The Telephone Game — Gossip vs. Praise - Tuesday
Today’s Verse
James 1:1
This letter is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. I am writing to the “twelve tribes”—Jewish believers scattered abroad. Greetings! (NLT)
Although I’ve been a follower of Jesus for most of my life, some of my favorite interactions are with those who are just getting to know Him. Those interactions help me stay in awe of God’s mercy, grace, and truth.
When someone who hasn’t spent any time in the Bible asks where they should begin, I generally encourage them to read one of the gospels as a way to get to know Jesus. Then, I suggest they read the book of James. Although it was written as a letter to some early Jewish Christians, the problems they faced are not unlike those we encounter today. James used very clear and direct language, calling for change. And the issues he chose to write about reveal their struggles. They had problems in their personal lives, including temptations to sin, and this spilled over into the church. Some showed favoritism to the rich and competed for roles in the church, especially teaching roles. In general, many of those early Christians failed to live out what they professed to believe.
By the time James got to the end of his letter, he had offered over 50 direct commands related to issues that these early Christians needed to confront and correct. James’s original audience would have been familiar with the Old Testament, so James made several references to help make his points. It’s interesting to note that James wasn’t a believer while Jesus went about His ministry. That came later. But James obviously paid attention to what Jesus said since he made at least six references with ties to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.
Although James addressed many problems in this letter, they all share the same cause: Spiritual immaturity. These Christians just needed to grow up.
REFLECTION
Think of a person in your life who doesn’t know Jesus as well as you do. What can you do today to build a bridge? It will most definitely help you grow.
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