I think James was a 'man's' man. Reading through his book, it seems he was a strong, common sense, get'er done, 'walk the talk' kind of guy. I really appreciate that about him because I really want to be "real" everywhere I go. I want to be the same person in every one of my "circles". James referenced the power of the tongue quite a bit. He must have experienced people talking one way and acting another, possibly even maturing through the process himself. He must've recognized the reality that one can know what the Word says, but doesn't respond by doing what It says. To be a real man, you've got to back up your talk. Throughout the book of James, I think he is getting more and more fired up, referencing many biblical truths along the way, and reminding us to actually act on these. Merely talking like you know isn't gonna cut it.
One other thing that came up this morning was the topic of shame and forgiveness. I'm sure James would've had some strong words to say about our acting in these subjects as well. He was well aware of the devil's schemes and how he wants to destroy us any way he can. One way he tries to paralyze us is by reminding us of our sin. He wants us to doubt God's love and question what He says about this junk we do. Well, God is well aware of our humanity. He loves it. He designed and created it. Even angels don't have this humanity. Inherent in this creation is the free will to choose. Hmmm...but God is completely sovereign. He orchestrates divine appointments and moves kingdoms and people....This is getting over my head, but I would propose that nothing we do surprises God. He knows what choices we are going to make. Besides, if there is such a thing as forgiveness, there must be something that needs forgiven. Profound. He's provided the solution to the problem. On the other hand, He wants us to participate in the process of forgiveness. He will reveal more of Himself, His love, and His grace when we truly come to Him for forgiveness. Amazingly, this process is contagious! This is how He wants us to interact with other people as well! He wants us to participate in forgiving others. It is a very God-like activity. It brings a little heaven to a dirty Earth. And it is good.
If we are going to truly say that God is all-powerful, then we better start acting like it. If we doubt His forgiveness, we are saying that we don't believe He has the power to do what He said He would do. We need to practice forgiveness and have it a regular part of our connection with Jesus. May we commit to this thing. May we truly trust our Savior, that He took care of the sin problem, once and for all. May we walk in a strong faith, believing in the process of forgiveness, and participating in it ourselves. May we finally have the real courage it takes to be real doers of the Word. That would make James proud, I believe.
