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Our Scripture this week is James 1:17-27. The passage begins with the affirmation that every good and perfect gift comes from above, coming down from the Father of lights. We will focus on verses 22-25, {{more: continue}}
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?“But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act?they will be blessed in their doing.”
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In this passage, James is writing to people who are facing a variety of trials. Going through these trials, their trust in God is being tested, it’s being stretched. James wants to help us go through these difficult times in such a way that our relationship with God deepens and grows. James is reminding us of the character of God. He knows that in the midst of struggles our view of God can quickly become cloudy. We wonder if God is still present with us. We wonder if God has forgotten about us. We wonder if He is totally good. We wonder how much He really cares for us, what our purpose is here on earth, even who we are.
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James reminds us to expand on what true hearing is. Hearing involves action. Action that is an appropriate response to what you just heard. If I am really hearing a warning of an oncoming car, then I would respond appropriately by getting out of the way. I make the adjustments in my life that fit with the truth I have been given. We often wonder if our children or others in our care are truly hearing us when we see no outward response.
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James tells us that when we hear, but do not practice what we hear in our lives, we are deceiving ourselves. He compares these people to those who look into a mirror and then forget what they see. How does this become deceiving? A mirror gives me a fair assessment of what is my physical appearance. But as soon as I walk away from the mirror, I no longer have the image in front of me.
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To act on what we hear though, is not simply to try harder not to complain or be anxious. James is not encouraging us to simply try harder to live right. He is encouraging us to do whatever we need to do in order to feed our faith in their heavenly Father. So we turn our anxiety over to Jesus Himself and our desire to grumble. We hand over each day, every relationship, every pain, every thought, and question to God moment by moment, day by day and allowing our faith in Him to become a living thing.
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James says this is looking into “the perfect law of liberty.” Trusting in, resting in our Father is true freedom. In Christ is where we become who we are meant to be. Only by placing our hand in the Father’s who has grabbed hold of us will we come to know ourselves. We look into this perfect law when we see that we are children of the Most High God, children of our heavenly Father and not gods ourselves. It is when we stop trying to trust in our money, looks, family or friends, jobs, to give us life and tell us who we are. And of course, this involves actively pursuing our God; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
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Thanks Be To God!?
“I don’t know how, but I know WHO!”
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See you on Sunday!
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Peace,Pastor Nelda?Kennedale First United Methodist Church is located at 229 W 4th St, Kennedale, TX 76060 Find out more @ The Mission Store and @ First United Methodist Church Facebook ?
