Shut Up!

Have you ever taken a sip of concentrated juice before the water has been added! Your taste buds explode because of the concentrate. These verses from James are like concentrate. Filled with wisdom to help you and me live a life that brings God and other people pleasure.

Always Put On a Name Tag

Have you ever been talking to a person and notice that they are scanning the room to see who else is there? It makes you feel unimportant doesn’t it?

James is speaking directly to this issue of showing favour towards one person over another.

Stiff as a Corpse

When I lived in Calgary I served for four years as a crisis intervention worker at the Foothills Hospital. During that time I carried a pager and would get ‘buzzed’ when there was a “crisis.” Now a crisis in a hospital is when the very capable staff are facing a situation they could not handle or take the time to handle.

One Dangerous Weapon

On Keats Island in British Columbia I was speaking to junior high schoolers at a camp. (My respect for junior high teachers grew exponentially after this experience.) However, I captured their attention by asking them to keep a secret with me. On Wednesday of that week, I had arranged to have a deadly weapon brought onto the island.

Effect of Jealousy

We don’t pay enough attention to jealousy.

It is a trait or tendency that can sneak up on us. We couch it with all sorts of terms like, “I aspire to be like him or her.” But underneath can lie an insidious spirit that brings out the worst in us.

Family Resemblance

One summer I sat outside with my sons and a few of their friends. One of the friends started laughing at us.

“What is so funny?” I asked.

“You all laugh exactly the same, you can sure tell you are family,” he replied.

How to Get Strength

When reading this section of James we are often captured by the instruction to ‘resist the devil’ yet the verse begins by reminding us first to submit ourselves to God.

The only way that you and I have a chance of resisting the temptations and attacks of the Evil One is through the strength that comes from God.

Read More the devil, temptation, prayer, strength, wisdom

Other Side of the Coin

Our church is located in the heart of downtown where we are surrounded by business folks who spend a lot of time strategizing how to make a profit. It is a fair concern for that is their work. But, James reminds us that we don’t know what tomorrow will bring.

Most people view this as a warning to be cautious for terrible things could happen tomorrow.

What Are You Living For?

I have had the privilege of travelling around the world – literally! I’ve seen too much to not be sympathetic towards the oppressed and the poor. As a result I want to do all that I can to encourage a movement towards a wider distribution of the blessings most of us enjoy.

James calls us in a very direct manner to examine ourselves and our actions.

Read More wealth, cruelty, self indulgence, honesty

Use Your Words

James now ends his book in theStory speaking to us about words. How do we speak to one another?

James emphasizes verse twelve saying “above all else” as he encourages us to speak simply using single syllables. “Yes” or “No” is all you need to say..” in order to remove us from compromising ourselves by hedging the truth.