Acting out
James 1:19-27
What happens when you hit your thumb with a hammer? Or, you’re driving down the road, minding your own business and suddenly someone cuts you off in traffic. How do you respond?
Once a police officer was traveling behind a car and watching the driver who seemed to be full of road rage. He sure didn’t notice the officer as he swore at other drivers, swerved across lanes and sped up at a yellow light. The officer pulled him over. The guy said, “I didn’t break any laws. I know that light was still yellow when I went under it.” Still, the officer took his license and registration and went back to his car. In a while he came back, returned the documents and said, “I’m sorry for the inconvenience sir. But I saw the religious fish symbol on the back of your car and from the way you were acting I thought you had stolen this vehicle from a well behaved Christian type person. But it checks out as yours.”
People are watching. On a more positive note, many years ago, I had a job in a factory up in Menominee, MI. I sat many hours at a little machine, stick the end of the wire in, step on the pedal and pop, the little terminal clip got clamped on to that wire. Pretty exciting. Well, about a week after God opened the door for me to go back to college, and just before we left Menominee, a guy walked up to me and asked if I remembered him. I just couldn’t. But he said that was ok because we had never really talked much. He explained that he knew I claimed to be a Christian. He had seen me witnessing to other people. And he watched to see if I would live like it. I praise God today that he said he saw that I was sincere and kept acting like a Christian when I might have thought no one was watching. In fact, he added that it encouraged him in his faith and he was on his way to Bible college!
In today’s reading, James lays out the proper ways for a Christian to act out his or her faith. It’s what the world expects from us when we call ourselves Christian. These three bits of wisdom can easily be taken as separate lessons. In fact, I have heard several sermons preached from one or another of them, but usually not all of them together. Is this a random disjointed collection, just the result of James’ mind wandering over various thoughts he wants to make sure he shares with his audience? Or could this all be intended to follow logically from what he has said before? What could it all have to do with responding to suffering?
This is all together how Christians should act out in response to suffering. In other words, these are the actions that arise from the teachings that came before. These are the steps we take when we want to put the wisdom we are learning into effect. It boils down to; watch your mouth, watch your walk and watch your witness, because you are being watched. But this is not just words of wisdom. It’s discipleship. It’s the result of the training we receive when we rejoice in suffering and heed God’s words of wisdom.
The first instruction is to watch your mouth. It’s so easy to lose your cool when things go wrong. What can make you angrier quicker than when things go wrong? Just hit your thumb with a hammer and you’ll instantly be tempted to say something that is better left unsaid! You all know what I am talking about from personal experience, right? But if you are going to obey the word of God, then you won’t let anything but joy come out! “Oh, look, I just learned that I never want to do that again! Thank, you Lord!” That’s totally unnatural! But in the Spirit, it is possible!
So, this advice to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry is not just about interpersonal communication. The usual application of these words to interpersonal communication also still applies because frankly, sometimes people and their careless words cause or add to our problems! But the teaching is more general than that. It is really about our response to any trials and difficult circumstances. When James says be quick to listen, what he is really talking about is, not just listen to whoever is talking, but to listen again to the wise advice God has given in his word, about responding appropriately with grace and patience and even rejoicing when things go wrong or get difficult.
There is an important difference between reacting and responding to a situation. Reacting is emotional. Responding is thoughtful. Speaking in anger is an emotional reaction and is usually not helpful and often makes things worse. That’s why we have Proverbs 15:1, that says “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Being slow to speak means don’t let your emotions run your mouth. Don’t immediately start expressing your outrage by jumping to conclusions and saying out loud what you think these troubles might mean or how unfair it all is. Think it over and factor in the kind of advice James is giving here. Sure, you feel angry about what happened. That’s a natural God given emotional response to misfortune. But don’t let your feelings rush out of your mouth without thinking it over first. And I want you to know I am not just talking to you as if I don’t have to wrestle with this too.
