YMI Reading James

Do you know anyone who has, to quote James, “wandered from the truth”? Sometimes people walk away from a doctrinal belief in God and His gospel; other times, someone might believe all the right things, but no longer live by them.

The depth of our conversations reflects the depth of our relationships—what we choose to share and how we do so sheds light on the closeness of each relationship. Likewise, what and how we pray reflects our inner spiritual condition and how we're doing in our relationship with God.

I'm sure many of us have been careless with our words one way or another. Perhaps you had agreed to pray for a friend, but you forgot all about it. Do we take our words seriously?

Patience as a virtue is a process of waiting on God and trusting in His timing, instead of being anxious about results that don't appear immediately. And James reminds us that we don't have to wait indefinitely.

As my husband and my savings inched up and up, It became tempting to stay put and continue building up our wealth, and holding on to a stable job would promise financial stability for the family. Inch by inch, it became a matter of what or who do we trust in.

We might make plans and arrange our lives around our ambitions and assumptions of success, but the truth is, none of us can offer any guarantees.

We may not hold actual physical records or voice aloud all our thoughts. But if we were to list down all the thoughts we've had about others, let's just say they would probably not be as pure as we imagined them to be.

Let's face it, submission to God—be it to His Word or His Person—is easier said than done. It takes a great deal out of us to put aside our pride and the rights we think we deserve, and to humble ourselves in obedience before God.

I made up my mind to quit because I did not want to place myself in a position where I could be influenced by gambling and compromise on my values. I was afraid that one day, I would also join them in placing a bet.

It's a tale as old as time, from Cain to modern-day murderers. Let's face it: we live in a world that prizes and pursues the gratification of our personal lusts at whatever cost.

There's a lot to heavenly wisdom, but it is possible to live our lives with these characteristics! If you're like me and struggling to live this out, a good place to start is simply to pray for wisdom.

Why do we assess someone's intellect? What about when it comes to one's wisdom? What's the difference?

Sometimes our mouths are fountains of “fresh water”, sometimes they spew “salt water”. But this dual nature is fundamentally wrong.

I told myself I wouldn't speak ill of a colleague when I heard others talking about her. But curiosity got the better of me one day, and I jumped in on the conversation.

It's difficult to read a passage like today's and not feel convicted. Even this week, I can see a situation that would have been better had I held my tongue.

If I want my friends to follow Jesus too, then I need to “show” them Jesus through my actions. How I live my life will speak louder than any Christian cliché I can mutter.

Dead—totally lifeless, ineffective, and useless.In this age of social media, we can see James' key point in action in a number of ways.

We all have a tendency to judge others, not just for their weaknesses, but also when they fall short of God's commands. And this is made worse when favoritism is involved.

When we are the ones being favored or the ones perpetuating it, we are likely to trivialize it. James, however, reminds us that favoritism contravenes the royal law of Christ to love our neighbor as ourselves.

How many of us are guilty of showing preferential treatment towards the rich because of their socio-economic status? Why do we do so?

Although some 2,000 years have passed since James penned these words to his fellow Jewish believers, they still ring true for us today. We are guilty of judging others by what we see on the outside and playing favorites—more often than we realize.

How do we make the world take notice and wonder why Christians are different? Well, it's not about outward religiosity for sure.

We often say (or hear) that we want to know God's will for our lives. But how often do we think about doing God's will? Is knowing the same as doing?

When faced with difficult situations and people, our natural tendency is to react in anger and to grumble. What does James exhort us to do?

Recognising blessings and expressing gratitude is especially vital when we're in the midst of trial and temptation; in other words, when it's most difficult.

If sin is so bad, why does God allow us to fall into temptation? Why does He put us into tempting situations, and set us up to fail? Such thoughts, however, could show that we haven't truly understood the heart and character of God.

James said the man who persists in doing what is right under trial is blessed. How can this be? Often, we regard being blessed as having material prosperity, trouble-free relationships, or healthy bodies. James, on the other hand, sees beyond these earthly benefits.

I want to be godly; but at the same time, I also want to be rich. How then should I view material riches? Would my desire to be materially rich dilute my “godliness”? Is it wrong to want to be rich?

In his introduction, James urges us to rejoice during our trials, because the testing of our faith produces perseverance. But how can we apply this instruction while we are struggling through difficulties in life—when illnesses strike, when we're facing financial difficulties, or when we've lost a loved one?

If you live long enough in this world, you will inevitably go through some kind of suffering. But as Christians, you can take comfort in the fact that it is not pointless.