The Everyday Prayer

Re:Verse passage – James 1:19-27 (day seven)

But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger.  vs 19b

We live in a polarized society. There is no doubting that. You feel the tension when you log in to social media. You feel it when you turn on the news. You feel the tension in the break room at work. You may even feel it around the table at family gatherings. No matter who your “Us” is, it feels like it is Us vs Them.

The truth is, it is Us vs Them, but our “Them” is not each other. Rather, our true enemy is “the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12) Pairing this text with our reverse passage, we need to remind ourselves when we begin to feel this tension, it is time to slow down. The anger we feel is not warranted. Listen to what they have to say. Listen to what the Lord has to say. When you do, you will find peace in knowing that “Them” is not the enemy, and in fact, you might even be on the same team.

Re:Verse passage – James 1:19-27 (day six)

Stop being angry! Turn from your rage!
Do not lose your temper- it only leads to harm. Psalm 37:8

Human-centered anger rarely accomplishes much good. Pastor James goes as far to say, anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. It begs the question, what righteousness does God desire?

Anger often masquerades as strength.If unrestrained it blows up or shuts down, intimidates, separates, abuses and destroys. It doesn’t require strength for any of those things, only pride, self-centeredness, and carelessness. Implicit in PJ’s command is the kind of person who even when offended, seeks to understand before drawing conclusions, and never acts out of self-interest but pursues the good of the other, even at great cost to themselves.

That person embodies restraint, gentleness, tenderness, patience, forgiveness, and compassion-or the kind of righteousness God desires..

Re:Verse passage – James 1:19-27 (day five)

“But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.”

I am so grateful for the truth and consistency found in God’s Word. We just spent the past three months studying Judges and being reminded over and over again the problem and dysfunction of the Israelites in their relationship with God. “They didn’t remember”.   Here in James, written thousands of years later, same warning. Same truth. Brilliant illustration (mirror). We must remember- Who God is. What He has done.  What he has said about each of us.

How?  We should “look intently”. With focus. With hope. With humility. With hunger, and with honesty.

James is encouraging us to do that frequently, regularly, and intentionally.
What we learn is that we are marred with sin (no one got this better than Paul- see Romans 7) and God is the generous and gracious giver of life and freedom.

If we remembered those truths, how would that shape the way we think, act, and speak??

Re:Verse passage – James 1:19-27 (day four)

James gives us a mark of a true believer in this passage.  If a person loves God, he will love His word…the true believer will not just hear the word of God, he will obey it.  Obedience is a characteristic that the believer is glad to demonstrate.  John 14:23-24 says, “Jesus answered and said to him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our abode with him.  He who does not love Me does not keep My words, and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.’”

Do you love the word of God?  Do you obey the word of God?  James says you cannot just say you love the word, your obedience will prove it!  Your work will not lead you to a relationship with God, your work or obedience is the result of your relationship with God.

Re:Verse passage – James 1:19-27 (day three)

“…he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror.”

Peering into a mirror will motivate one to straighten a collar or address a grooming concern. It will perhaps prompt feelings of worry over one’s physical characteristics. But a mirror will only reflect the ways of thinking already present in your own head. You will regard the image you see in a mirror according to the way you’ve been taught you should appear. Peering into the scriptures, on the other hand, will place you in an encounter with God rather than with your own notions of the world. The mirror’s image is a feedback loop that reinforces what you believe. James says the word of God will reveal new things that will lead you to a new kind of living – the kind of living that Jesus said is eternal.

Re:Verse passage – James 1:19-27 (day two) This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; ²⁰ for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God. vs. 19-20

Perhaps you’re like me: Have you ever prayed for patience, or that the Lord would help to control your anger…only to have the Lord give you an opportunity to practice patience or a tempered spirit? And if you’re like me…you blew it. I always feel so defeated when this happens, but I rarely go far enough to find out the root of my disappointment. James reminds us to put aside those things which are the root cause of our anger. We are to root out wickedness. Oftentimes I find that when I am quickly impatient even after prayer it is because in my heart I really didn’t want it in the first place. Our prayers must be honest. God’s not fooled by a cursory homage to repentance or petition. Dealing with the root of the problem is the only hope for true peace.

 

Re:Verse passage – James 1:13-18 (day seven)

Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. vs 15 (ESV)

Desire is a snowflake. Seemingly innocent and charming, dancing in the wind as it makes its decent from the clouds. It lands harmlessly on top of a mountain, finding a home amongst other snowflakes of desire. As these snowflakes pile up, it is evident that the mountain can no longer contain the energy of this mass. It begins to roll slowly down the mountain. As it rolls down the mountain, it picks up more snowflakes and in turn gains steam. Faster, faster the mass is growing. It is now out of control barreling its way down the mountain leaving a trail of destruction in its wake…

Desire and sin left unchecked in our hearts can lead to this type of disaster. When we let it pile up, we risk it leaving a trail of destruction not only in our own lives, but in the lives of those around us.

Re:Verse passage – James 1:13-18 (day six)

¹⁴ Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. ¹⁵ These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. ¹⁶ So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. ¹⁷ Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father… James 1:14-17 (NLT)

While we may be our own worst enemies, God is most certainly not; he is for us not against us. That’s the message James desires his readers to know. In this new life of faith in Jesus, we will face plenty of challenges, including our own sinful desires, but God in no way aims to throw us curveballs, or trip us up.

In fact, he desires to give us good gifts; to be our wisdom and refuge in time of need, after which, we will be strong and radiant and immovable. That’s why James encourages us not to shy away from trouble, but to face it head on knowing God will not leave us or forsake us, but help us become who he always intended us to be.