Human anger does more damage if it is not guided by God’s righteousness. So, don’t just vent. Process it through the wisdom that God is giving. Then your words will be like God’s Word! Think about that. God created the entire universe by speaking words. And he wants his human creatures, who are made in his image, to use our words in similar creative and constructive ways. So, avoid destructive anger.
Apply this to trials of many kinds, not just interpersonal communication, but circumstances too. Instead of an outburst of anger when things suddenly go awry, how about taking some time to think it through. This is why they say, “Don’t cry over spilt milk.” What good does it do to add a temper tantrum to the fact that you have to clean up a mess? When Adam and Eve sinned and messed up the whole world, God did not respond in anger. But He began to put his amazing grace on display.
He spoke to his children and carefully outlined the consequences that would come about. He also explained how he would provide for them even after they had to leave the garden, and he clothed them. He also announced the gospel of salvation for the very first time. It’s right there in Genesis. 3:15, where he said to the devil/snake “He (the Savior) will crush your head, (that is to kill him forever) and you will strike his heel. (A mere wound that does not utterly destroy though it may be life threatening. And Jesus did rise from the dead.)”
It is not enough to watch our mouth. That’s just a good beginning. James also instructs us to watch our walk. In other words, don’t forget how important it is to employ God’s revelation. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Then James gives the famous illustration of the mirror. A mirror shows us what we look like and what changes need to be made in our appearance. But that is of no value if we don’t pick up the comb and the brush and do what needs to be done! What good is it if you see your hair is messy and you don’t actually comb it?
In the same way, the Word of God is like a mirror because it tells us the way things should be. We can easily compare our character and behavior to the high standards given in Scripture. But that is of no value if we don’t take action to measure up. For example, what good is it for you to say that you trust God, when people around you know that you are a worry wart? What good is it to say that you are a Christian, if people around you don’t see the evidence of the joy, peace and self-control that reflects the character of God?
“God's Word is like a mirror that shows me myself as I am. When I look into it and see myself for what I really am, I have two choices. I can either walk away and forget about what I saw and the changes I need to make, or I can do the work necessary to change my life to be what God longs for me to be. Old attitudes, harmful habits, and sinful desires all need to be removed and replaced with the garments of Christlikeness. This is [the work of repentance. It is] a process and it won't happen all at once, but I must do what I can today. [That’s the call to discipleship.] Then I will know God's blessing and will experience the fullness of His love, joy and peace.”[i]
Again, this can very easily stand by itself as a general teaching about the importance of obedience to the Word of God. But in the context of dealing with difficult circumstances it has a specific application. When you’re annoyed or upset by a trial of any kind, that is the time you are most likely to not do what the Word says. It is the time you are least likely to even listen to good advice, especially God’s advice, because it goes against what feels natural. You feel like saying, “Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard it all before but….” And that response is supposed to mean you listened. But it is also communicating that you do not intend to act on what you have been told. Now when humans are giving advice, one is wise to proceed with caution. But to ignore God’s Words of instruction would be a tragic thing indeed!
What God says is always going to be what is best because he has your best interests at heart. He designed the world and everything in it including you and so he knows what makes you tick. He knows what makes you happy. He knows what sets you free. He really knows what is going to work to bless you more than you can ask or imagine. In fact, all God’s Laws are given out of his heart of love for his creatures. People think the Old Testament is Law and the New testament is Love. But the Old Testament Law if God’s loving explanation of what works best to produce a blessed human life. The New Testament is God’s loving provision for the fact that humans just can’t live that way without his help.
Now it is true that in order to do the word you have to know the word. But if you don’t do it, it doesn’t matter how much you know it. Think of how sad it is that the teachers of the Law in Herod’s court knew where their Savior was supposed to be born, but they didn’t do the wise thing of going to check it out for themselves. They of all people should have been the first worshippers on the scene by the manger! But they didn’t go! Don’t just know the Word. Do what it says.
God does His Word. He himself always behaves in a manner that is consistent with his own character. So, when we do the Word, we will be exhibiting the same Godly character! That is what will bless the world in which we live. When you handle a difficult situation with grace and patience toward circumstances and add in mercy and forgiveness towards any people involved, the world really takes notice and wonders how you do that. Remember the story about the shooter in the Amish school, and how the families of the murdered victims visited the family of the murderer to express kindness and forgiveness? That’s the first time I remember the reactions of the victims’ families making bigger headlines than the violent crime itself. That’s how powerful it is to live God’s way.
