongues are just like that small spark. We say a lot of bad things. Those bad things corrupt us and soon directs our life. Soon enough we're going to be set on fire by the fires of hell. Yeah, that's scary. You know, we've been able to subdue even the fiercest of biggest of animals such as the lion, killer whales, or rhinoceros'. But we're not even close to controlling what we say! What we can say can cause ruin and destruction. What we can say can also encourage and give life! How is this even possible? Destruction and life are completely opposite! This shouldn't be happening, brothers and sisters. It's just how water can not be fresh and salty at the same time. Or it's an apple tree growing oranges. It's not natural.
Your tongue! Control it!
It is easier said than done. And we can not do this by our strength alone. Pray for the Holy Spirit to empower you.
Reflect upon the ways that you can be encouraging. Not only to your brothers and sisters in Christ, but also to those at your school. This is a way that you can be a light to everybody.
Hey, shout out to all those leaders out there! Yeah, you're going to be judged with higher standards than those who aren't. I know we ain't perfect. We're going to trip and fall. And if anyone doesn't mess up what they say, they're perfect, because they're able to control their entire body. You know how we're able to make cars go where we want them to? We have a steering wheel. What about ships? They have those little rudders that control where they are going. Crazy eh? Something so small can control the direction of these things. Just like the tongue. Even though it is so small, it can do things that we don't know it can do.
You know those forest fires in California? Yup, those were started by a small spark. Our tongues are just like that small spark. We say a lot of bad things. Those bad things corrupt us and soon directs our life. Soon enough we're going to be set on fire by the fires of hell. Yeah, that's scary. You know, we've been able to subdue even the fiercest of biggest of animals such as the lion, killer whales, or rhinoceros'. But we're not even close to controlling what we say! What we can say can cause ruin and destruction. What we can say can also encourage and give life! How is this even possible? Destruction and life are completely opposite! This shouldn't be happening, brothers and sisters. It's just how water can not be fresh and salty at the same time. Or it's an apple tree growing oranges. It's not natural.
Your tongue! Control it!
It is easier said than done. And we can not do this by our strength alone. Pray for the Holy Spirit to empower you.
Reflect upon the ways that you can be encouraging. Not only to your brothers and sisters in Christ, but also to those at your school. This is a way that you can be a light to everybody.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Action without Faith?
Last week, a few of us went to Wisconsin for the Senior High Retreat. Outside of having tons of fun, we had the privilege of hearing a very powerful and convicting message. We spent a lot of time in James, which Heath, the speaker, stated was a very offensive book in the Bible. By offensive, he meant that James’ words are brutal, straightforward, and rebuking.
One of Heath’s messages was particularly convicting. He examined the difference between knowledge and action, and put forth the question, “Ok, you have faith, so what are you gonna do about it?” He told us this story of a surgeon:
There was once this girl, who wanted very badly to be a surgeon. So she worked very hard during college, so hard that she graduated and got accepted into Harvard Medical School. At Harvard, she worked and studied so hard that she graduated at the top of her class. One day, she was in the subway and in the middle of the ride, an elderly man collapsed and started having a seizure on the dirty, nasty floor of the subway. One of the people on the subway dropped to her knees and tried to assist the man, but wasn’t adequately trained, so she screamed out, “Does anyone here know how to save this man? Is there a doctor or surgeon here?” And nobody moved. The Harvard med student sat watching, and turned to the person next to her saying, “Hey, I read about a situation like this in my med textbook.” At this point the elderly man is starting to go into shock, and the woman on the ground with him screams at the top of her lungs, “IS THERE ANYONE WHO CAN SAVE THIS MAN?!!” And once again the surgeon turns to the person sitting next to her and says nonchalantly, “Yeah, this is an epileptic seizure, I learned all about these at Harvard Med.”
This story illustrates the ridiculousness of Christians who have the knowledge of the Savior, yet do not act. Unfortunately, the Harvard Grad was a metaphoric symbol for us. Similarly, the following passage demonstrates the ideas we have examined so far.
Read James 2:14 – 26
So many times we hear that we cannot obtain salvation through good works, but this passage actually tells us that faith without deeds is also insufficient. So you may be thinking, “Well what should I do?” Well, Matthews 25:34 gives an answer. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ “
Now take the initiative. Clothe the naked, give drink to the thirsty, care for the poor in your world, whether at school, at your extracurriculars, or even at WCAC. That is what faith calls you to do.
