James writes about hard things. He writes about trials, sin, anger, hypocrisy, favoritism, jealousy, quarrels, boasting, suffering, and money. He writes about the damage our words can do. He writes about wisdom and patience, faith and good works, true religion and the fleeting nature of life. He warns the rich, he confronts our grumbling, he challenges our good intentions, and just when we think we’ve survived, he circles back and talks about our speech again. James doesn’t give us much room to hide, and it can make his letter uncomfortable.
It’s much easier to talk about faith in broad terms. We believe God is good. We believe His Word is true. We believe we should love our neighbors, care for people in need, control our words, seek wisdom, and trust God through hardship. But James keeps moving those abstract truths into real life. He repeatedly turns my attention to examining the faith I am living.
- What happens when the trial doesn’t end?
- What comes out of my mouth when I am angry?
- How do I treat the person who can do nothing for me?
- What happens when someone else receives something I wanted?
- What am I doing with my money?
- How do I respond when my plans fall apart?
- What do I do when I know the right thing to do and just don’t want to do it?
- What are my words producing?
- Where am I showing favoritism?
- What desires create conflict in me?
We live in a world that encourages us to look inward, but James turns our eyes outward to see the orphan, see the widow, see the person in need, watch how my words affect someone else, make peace instead of feeding a quarrel. James wants us to pray for one another and help the person who has wandered from the faith. It’s the uncomfortable gift of James. Look inward to examine your faith. Look outward and apply it.
Where is the gap between what you believe and how you live? That’s a question worth exploring with God for 31 days.
Undeniable Faith is available for eBook pre-order now. The print edition releases September 15th.