Next, after another mention of controlling the tongue, James speaks about true religion. The examples he picks, caring for widows and orphans, are meant to point out that true religion is more concerned for others than for self. This exactly matches God’s character, for God is love and his love is perfectly otherish. He is known as one who cares for widows and orphans, father to the fatherless. This special concern of God is mentioned many times in the Old Testament. Just one shining example occurs in Deuteronomy 10:18 “He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.” And Psalm 68:5 speaks of this as not just something that he does, but as who he is: “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” God always reaches out to the needy and all of us, universally, are very needy of his grace, mercy and forgiveness, for there is no salvation apart from Jesus on the cross for us.
Besides reflecting the character of God by obeying his word here. Many have found that the surest path away from the misery of suffering and grief is to do this kind of religion. Caring for others is way better than focusing on your own problems. And it really helps you feel better. Many grieving people find their greatest comfort in helping other people get through their grief or loss. This is what the true disciples of Christ always end up doing. They sacrifice their own comforts for the sake of the needy, just like Jesus did for us. And then we find that caring for others brings us greater joy than that of having our own needs met.
For a doer of the Word every aspect of life is affected. A believer reflects the character of Christ because Christ is living inside. That is who they are. Whatever a person thinks, whatever a person says, whatever a person does is meant to be guided by the Word of God and the Word of God alone. This call to be a disciple is a call to obedience that if one fails to do is sin. James 4:17 says if someone knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. The right thing to do is to follow the Word of God, which here in James 1:23 is to be doers of the Word. If you are not a doer you are in sin! James is issuing a call to every believer that their lives are to be characterized by obedience to God’s commands.[ii]
Those who fail in this are called, “polluted by the world.” What does it mean to be polluted by the world? Don’t waste your time thinking about those horrible sins you can look down your nose at others for. The world is anything and everything that is at odds with the Word of God and the life of Christ. It is the whole human scheme of things organized according to human wisdom while ignoring God’s wisdom. Christians more than anyone else are in a spiritual battle of two wills, mine or God’s. We know God’s will is better. But our flesh is weak. There is a constant issue of commitment. Are we his or not? Are we his only because of one decision we made in the past? Or are we his because now we constantly try to honor that decision by striving to live accordingly?
We all know how easy it is to grow stale under the daily pressures of ordinary life. We get too busy to pray. We don’t have time to read God’ word. We begin to forget the godly principles that ought to guide our decisions. More and more we just go with the flow, or common sense, or what comes naturally. That’s the pollution. That’s losing the battle. That’s failing to fight the good fight. That’s drying up and becoming unfruitful. That’s a disappointment to God. And when we notice it we are disappointed in our selves too. That’s when we are tempted to become discouraged and despairing.
Many in that place give up the faith, assuming that it didn’t work for them and it’s not worth trying again. Don’t you let satan win that victory! You get back up and run to Jesus! Rejoice! There’s grace there for you! Others who are polluted by the world never seem to realize it. They just keep going to church, as if that is all there is to doing the word. But what about the widows and orphans? What are you doing for them? Unless you are inviting the widows and orphans to church with you, you can’t do the kind of religious work God asks of you in church!
God wants you to be a religious person, expressing your life saving relationship to him by living out your faith. But by his definition of the terms, you can’t do that in church! Church should be where you come to celebrate what God is doing in your life the rest of the week. Church should be the place where you come to confess your sins, receive grace and forgiveness from God and from your fellow believers and be restored with new strength to get back to living for him the rest of the week. Church should be the place where seekers and unbelievers come to hear the Word and learn that the gospel really does have power to save them and change them into living creatures filled with the Spirit of God.
