Archive for the ‘Wisdom’ Category

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Patience

January 28, 2026

Advice and encouragement for those facing suffering forms a consistent theme from first century Christian writers. James offers a practice and a warning.

The practice is patience. Like a farmer, practice patience and stand firm.

The warning—when things get tough, don’t grumble against one another.

Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. 8 You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. 

Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!

Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

A takeaway—just as the Lord is full of compassion and mercy, so also should we be.

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Warning to Oppressors

January 27, 2026

James’s characteristic blunt language echoing teachings of Jesus explores our heart in relation to wealth. Those of us blessed with some measure of wealth need to be especially aware of the status of our hearts.

Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days. Look! The wages you failed to pay the workers who mowed your fields are crying out against you. The cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord Almighty. You have lived on earth in luxury and self-indulgence. You have fattened yourselves in the day of slaughter. You have condemned and murdered the innocent one, who was not opposing you.

The question we must resolve within ourselves—how do we use our wealth?

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Judging Others

January 26, 2026

I knew a teacher who would get to these wisdom pieces about not judging others, step aside from the text, and teach that we actually should judge other people.

He was partly wrong…and partly right. When we meet new people, we must evaluate. On the visceral level, do we like them, do we trust them, do we agree with them? This sort of evaluation helps us survive.

James, I think draws us deeper into these relationships.

Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. 

Remember, he writes to these small groups of new followers of The Way. Think of your church or small group. As you gather, do you speak ill of someone not there—or even to their faces? That is counter to Law according to James. It’s also counter to the teachings of Jesus about love.

Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 

I interpret James to be observing that type of person who takes perverse pleasure about judging people guilty (or innocent) according to God’s Law. I bet that all of us know someone like that. Hopefully that person is not us.

There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?

There is only one ultimate Judge. Why should we have the hubris so as to usurp God’s place?

This is an extension of James’s warning to be careful of what we say. We can start quite a firestorm with a comment. I know. I’ve done it in my life. It’s far better for everyone to hold our  peace.

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Pride and Humility

January 23, 2026

Like I’ve said before, James does not soft-pedal his message.

You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that he jealously longs for the spirit he has caused to dwell in us? But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

John Climacus, one of the more influential Desert Fathers, also spoke boldly.

Pride is the denial of God, an invention of the devil, contempt for men. It is the mother of condemnation, the offspring of praise, a sign of barrenness. It is a flight from God’s help, the harbinger of madness, the author of downfall. It is the cause of diabolical possession, the source of anger, the gateway of hypocrisy. It is the fortress of demons, the custodian of sins, the source of hardheartedness. It is the denial of compassion, a bitter pharisee, a cruel judge. It is the foe of God. It is the root of blasphemy.

Whew!

Stories in our news feeds would shrivel like a dried worm on the street on a sunny day following a rainstorm without prideful people to describe.

More important than observing others, let us turn the microscope on ourselves. Where does pride sneak past our defenses showing up in most unfortunate ways? Avoiding pride requires ever present vigilance. We let our guard down for even a moment, and pride can slither into our being.

Where should we focus to avoid the power of pride? James says:

Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

I hope he doesn’t mean to constantly walk around in gloom. But when we recognize pride growing in ourselves, time for optimism and laughter is over. In its place enters a dose of humility and turning to God’s grace to restore our souls.

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Posted in Attitude, Awareness, Humility, pride, Wisdom | 3 Comments »

Where Conflicts Arise

January 22, 2026

Looking for some common-sense deep psychology? Try reading the early Jesus-followers. Try this insight from James in his circular letter to the first gatherings of followers. This also gives us some insight into the first churches. Their problems were not unlike ours.

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

My current meditation teacher is leading us into exploration of thoughts and feelings in our sits. We learn to sit in awareness and observe. Then, perhaps, we label those thoughts and feelings—memories, plans, imaginings, for example. We learn that these things arise. We also learn to observe and recognize them. But not to let them monopolize us.

Do we desire something? Recognize it. Deal with it. Let it drift away. Through awareness we prevent it from grabbing our inner powers and derailing our spiritual path.

Let us check our motives and desires. Are we focused only on ourselves? Are we focused on what we desire for others? That’s entirely different. Evaluate your motives. Intentionally push them toward God’s wishes.

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Two Kinds of Wisdom

January 21, 2026

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

It’s like that song I quoted a few days ago, Love is something you do when Jesus Christ is living in you.

People, including people known as theologians, try to make the simple complicated. I love how James boils things down to the essentials. We don’t need checklists, scorecards, complex psychological formulae. We know who is wise among us. We see it. We sense it. And I love how he adds the ingredient humility into the recipe. Even though that pokes at me.

But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

Incessant media coverage infuses our consciousness with stories of Silicon Valley billionaires and miscellaneous politicians whose public persona can best be described with James’s observation about the other kind of wisdom. We may not be as direct as James, but we see that, too. Envy, selfish, ambition. Perhaps these have seduced most of us—large scale or local. It’s so easy to get sucked into the vacuum. It’s worth the pause to reflect on when we may have been so seduced and what we’ve done to push it away.

