Archive for the ‘Wisdom’ Category

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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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Posted in Disciplines, Doing, Faith, Wisdom | Leave a Comment »

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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True Religion

January 14, 2026

I am an observer by nature and early experience. I could delve into reasons, but this is not the place or time.

Rather, I observe. I sometimes verbalize my observations. Those are not always (or, perhaps seldom) socially appropriate.

These thoughts invaded my mind as I contemplated this thought from my buddy, James.

Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless. 

I discussed the need for the pause between thought or emotion and speech while thinking on anger. That pause is useful in other contexts. We attend church services or mass or prayer meetings or Bible studies religiously (meaning regularly), yet, we have a weakness not yet overcome. We talk to much—about subjects and people we would best remain quiet about.

James continues about being religious in the next sentence of the same paragraph.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Would we like to consider ourselves religious in the sight of God? Attending gatherings provides a foundation and even energy. The proof is how we show this to the world around us. What do we do with our money and our time? Do we TikTok or serve meals to homeless people? Do we have discussions around coffee with people who think like us, or do we contribute to orphanages or child rescue missions? (I link to two of mine.)

I’ve been reviewing some church websites. Some are disappointing. They talk about the Bible. Nothing wrong about that—except they stop there. James (teaching from the teaching of his brother, Jesus) tells us there is much more to life in the spirit.

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The Big Regression

January 13, 2026

A slight deviation from James to a different kind of wisdom. Practical advice.

When the folks at 37signals released a new email client in 2020, I jumped on it. I love HEY. An added bonus is a client for sending email newsletters. You can find mine here.

I’ve been involved with electronics most of my life. Gadgets. Tools. Ways to make things better. My involvement with automation taught me that not all automation (as in all technology) is beneficial. Sometimes we get way to smart for our own good.

37signals co-founder and CEO Jason Fried recently wrote about a house he rented for his parents while they stayed in his town for a bit.

Not a good experience

My folks are in town visiting us for a couple months so we rented them a house nearby.

It’s new construction. No one has lived in it yet. It’s amped up with state of the art systems. You know, the ones with touchscreens of various sizes, IoT appliances, and interfaces that try too hard.

Did they love all this state-of-the-art?

And it’s terrible. What a regression.

When you want light, you flip a switch. Easy.

The lights are powered by Control4. And require a demo to understand how to use the switches, understand which ones control what, and to be sure not to hit THAT ONE because it’ll turn off all the lights in the house when you didn’t mean to. Worse.

This one takes the prize for idiot-of-the-year.

The Miele dishwasher is hidden flush with the counters. That part is fine, but here’s what isn’t: It wouldn’t even operate the first time without connecting it with an app. This meant another call to the house manager to have them install an app they didn’t know they needed either. An app to clean some peanut butter off a plate? For serious? Worse.

Setting the temperature? Should be easy.

Thermostats… Nest would have been an upgrade, but these other propriety ones from some other company trying to be nest-like are baffling. Round touchscreens that take you into a dark labyrinth of options just to be sure it’s set at 68. Or is it 68 now? Or is that what we want it at, but it’s at 72? Wait… What? Which number is this? Worse.

Compared to his experience on vacation:

It’s really the contrast that makes it alarming. We just got back from a vacation in Montana. Rented a house there. They did have a fancy TV — seems those can’t be avoided these days — but everything else was old school and clear. Physical up/down light switches in the right places. Appliances without the internet. Buttons with depth and physically-confirmed state change rather than surfaces that don’t obviously register your choice. More traditional round rotating Honeywell thermostats that are just clear and obvious. No tours, no instructions, no questions, no fearing you’re going to do something wrong, no wondering how something works. Useful and universally clear. That’s human that’s modern.

If you are designing automated anything—consider these experiences. Make the thing human friendly.

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Are You a Hearer or Do-er?

January 12, 2026

Quick, tell me—what was the message of the Pastor’s last sermon?

Did you remember it for the rest of the day? How about the day following?

She or he worked several hours crafting a message explaining part of the Biblical message or something important in the life of the church. And you blew it!

I remember a phrase that is an apt description of the phenomenon—in one ear and out the other.

James warns us about the spiritual situation of those who sit and listen to teaching only to leave the gathering and do as they please. I love his analogy of the mirror:

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.

Researchers tell us that we can act our way into believing or changing our mood. The best way to kindness and generosity is to practice kindness and generosity no matter how we feel at the time.

Don’t be a listener—be a doer.

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Anger

January 9, 2026

The early Jesus-followers were magnificent psychologists. They observed how the deepest emotions could grab priority in our lives disrupting our spiritual balance, as well as, our relationships.

Anger held a special place of dishonor on the “Wall of Shame.”

James observes offering advice, “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”

Silence works wonders. That purveyor of sweetened poison—Pepsi—used to advertise “the pause that refreshes.” The real pause that refreshes occurs in the moment between provocation and response. And the Lord knows that I know how difficult that pause is. I’ve done better over the past 20 years. But sometimes it’s still a struggle.

Quick to listen; slow to speak. Excellent advice for living.

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Temptation

January 8, 2026

Put a bag of potato chips near me, and I am tempted. I know they will show up as added white adipose tissue (fat) on my abdomen the next day. Knowledge does not negate temptation.

Put a woman in close proximity to some men, and they are tempted to reach out and touch.

Put a sweet treat near some women, and temptation insidiously injects into psyche.

We have small temptations. We have temptations that can lead to life-changing folly.

You can refer to Freud, Jung, Adler, James, or other psychologists. Or, better, check out early Christian writers. For example, our current guide—James.

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

Temptation is a fact of life. Quick check—are you breathing? Then temptation lies just around the corner. Even worse today are companies that hire scientists and engineers to develop products (from chips to social media) specifically designed to subtly tempt you into excess.

Self awareness of the desires that pop into consciousness plus a developed routine to avoid such nonsense protect us from yielding. Build a solid foundation that thwarts the invasion of tempters.

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Wisdom

January 5, 2026

I have recommended a month of reading Wisdom literature to start the year on a good frame of mind for most of the 15 years of this blog. Usually I recommend the book of Proverbs. I will be reading James and the Sermon on the Mount this year for a change.

A class I led once tried to read Proverbs, but they soon grew bored. It’s tough to read straight through. James reads more like a homily. Not quite like your dad yelling at you constantly.

I rather like Andy Stanley’s theme for his podcast (and sermons)—Make Better Decisions and Live a Better Life. The best summary of Wisdom I’ve heard.

And, of course, at this site we are considering the words of Jesus as the foundation for Wisdom—sometimes explained or amplified by other writers. Maybe Paul or James from the New Testament, or maybe the desert Fathers, or later spiritual writers.

James calls himself a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. He continues, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who, gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given himBut let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.”

Shall we then ask God for wisdom to help us live through 2026?

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