One of Heath’s messages was particularly convicting. He examined the difference between knowledge and action, and put forth the question, “Ok, you have faith, so what are you gonna do about it?” He told us this story of a surgeon:
There was once this girl, who wanted very badly to be a surgeon. So she worked very hard during college, so hard that she graduated and got accepted into Harvard Medical School. At Harvard, she worked and studied so hard that she graduated at the top of her class. One day, she was in the subway and in the middle of the ride, an elderly man collapsed and started having a seizure on the dirty, nasty floor of the subway. One of the people on the subway dropped to her knees and tried to assist the man, but wasn’t adequately trained, so she screamed out, “Does anyone here know how to save this man? Is there a doctor or surgeon here?” And nobody moved. The Harvard med student sat watching, and turned to the person next to her saying, “Hey, I read about a situation like this in my med textbook.” At this point the elderly man is starting to go into shock, and the woman on the ground with him screams at the top of her lungs, “IS THERE ANYONE WHO CAN SAVE THIS MAN?!!” And once again the surgeon turns to the person sitting next to her and says nonchalantly, “Yeah, this is an epileptic seizure, I learned all about these at Harvard Med.”
This story illustrates the ridiculousness of Christians who have the knowledge of the Savior, yet do not act. Unfortunately, the Harvard Grad was a metaphoric symbol for us. Similarly, the following passage demonstrates the ideas we have examined so far.
Read James 2:14 – 26
So many times we hear that we cannot obtain salvation through good works, but this passage actually tells us that faith without deeds is also insufficient. So you may be thinking, “Well what should I do?” Well, Matthews 25:34 gives an answer. “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ “
Now take the initiative. Clothe the naked, give drink to the thirsty, care for the poor in your world, whether at school, at your extracurriculars, or even at WCAC. That is what faith calls you to do.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Favoritism, revisited.
Read: James 2: 1-13
James is quite straightforward as a book, and for that reason, I’ll try to be straightforward in this entry.
Favoritism sucks, and the issue resonates strongly with me because it has damaged my family. Like the traditional Chinese grandfather, mine valued grandsons. He also has 2 granddaughters, but he pretty much ignores them. My brothers and I were the only grandsons in the entire Kuo family. So, at every dinner, my parents (who did not want my grandfather’s favoritism to destroy the family) often asked me and my brothers to sit far away from my grandfather, and let my uncles and dad sit next to him (the privileged seats). But my grandfather would always want his grandsons sitting next to him, in the seats of privilege. My parents, by Chinese custom, are not allowed to disagree, so they kept quiet. Not so surprisingly, our entire family remains rather fragmented to this day (repaired somewhat through my dad’s battle with cancer and later, his passing away).
But that’s exactly, as you noticed, what James was warning against. The thing is that in the olden days, the congregations met at the wealthy Christians’ homes. After church, there’d be dinner and stuff, and according to cultural mores, the homeowner sits at the front of the table. Now, the temptation is obvious - you want your best buddies to sit next to you and... well, those newcomers (and most often the poor) can sit far, far away from me at the other end of the table. James says, “No!” If there’s an empty sit next to you, and a poor guy walked in, the seat is his. You don’t like the poor guy? Tough - go and repent. In the church, there is no favoritism.
And the same applies at WCAC as well. Oftentimes we gather in cliques because they comprise of people we like. But what about those not like us? What about those who are not Chinese and are from the inner-city church? What about those who are not from an Alliance church? What about the people who are not destined to be engineers, doctors, lawyers, and professors?
Let me go further: what kinds of people come to church? Let’s just focus on WCAC. What kinds of people show up? Well, if I’m correct, most of you have the following characteristics:
99% of you have GPAs in the range of 3.5 - 5.0 (out of 4).
most of you are involved with some sport.
most of you intend to go to college to major something in medicine, law, engineering, or business.
And most of you intend to graduate college intending to be doctors, lawyers, engineers, or CEOs.
most of your friends are in the above categories.
True? Let me ask you, what place does a grossly-obese Latino with a 2.3 GPA who wants to be an artist have in youth group? I know, we’re a Chinese church, and we are equipped to reach out to a particular demographic, but that doesn’t mean we’re restricted to reach out to that demographic. If someone like what I described can’t find a home in WCAC, aren’t we playing favorites? Let me go further - do YOU play favorites at school? Are there people you just don’t talk to because they’re black? Or they’re from the inner city? Or their GPA is below 3.0? Or because they’re just really weird?
So let us be wary of the favoritism that sometimes we don’t watch out for. Let us take to heart Jesus’ second command to love our neighbors as ourselves, and love everyone, even those we don’t like.
James is quite straightforward as a book, and for that reason, I’ll try to be straightforward in this entry.
Favoritism sucks, and the issue resonates strongly with me because it has damaged my family. Like the traditional Chinese grandfather, mine valued grandsons. He also has 2 granddaughters, but he pretty much ignores them. My brothers and I were the only grandsons in the entire Kuo family. So, at every dinner, my parents (who did not want my grandfather’s favoritism to destroy the family) often asked me and my brothers to sit far away from my grandfather, and let my uncles and dad sit next to him (the privileged seats). But my grandfather would always want his grandsons sitting next to him, in the seats of privilege. My parents, by Chinese custom, are not allowed to disagree, so they kept quiet. Not so surprisingly, our entire family remains rather fragmented to this day (repaired somewhat through my dad’s battle with cancer and later, his passing away).