Church should be the place where we all pray together for God’s power to make us bold witnesses for Christ so that the world around us knows that we have been with Jesus, that he has changed us and that we are on a mission to share the gospel with them too. Rejoice! It’s hard work. But it’s the work God asks of you. Fight on! But put on the love and kindness of God’s heart for all the world to see the light. You’re not fighting against sinners. You’re loving them! The only fight is in your own heart as you wrestle against your own desires until you surrender and let God have his way with you. Fight on and rejoice! If the battle is raging in you, you are alive in Christ!
Let us pray: Today Lord, we repent of being too quiet about our faith for fear of offending someone. Please make us bold in the loving way that reflects your character. You were bold to come into the world as Jesus. You never sinned and yet many took offense because you told the truth about their need and danger. Give us that kind of boldness Lord, to spread the seeds of the word of God so that some take it to heart and bear fruit even if many others reject it and us.
Lord forgive us for the many ways we give up the fight or neglect to put on the armor of God to face the day in your strength. Renew our spirits right now, Lord. Help us sense your overwhelming love as we repent of our waywardness and turn to you as if we were prodigal children squandering a godly inheritance, only to find that you have been watching and waiting for this very moment and we are now wrapped in your loving arms and clothed with a robe of righteousness, the righteousness of Christ!
Now Lord, in your strength, remind us to spend time in your word each day so that we receive life from you, as our daily bread. Then, filled with the spirit to see the world the way you do, show us through the coming days the opportunities we have to care for widows and orphans in their distress. We lament that government programs have taken over the welfare systems that were started by the church. It looks as if there is nothing left for us to do! But we can care for our neighbors. We can get to know them and pray for them and find out ways that we can bless them so that we earn a right to speak of the gospel with them. At the very least we can find out whether or not they already go to church somewhere. If they do, we can rejoice with our brother or sister in the Lord and make plans to pray together for our neighborhoods. If they don’t we can begin to pray that one day they will accept our invitation to the gospel, to faith and to our church!
Glorify your name oh Lord! Use us. We long to know that we are serving you well! We want to be doers of the Word, acting out our faith! Make it so! In Jesus name, amen!
James 1:19-27
What happens when you hit your thumb with a hammer? Or, you’re driving down the road, minding your own business and suddenly someone cuts you off in traffic. How do you respond?
Once a police officer was traveling behind a car and watching the driver who seemed to be full of road rage. He sure didn’t notice the officer as he swore at other drivers, swerved across lanes and sped up at a yellow light. The officer pulled him over. The guy said, “I didn’t break any laws. I know that light was still yellow when I went under it.” Still, the officer took his license and registration and went back to his car. In a while he came back, returned the documents and said, “I’m sorry for the inconvenience sir. But I saw the religious fish symbol on the back of your car and from the way you were acting I thought you had stolen this vehicle from a well behaved Christian type person. But it checks out as yours.”
People are watching. On a more positive note, many years ago, I had a job in a factory up in Menominee, MI. I sat many hours at a little machine, stick the end of the wire in, step on the pedal and pop, the little terminal clip got clamped on to that wire. Pretty exciting. Well, about a week after God opened the door for me to go back to college, and just before we left Menominee, a guy walked up to me and asked if I remembered him. I just couldn’t. But he said that was ok because we had never really talked much. He explained that he knew I claimed to be a Christian. He had seen me witnessing to other people. And he watched to see if I would live like it. I praise God today that he said he saw that I was sincere and kept acting like a Christian when I might have thought no one was watching. In fact, he added that it encouraged him in his faith and he was on his way to Bible college!
In today’s reading, James lays out the proper ways for a Christian to act out his or her faith. It’s what the world expects from us when we call ourselves Christian. These three bits of wisdom can easily be taken as separate lessons. In fact, I have heard several sermons preached from one or another of them, but usually not all of them together. Is this a random disjointed collection, just the result of James’ mind wandering over various thoughts he wants to make sure he shares with his audience? Or could this all be intended to follow logically from what he has said before? What could it all have to do with responding to suffering?