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

These sound much like the fruit of the spirit of which Paul writes elsewhere. Think about the kind of life we would have living like that. Think of the people you meet—wouldn’t you love for them all to exhibit those characteristics?

It’s long after New Year’s Resolution time. But better than resolutions is to picture oneself living that kind of life. Who are you? I’m the sort of person who is peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.

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Tame the Tongue

January 20, 2026

Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.

James seldom wastes words. I wish he had taught rhetoric to Paul. 

Never at fault in what they say. I wish I had always said something wise when sounds came from my mouth. Or, like when I was a kid, I seldom talked. People thought I was intelligent. Then I opened my mouth. Proved them wrong. Even in my old age with years of accumulated wisdom I still have trouble saying the right thing.

I’m betting that each of you feel the same. Or, maybe one or more of you really is perfect.

What does he mean about keeping the whole body in check?

When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

You feel an emotion. You say something. One thing leads to another. One word dredges up another thought and more words spew forth. From a small spark a forest fire explodes.

All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

James leaves us feeling helpless.

With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

On one hand, James tells us no one is perfect. This is a common New Testament theme. However, he also tell us that our words come from what is inside. What sort of person are we? Not perfect, but still, if we are living in the spirit of God, then perhaps we have more fresh water than salt water. Perhaps over time even if we cannot tame the tongue, we can find the spirit within helping us say the right things and quiet the restless evil of what we say.

We read about certain types of people complaining about lack of freedom of speech. They complain that they cannot say whatever they want without being criticized and even censored. Most I’ve read about want to spread hatred and divisiveness. Early American conservative (for his day) leader John Adams talked about the need to couple responsible speech with free speech. We all need to listen also to James. He discussed same thing. We must remember that speech that sows hatred and discord only leads to evil. We must all watch what we say and tame the tongue (and fingers on the keyboard).

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Teaching

January 19, 2026

James, the Apostle, writes much about speaking. We cannot read this brief letter without hearing about the pitfalls of opening our mouths letting sound emerge.

He probably would include writing—such as what I’m doing.

My basic life orientation tends  toward teaching. Not in a professional, I-am-getting-paid-for-this sense. Although I did receive some reimbursement when teaching people how to become soccer referees.

James sends a warning. Something to be taken seriously.

Not many of you should become teachers, my fellow believers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. We all stumble in many ways. Anyone who is never at fault in what they say is perfect, able to keep their whole body in check.

How often I have heard someone playing a role of teacher of something spout off opinions bearing no relation to reality. These will be judged.

But, then, we should pause and reflect. Has there been a time where we (you and I) have taught something that was flat-out wrong? Did we go back and correct it? How often did we intentionally or unintentionally lead someone astray through our teaching? 

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Faith Without Works Is Dead

January 16, 2026

Love is something you do,

Love is something you do,

Not always something that you feel,

But it’s real.

Love is something you do,

Love is something you do,

When Jesus Christ is living in you.

(One of the first Jesus movement songs I learned.)

This next wisdom teaching from James addresses what happens in your life once you have faith in Jesus.

Some English translations use the word “works,” while the NIV I’m using here translates as “deeds.” Works can be used by some theologians to describe religious acts, say as within the Roman Catholic Church. Reading James, I think he means what the song says—how you act toward other people. (Note: I have read way too many “faith vs. works” books. And I hate false dichotomies.)

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

I have come across many people who think that everything is completed at the faith part. Say the “sinner’s prayer”, and all will be well. That idea is ancient, as James addresses.

But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

I somewhat unwillingly bring Paul into this discussion. But check out his ultimate spiritual formation document—the Letter to the Romans. He follows the discussions of faith and grace with several chapters discussing—you guessed it—what follows. If you have the spirit of God within you, you will live a life as he describes concluding his letter.

James even provides two examples from his faith tradition to prove his point—Abraham and Rahab.

You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone.

In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

If you have faith, what have you done today, small though it may have been, that reveals your faith?

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Avoid Partiality

January 15, 2026

What do you notice upon meeting someone? What about that triggers an emotional response? That could be favorable—you like someone instantly; it could be unfavorable—you feel an instant revulsion or dislike.

My wife and I serve on the hospitality team at church. Sometimes we are positioned at an entrance welcoming people into the building. Sometimes these are people new to us. We may need to direct them to facilities and meeting places.

These words of James occur to me when I’m working:

My brothers and sisters, believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ must not show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in filthy old clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

We could judge people while entering trying to discern if they are appropriate for our gathering. I think we don’t. But this was obviously a problem with the new ekklesias that gathered in the wake of the new Jesus movement following the resurrection and then Pentecost. James was not happy. But I think I understand. I can give a little grace as they learn a new way of life. Up until the Jesus revolution, their world was defined from birth as distinctly segregated.

Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who are exploiting you? Are they not the ones who are dragging you into court? Are they not the ones who are blaspheming the noble name of him to whom you belong?

You may say, well it’s only one little “law” that I broke. James tells us the same thing we hear elsewhere in the New Testament:

If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing right. But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as lawbreakers. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

I take in people at a glance and form a preliminary opinion. I pray that I’m open for re-evaluation after speaking for a moment.

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