But that’s exactly, as you noticed, what James was warning against. The thing is that in the olden days, the congregations met at the wealthy Christians’ homes. After church, there’d be dinner and stuff, and according to cultural mores, the homeowner sits at the front of the table. Now, the temptation is obvious - you want your best buddies to sit next to you and... well, those newcomers (and most often the poor) can sit far, far away from me at the other end of the table. James says, “No!” If there’s an empty sit next to you, and a poor guy walked in, the seat is his. You don’t like the poor guy? Tough - go and repent. In the church, there is no favoritism.
And the same applies at WCAC as well. Oftentimes we gather in cliques because they comprise of people we like. But what about those not like us? What about those who are not Chinese and are from the inner-city church? What about those who are not from an Alliance church? What about the people who are not destined to be engineers, doctors, lawyers, and professors?
Let me go further: what kinds of people come to church? Let’s just focus on WCAC. What kinds of people show up? Well, if I’m correct, most of you have the following characteristics:
99% of you have GPAs in the range of 3.5 - 5.0 (out of 4).
most of you are involved with some sport.
most of you intend to go to college to major something in medicine, law, engineering, or business.
And most of you intend to graduate college intending to be doctors, lawyers, engineers, or CEOs.
most of your friends are in the above categories.
True? Let me ask you, what place does a grossly-obese Latino with a 2.3 GPA who wants to be an artist have in youth group? I know, we’re a Chinese church, and we are equipped to reach out to a particular demographic, but that doesn’t mean we’re restricted to reach out to that demographic. If someone like what I described can’t find a home in WCAC, aren’t we playing favorites? Let me go further - do YOU play favorites at school? Are there people you just don’t talk to because they’re black? Or they’re from the inner city? Or their GPA is below 3.0? Or because they’re just really weird?
So let us be wary of the favoritism that sometimes we don’t watch out for. Let us take to heart Jesus’ second command to love our neighbors as ourselves, and love everyone, even those we don’t like.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Live Out the Word
God has richly blessed me in being married and now having a beautiful baby. I have been learning more and more what it means to be a loving husband. I remember before I got married I was hoping to understand what is expected of a loving husband? Like I totally believed in the institution of marriage and that a husband should love his wife as himself. I know that I should learn from different people, books about what it means to be a loving husband. Therefore just think if I have this image of what a loving husband is and I totally just ignore Annie and hung out with the boys, I ditch her for a date because I got good Bulls tickets, I don’t help around the house but totally make a huge mess, I don’t listen to her and instead when she wants to tell me how her day went, I turn on the television…..and after all that is said and done, how well do you think it will be received if I came up to her and said, I am really sorry I know what a good husband is suppose to be, I totally have the understanding of that, but I am just not doing it ….will you forgive me.
Read and re-read James 1:19-27
God desires a life with Him that doesn’t just know what He wants and expects, but one that actually lives it out in our very lives. We continue to read the Word, hear messages on the Word, and continue to see God speaking to us through many different ways. However, God is calling us not to just be mere listeners but we have to live it out. However, if you are in a place in your life that you are not listening, that obviously has to be your first step. There are many distractions in life that want to tear you away from the Word and hearing from God. So make sure you make this a priority. I love the book of James because it has such practical advice for us. We make ask, how do we live it out in our lives? Well, get rid of all moral filth and evil in your life. Then humbly accept the Word planted in you. See the ways that God’s Word gives us freedom and continued to do that everyday not forgetting his promises and grace. You can recognize that this is not the case if you start seeing that you are not living a life that reflects his holiness and love. James points this out in being a person that doesn’t watch his words and essentially is talking about people that live as hypocrites. Then he points to something that looks out of place which is to love the orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. It doesn’t seem to connect to us, but when godliness and love from God enters our heart, we have to realize something. God has special concern for the widows and orphans as these are symbolic of all groups open to exploitation. If we truly understand what it means to be God’s people who have been embraced into His Family then we have to extend our love and family to those on the outside. We were all at one time on the outside, but through God’s grace He (not our birthright, not our works) have been allowed to come into this family. God is the protector: “He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing” (Deut. 10:18). So we must remember to love those that are being marginalized in our society because as God loves us, we are to be a light and reflection for this world of God’s love and grace. In order to do this, we cannot be polluted in the ways of this world and we absolutely can’t do this from a distance, we must put ourselves in places that know and have relationship with those that are need.
Reflect on the ways you have been a good listener of God’s Word, then a good doer of His Word. Ask God for strength to strive for those things.