This is all together how Christians should act out in response to suffering. In other words, these are the actions that arise from the teachings that came before. These are the steps we take when we want to put the wisdom we are learning into effect. It boils down to; watch your mouth, watch your walk and watch your witness, because you are being watched. But this is not just words of wisdom. It’s discipleship. It’s the result of the training we receive when we rejoice in suffering and heed God’s words of wisdom.
The first instruction is to watch your mouth. It’s so easy to lose your cool when things go wrong. What can make you angrier quicker than when things go wrong? Just hit your thumb with a hammer and you’ll instantly be tempted to say something that is better left unsaid! You all know what I am talking about from personal experience, right? But if you are going to obey the word of God, then you won’t let anything but joy come out! “Oh, look, I just learned that I never want to do that again! Thank, you Lord!” That’s totally unnatural! But in the Spirit, it is possible!
So, this advice to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry is not just about interpersonal communication. The usual application of these words to interpersonal communication also still applies because frankly, sometimes people and their careless words cause or add to our problems! But the teaching is more general than that. It is really about our response to any trials and difficult circumstances. When James says be quick to listen, what he is really talking about is, not just listen to whoever is talking, but to listen again to the wise advice God has given in his word, about responding appropriately with grace and patience and even rejoicing when things go wrong or get difficult.
There is an important difference between reacting and responding to a situation. Reacting is emotional. Responding is thoughtful. Speaking in anger is an emotional reaction and is usually not helpful and often makes things worse. That’s why we have Proverbs 15:1, that says “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Being slow to speak means don’t let your emotions run your mouth. Don’t immediately start expressing your outrage by jumping to conclusions and saying out loud what you think these troubles might mean or how unfair it all is. Think it over and factor in the kind of advice James is giving here. Sure, you feel angry about what happened. That’s a natural God given emotional response to misfortune. But don’t let your feelings rush out of your mouth without thinking it over first. And I want you to know I am not just talking to you as if I don’t have to wrestle with this too.
Human anger does more damage if it is not guided by God’s righteousness. So, don’t just vent. Process it through the wisdom that God is giving. Then your words will be like God’s Word! Think about that. God created the entire universe by speaking words. And he wants his human creatures, who are made in his image, to use our words in similar creative and constructive ways. So, avoid destructive anger.
Apply this to trials of many kinds, not just interpersonal communication, but circumstances too. Instead of an outburst of anger when things suddenly go awry, how about taking some time to think it through. This is why they say, “Don’t cry over spilt milk.” What good does it do to add a temper tantrum to the fact that you have to clean up a mess? When Adam and Eve sinned and messed up the whole world, God did not respond in anger. But He began to put his amazing grace on display.
He spoke to his children and carefully outlined the consequences that would come about. He also explained how he would provide for them even after they had to leave the garden, and he clothed them. He also announced the gospel of salvation for the very first time. It’s right there in Genesis. 3:15, where he said to the devil/snake “He (the Savior) will crush your head, (that is to kill him forever) and you will strike his heel. (A mere wound that does not utterly destroy though it may be life threatening. And Jesus did rise from the dead.)”
It is not enough to watch our mouth. That’s just a good beginning. James also instructs us to watch our walk. In other words, don’t forget how important it is to employ God’s revelation. Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Then James gives the famous illustration of the mirror. A mirror shows us what we look like and what changes need to be made in our appearance. But that is of no value if we don’t pick up the comb and the brush and do what needs to be done! What good is it if you see your hair is messy and you don’t actually comb it?
In the same way, the Word of God is like a mirror because it tells us the way things should be. We can easily compare our character and behavior to the high standards given in Scripture. But that is of no value if we don’t take action to measure up. For example, what good is it for you to say that you trust God, when people around you know that you are a worry wart? What good is it to say that you are a Christian, if people around you don’t see the evidence of the joy, peace and self-control that reflects the character of God?
