Read:
James 1:19-27
In verses
19-21 James teaches believers about godly character. First of all, those with godly character are
quick to listen (v. 19). How many
relational conflicts would be avoided if people would just listen to each other
instead of making assumptions, jumping to conclusions or judging one another?
Secondly,
James exhorts believers to be slow to speak (v. 19). Believers should be slow to spout off how much
they know about something – maybe someone in the room actually knows more than
you. Or, maybe people are just tired of hearing the know-it-all ramble on about
this and that. We can also apply this to
our prayer lives as we learn to listen to Him and wait on Him in prayer. Our prayer life isn’t supposed to be just us
talking the whole time but rather Him speaking to us, which requires us to
listen.
Third, we
are encouraged to be slow to anger (v. 19).
A teachable heart doesn’t fight angrily with others. Don’t be fooled into thinking that you don’t
have an anger issue just because you don’t yell and scream. Internal anger can be just as dangerous as a
big blow-up. Anger does not produce
righteousness (v. 20).
Fourth,
those who are growing in godly character will put aside moral filth and evil
(v. 21). When we become saved we bring a
lot of filth into our walk with God.
Christians must work tirelessly at asking the Lord to show us areas
where our thoughts, words and actions do not please Him. This is an ongoing process that we should be
engaging in throughout our entire lives as no one is without sin. Confession and repentance is for all
believers at all maturity levels and should be a regular part of your
devotional life.
Fifthly, we
are told to humbly accept the Word planted in us, which can save us (v. 21). The Word is like a seed planted in us but it
still needs to be nurtured in order to bear fruit. This requires pulling weeds and providing
protection and proper nutrients. Here we
see that salvation isn’t a one-time experience but rather an ongoing process which
culminates in our ultimate deliverance from sin upon death or Christ’s second
coming. Halleluiah!
This chapter
ends with a command to be doers of the Word (v. 22-27). The unfortunate thing in many religious
communities is that people know in their heads a lot of information about the
Bible but they often struggle with obeying what the Bible commands. What’s even
worse is that in most Christian circles the moral and social beliefs and
behaviours don’t differ much from the non-Christian population. When we hear the Word and don’t put it into
practice we actually end up deceiving ourselves (v. 22). As we read the Word we must constantly ask
ourselves how we can apply it to our lives.
The Bible is full of practical commands for everyday life and even the
chapters that are hard to understand are there for a purpose and can teach us
about God and ourselves. Verse 25 tells
us there is blessing in doing the Word. The
passage ends with a reminder about the tongue (v. 26). This topic will be expanded upon in future
devotionals as James has quite a lot to say about our speech in chapter
three.
Prayer and Journaling
1. Look
at the five areas of Christian character listed in verse 19-21. Ask the Lord to show you one area that you
need to work on. Confess if necessary
and then ask Him to show you some practical steps you can take to mature in
this area.
2. Thank
the Lord that His Word produces fruit in our lives and that He can help us grow
into maturity! Praise Him for what He
has been showing you about your character.
Tell Him that you trust that He will help you grow, realizing that you
cannot do it on your own.
3. Pray
for the church to grow in godly speech and learn deeper truths about healthy
relationships.
