Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
The Epistle of James: A Blogged Bible Study
May 1: Study intro
May 8: James 1:1 Intro to the Epistle of James
May 15: James 1:2 – 18 Make Quality Decisions
May 22: James 1:19-27 Make Real Changes
Ouch again. One thing I've learned from the Jubilee Posts (on the sidebar, if you're new here) is that it's pretty easy to identify changes that need to take place but it's really not so easy to make those changes. Today's lesson is for me. I've *got* to get with the implementation.
James identifies three steps in the change-making process, beginning with listening (Jams 1:19-20). Now, there are a number of sources that the 'listening' could be applied to...Bible reading, teachers, parents, friends...but ultimately what each of us should be listening to is the Holy Spirit, who can speak through all those voices.
There are three things that hinder listening:
Lack of interest
Planning your own response
Having an emotional (especially angry) response
This specifically applies to hearing God’s message – that’s what James is speaking of here. (Reference James 1:18)
His instructions are specific –
be quick to listen (be interested);
be slow to speak (don’t be forming a response while you should be listening)
don’t get angry with what is being said, then tune the rest out
A number of years ago, I taught Henry Blackaby's Experiencing God study to high school students. One young lady in the class took exception to Blackaby's use of the word 'invites' in the point 'God invites us to join Him in His work'. She was insistent that God doesn't 'invite', He 'commands' and we either obey or disobey. She was so offended at that concept that she dropped out of the study and got nothing from it. Offense and anger stopped her from listening.
If you get angry and defensive about what the message reveals in you, you will not allow God to deal with those issues. Now, it's true that we need to test all things and hold only to that which is good, but when an angry or offended response arises we need to be very careful to make sure that it's not just a reaction from the flesh to avoid conviction.
But, James 1:21-23 tells us that listening well is just the beginning...the message must be accepted. Accepting the message doesn’t just mean agreeing; it means putting it to work, as it says in the tail end of verse 22, 'Do what it says.'
Circle ‘accept’ in vs. 21 and ‘merely listen’ in verse 22. Note that this is the contrast -- ‘accept’ vs. ‘merely listen.’ James says that if you consider yourself okay just because you listen to the message, you are fooling yourself.
When The Actor was about 7 years old, he was learning the basics for the Royal Rangers. One of the verses he had to learn was The Golden Rule, and one day I walked by the kitchen table where he was having a snack and repeating, "Do to others what you would have them do to you. Do to others what you would have them do to you..."
I stopped and looked at him. "That's great! Do you know what it means?" He looked up at me kind of blankly, so I continued, "Do you know what it means to do to other people as you would like them to do to you?"
He sighed, "Mom, I don't have to do it, I just have to say it!"
Well, that was the start of a longer conversation, let me tell you! However, there are a surprising number of folks who seem to agree with that sentiment...the idea that as long as someone is 'in church', they're doing ok.
James says you deceive yourself if you think all you have to do is hear. Like looking into a mirror and seeing broccoli in your teeth, then turning away and forgetting about it.
Listening without putting what one hears into practice is useless.
We are to keep looking at the ‘perfect law that gives freedom’ -- the instructions for living that God has given us -- and consistently making adjustments to life to stay in harmony with that law. Then everything we do will be in obedience to God, so He has to bless it!
James then gives an example of folks who think they're 'religious', but who don't keep a tight rein on what they say (He'll talk more about that in chapter three).
An 'uncontrolled tongue' is characterized by cursing, lying, gossip, bad-mouthing, catty speech, off-color humor, even just ‘saying what you think’ without regard to whether or not it hurts someone. Now, one doesn't have to have all those traits to be uncontrolled...even one is a result of uncontrolled speech.
He contrasts that with religion that God considers pure and spotless: one that takes care of widows and orphans and resists the influence of the ungodly.
Things to think about: How have I 'not listened' to the voice of the Spirit? Why have I closed my ears -- was it because I wasn't interested, too busy thinking of how to respond, or because it made me angry so I avoided it?
What am I hearing from God but not implementing in my life? How can I begin to put those things to work?
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