“God's Word is like a mirror that shows me myself as I am. When I look into it and see myself for what I really am, I have two choices. I can either walk away and forget about what I saw and the changes I need to make, or I can do the work necessary to change my life to be what God longs for me to be. Old attitudes, harmful habits, and sinful desires all need to be removed and replaced with the garments of Christlikeness. This is [the work of repentance. It is] a process and it won't happen all at once, but I must do what I can today. [That’s the call to discipleship.] Then I will know God's blessing and will experience the fullness of His love, joy and peace.”[i]
Again, this can very easily stand by itself as a general teaching about the importance of obedience to the Word of God. But in the context of dealing with difficult circumstances it has a specific application. When you’re annoyed or upset by a trial of any kind, that is the time you are most likely to not do what the Word says. It is the time you are least likely to even listen to good advice, especially God’s advice, because it goes against what feels natural. You feel like saying, “Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard it all before but….” And that response is supposed to mean you listened. But it is also communicating that you do not intend to act on what you have been told. Now when humans are giving advice, one is wise to proceed with caution. But to ignore God’s Words of instruction would be a tragic thing indeed!
What God says is always going to be what is best because he has your best interests at heart. He designed the world and everything in it including you and so he knows what makes you tick. He knows what makes you happy. He knows what sets you free. He really knows what is going to work to bless you more than you can ask or imagine. In fact, all God’s Laws are given out of his heart of love for his creatures. People think the Old Testament is Law and the New testament is Love. But the Old Testament Law if God’s loving explanation of what works best to produce a blessed human life. The New Testament is God’s loving provision for the fact that humans just can’t live that way without his help.
Now it is true that in order to do the word you have to know the word. But if you don’t do it, it doesn’t matter how much you know it. Think of how sad it is that the teachers of the Law in Herod’s court knew where their Savior was supposed to be born, but they didn’t do the wise thing of going to check it out for themselves. They of all people should have been the first worshippers on the scene by the manger! But they didn’t go! Don’t just know the Word. Do what it says.
God does His Word. He himself always behaves in a manner that is consistent with his own character. So, when we do the Word, we will be exhibiting the same Godly character! That is what will bless the world in which we live. When you handle a difficult situation with grace and patience toward circumstances and add in mercy and forgiveness towards any people involved, the world really takes notice and wonders how you do that. Remember the story about the shooter in the Amish school, and how the families of the murdered victims visited the family of the murderer to express kindness and forgiveness? That’s the first time I remember the reactions of the victims’ families making bigger headlines than the violent crime itself. That’s how powerful it is to live God’s way.
Next, after another mention of controlling the tongue, James speaks about true religion. The examples he picks, caring for widows and orphans, are meant to point out that true religion is more concerned for others than for self. This exactly matches God’s character, for God is love and his love is perfectly otherish. He is known as one who cares for widows and orphans, father to the fatherless. This special concern of God is mentioned many times in the Old Testament. Just one shining example occurs in Deuteronomy 10:18 “He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing.” And Psalm 68:5 speaks of this as not just something that he does, but as who he is: “A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” God always reaches out to the needy and all of us, universally, are very needy of his grace, mercy and forgiveness, for there is no salvation apart from Jesus on the cross for us.
Besides reflecting the character of God by obeying his word here. Many have found that the surest path away from the misery of suffering and grief is to do this kind of religion. Caring for others is way better than focusing on your own problems. And it really helps you feel better. Many grieving people find their greatest comfort in helping other people get through their grief or loss. This is what the true disciples of Christ always end up doing. They sacrifice their own comforts for the sake of the needy, just like Jesus did for us. And then we find that caring for others brings us greater joy than that of having our own needs met.
For a doer of the Word every aspect of life is affected. A believer reflects the character of Christ because Christ is living inside. That is who they are. Whatever a person thinks, whatever a person says, whatever a person does is meant to be guided by the Word of God and the Word of God alone. This call to be a disciple is a call to obedience that if one fails to do is sin. James 4:17 says if someone knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin. The right thing to do is to follow the Word of God, which here in James 1:23 is to be doers of the Word. If you are not a doer you are in sin! James is issuing a call to every believer that their lives are to be characterized by obedience to God’s commands.[ii]
Those who fail in this are called, “polluted by the world.” What does it mean to be polluted by the world? Don’t waste your time thinking about those horrible sins you can look down your nose at others for. The world is anything and everything that is at odds with the Word of God and the life of Christ. It is the whole human scheme of things organized according to human wisdom while ignoring God’s wisdom. Christians more than anyone else are in a spiritual battle of two wills, mine or God’s. We know God’s will is better. But our flesh is weak. There is a constant issue of commitment. Are we his or not? Are we his only because of one decision we made in the past? Or are we his because now we constantly try to honor that decision by striving to live accordingly?
