James 1 : 22-27 (NRSV)
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.
If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
Daily Byte
One of the main criticisms of Christians in today’s world is that we are hypocrites. People get frustrated that they hear Christians professing to believe one thing, but then acting in a completely different way. It seems that James was frustrated by the same thing in his day. True religion - true worship of, and relationship with, God - must be expressed not just in word, but in action. As we encounter God in our worship gatherings, we cannot help but be impacted by God’s grace and self-giving, God’s love and service of us. But, if all we do is give thanks that we are now “saved”, if we fail to let God’s character take hold of us and change us into true Christ-likeness, we have missed the point. And James makes it clear: Christ-likeness is shown by how we treat the “least” - the most vulnerable and weak among us.
Are there any areas of your life where what you say and what you do are different? Are there parts of your life that you are protecting from your worship, refusing to allow them to be changed by God? How do you think this is affecting your own well-being, and your relationship with God? In what ways are you prepared to invite God’s Spirit to challenge you and change you? Who are the “least” in your world that could use some kindness, some “true religion” from you? How can you allow worship to show you how to serve them?
Pray As You Go
Your words are important to me Jesus,
they inspire and comfort me,
they teach me and guide me,
thank you for your words.
But sometimes your words are hard, Jesus
sometimes they ask me to do them,
to live them out in actions and words,
and sometimes I wish I could ignore them.
Give me the courage to receive your words not just into my heart,
but into my life, my body and my mouth,
into my actions and attitudes and interactions,
and let the truth of what I sing and pray in my worship, be seen in how I live.
Amen.
Today’s devotion is taken from Rev John van de Laar’s outstanding book ‘The Hour That Changes Everything: How worship forms us into the people God wants us to be.’ Used with permission.
To order copies of this book and for other superb worship resources visit http://www.sacredise.com
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