Read and re-read James 1:19-27
God desires a life with Him that doesn’t just know what He wants and expects, but one that actually lives it out in our very lives. We continue to read the Word, hear messages on the Word, and continue to see God speaking to us through many different ways. However, God is calling us not to just be mere listeners but we have to live it out. However, if you are in a place in your life that you are not listening, that obviously has to be your first step. There are many distractions in life that want to tear you away from the Word and hearing from God. So make sure you make this a priority. I love the book of James because it has such practical advice for us. We make ask, how do we live it out in our lives? Well, get rid of all moral filth and evil in your life. Then humbly accept the Word planted in you. See the ways that God’s Word gives us freedom and continued to do that everyday not forgetting his promises and grace. You can recognize that this is not the case if you start seeing that you are not living a life that reflects his holiness and love. James points this out in being a person that doesn’t watch his words and essentially is talking about people that live as hypocrites. Then he points to something that looks out of place which is to love the orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. It doesn’t seem to connect to us, but when godliness and love from God enters our heart, we have to realize something. God has special concern for the widows and orphans as these are symbolic of all groups open to exploitation. If we truly understand what it means to be God’s people who have been embraced into His Family then we have to extend our love and family to those on the outside. We were all at one time on the outside, but through God’s grace He (not our birthright, not our works) have been allowed to come into this family. God is the protector: “He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing” (Deut. 10:18). So we must remember to love those that are being marginalized in our society because as God loves us, we are to be a light and reflection for this world of God’s love and grace. In order to do this, we cannot be polluted in the ways of this world and we absolutely can’t do this from a distance, we must put ourselves in places that know and have relationship with those that are need.
Reflect on the ways you have been a good listener of God’s Word, then a good doer of His Word. Ask God for strength to strive for those things.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Stand Firm
Just last week at the Senior High Retreat, the speaker spent four messages going through parts of James. One of the things I appreciated most was the background he gave on who James was and his mindset when it came to writing to the church in his letter. In James 1:1, he begins by identifying himself as a servant of God. The word he uses here in the Greek is doulos, literally slave or bondservant. James identifies himself completely as God’s servant. There is no part time or “when he feels like it” in following Jesus. James was wholly commited to being a servant of God. And its from this passion for God that drives his message.
Read James 1:1-18
As we read this, we begin to see James passion for following Christ. There is no middle ground in following Jesus, James is completely sold out and wants his readers to know this as well. In particular, James introduces a very clear dichotomy. On one side is joy, faith, and steadfastness (or standing firm). Reread James 1:2-12. In opposition to that is desire, temptation and sin. Reread James 1:13-18. This is what James is telling the believers. As we follow Christ, we will undoubtedly face many trials and difficulties. Situations where we are tempted to go back to the life we had before Jesus. James was calling the believers to make a radical decision to stand firm in their walks and not fall into sin when they were tempted. Not only that, but they were to see these trials as a joy rather than a burden. How often do we face following Jesus, the pursuit of Him daily, as a chore or a burden. James is saying to consider this joy!
In your own life, take a moment to identify areas where you are standing firm in your journey with Jesus. Write these down in the section below. Thank God for the grace and wisdom he’s given you to enable you to stand firm.
Now think about areas of your life where your desires have caused you to be tempted and have led to sin. Write these down in the section below.
In James 1:15 we know that “desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it has fully grown brings forth death.” Ask God to give you wisdom so that you can stand firm knowing that He is faithful to give. Ask God for grace so that areas of sin and temptation can become areas of steadfastness and victory. Let’s cling to the promise we have in James 1:2-4.
Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Read James 1:1-18
As we read this, we begin to see James passion for following Christ. There is no middle ground in following Jesus, James is completely sold out and wants his readers to know this as well. In particular, James introduces a very clear dichotomy. On one side is joy, faith, and steadfastness (or standing firm). Reread James 1:2-12. In opposition to that is desire, temptation and sin. Reread James 1:13-18. This is what James is telling the believers. As we follow Christ, we will undoubtedly face many trials and difficulties. Situations where we are tempted to go back to the life we had before Jesus. James was calling the believers to make a radical decision to stand firm in their walks and not fall into sin when they were tempted. Not only that, but they were to see these trials as a joy rather than a burden. How often do we face following Jesus, the pursuit of Him daily, as a chore or a burden. James is saying to consider this joy!
In your own life, take a moment to identify areas where you are standing firm in your journey with Jesus. Write these down in the section below. Thank God for the grace and wisdom he’s given you to enable you to stand firm.
Now think about areas of your life where your desires have caused you to be tempted and have led to sin. Write these down in the section below.
In James 1:15 we know that “desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it has fully grown brings forth death.” Ask God to give you wisdom so that you can stand firm knowing that He is faithful to give. Ask God for grace so that areas of sin and temptation can become areas of steadfastness and victory. Let’s cling to the promise we have in James 1:2-4.
Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)