We all know how easy it is to grow stale under the daily pressures of ordinary life. We get too busy to pray. We don’t have time to read God’ word. We begin to forget the godly principles that ought to guide our decisions. More and more we just go with the flow, or common sense, or what comes naturally. That’s the pollution. That’s losing the battle. That’s failing to fight the good fight. That’s drying up and becoming unfruitful. That’s a disappointment to God. And when we notice it we are disappointed in our selves too. That’s when we are tempted to become discouraged and despairing.
Many in that place give up the faith, assuming that it didn’t work for them and it’s not worth trying again. Don’t you let satan win that victory! You get back up and run to Jesus! Rejoice! There’s grace there for you! Others who are polluted by the world never seem to realize it. They just keep going to church, as if that is all there is to doing the word. But what about the widows and orphans? What are you doing for them? Unless you are inviting the widows and orphans to church with you, you can’t do the kind of religious work God asks of you in church!
God wants you to be a religious person, expressing your life saving relationship to him by living out your faith. But by his definition of the terms, you can’t do that in church! Church should be where you come to celebrate what God is doing in your life the rest of the week. Church should be the place where you come to confess your sins, receive grace and forgiveness from God and from your fellow believers and be restored with new strength to get back to living for him the rest of the week. Church should be the place where seekers and unbelievers come to hear the Word and learn that the gospel really does have power to save them and change them into living creatures filled with the Spirit of God.
Church should be the place where we all pray together for God’s power to make us bold witnesses for Christ so that the world around us knows that we have been with Jesus, that he has changed us and that we are on a mission to share the gospel with them too. Rejoice! It’s hard work. But it’s the work God asks of you. Fight on! But put on the love and kindness of God’s heart for all the world to see the light. You’re not fighting against sinners. You’re loving them! The only fight is in your own heart as you wrestle against your own desires until you surrender and let God have his way with you. Fight on and rejoice! If the battle is raging in you, you are alive in Christ!
Let us pray: Today Lord, we repent of being too quiet about our faith for fear of offending someone. Please make us bold in the loving way that reflects your character. You were bold to come into the world as Jesus. You never sinned and yet many took offense because you told the truth about their need and danger. Give us that kind of boldness Lord, to spread the seeds of the word of God so that some take it to heart and bear fruit even if many others reject it and us.
Lord forgive us for the many ways we give up the fight or neglect to put on the armor of God to face the day in your strength. Renew our spirits right now, Lord. Help us sense your overwhelming love as we repent of our waywardness and turn to you as if we were prodigal children squandering a godly inheritance, only to find that you have been watching and waiting for this very moment and we are now wrapped in your loving arms and clothed with a robe of righteousness, the righteousness of Christ!
Now Lord, in your strength, remind us to spend time in your word each day so that we receive life from you, as our daily bread. Then, filled with the spirit to see the world the way you do, show us through the coming days the opportunities we have to care for widows and orphans in their distress. We lament that government programs have taken over the welfare systems that were started by the church. It looks as if there is nothing left for us to do! But we can care for our neighbors. We can get to know them and pray for them and find out ways that we can bless them so that we earn a right to speak of the gospel with them. At the very least we can find out whether or not they already go to church somewhere. If they do, we can rejoice with our brother or sister in the Lord and make plans to pray together for our neighborhoods. If they don’t we can begin to pray that one day they will accept our invitation to the gospel, to faith and to our church!
Glorify your name oh Lord! Use us. We long to know that we are serving you well! We want to be doers of the Word, acting out our faith! Make it so! In Jesus name, amen!
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