When I read the book of James, I sometimes feel as though a ping-pong player is slapping me on both sides of my face with his paddle. I say, “Ouch!” “Yikes!” “Wheew…” and I hang my head in shame. Yes, shame. I feel shame and contrition when the truth of God’s Word slices my soul. It hurts. It scalds. It heals. The heart’s reaction to the divine revelation of God is sometimes paradoxical in my own life. I feel conviction. I feel sorrow. I feel sadness over my sin—but I also feel hope, joy, peace, and forgiveness all at the same time. Only God, in His divine complexity, can allow me to experience these myriad feelings simultaneously. That is the power of the Word. It is living. It brings change when the Holy Spirit enlightens the soul of the reader. The reader will either be touched deeply and yield to truth or walk away unchanged. This is absolutely true when one reads the book of James. James is bold and declarative in his exposition. He does not mince words. He speaks boldly and decisively. Look with me at James 3:13-16.

•  13 Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct he should show his works done in the gentleness that wisdom brings. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfishness in your hearts, do not boast and tell lies against the truth.  15 Such wisdom does not come from above but is earthly, natural, demonic.  16 For where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is disorder and every evil practice.

We see here that a Christ-follower must exude good behavior in meekness. It is hard to give a succinct definition of “good behavior.” You know it when you see it; the same is true of its reverse. Regardless of the age in which you live, some things are just plain uncouth and are frowned upon by polite society. You cannot wallow in debauchery and declare that you have godly wisdom. Wisdom dictates our lifestyle. Indeed, a Christian must have a certain amount of wisdom in order for his verbal profession to be true. It is wisdom that allows you to live out your walk in humility, meekness, and faithfulness. The wisdom that James is referring to is the wisdom to produce good works in faithful humility. It is the wisdom that God gives to those who ask for it.

However, the antithesis to wisdom is “jealousy and selfishness.” One can also infer that envy and the like, would be present as well. James points out that if jealousy and selfishness is present in one’s life, there is also “disorder and every evil practice.” Doesn’t this just make you want to place your hand over your heart as you ask God to guard it most securely from evil deeds? When you read James’ exhortation, you are pulled out of slumber. It gets your attention.

I know of a church where there is much unrest. The pastor lords it over his small flock by promoting and demoting different ones at will. I was told that one young woman was stripped of her post because of a mistake she made. It did not involve sex, lying, stealing or anything that is blatantly willful. She just made an error for which she asked for forgiveness. However, this pastor told her that he does not believe her and refuses to speak with her at times. I was told that she said “hello” to him and he ignored her. This particular church has had many of its members leave over the years. There are frequent clashes between different people, and unrest is a constant there. I thought of this local congregation when I read this verse. Indeed, where there is jealousy, bickering, and name-calling there is much unrest, and Satan has secured a seating place there.

I am sure that there have been times when you have said, “I wish that were me!” I have said that from time to time as I’ve thumbed through magazines or read stories of people who have inherited good fortune. But, I do not dwell on those things. I do not muse on them. I do not spend hours wondering how I can walk in those shoes. That is where the danger lies. We must become satisfied with the lives we have. That is not to say that we must not work to improve our lives or attain what we desire (e.g., a nice house, nice things, etc.), but we must guard against wanting to abandon our life so that we can live another. If we are wise, we must recognize that the things we have, have been given by God and are blessings from His hand—and we must be very thankful. To set our hearts on what belongs to another person, is to say, “God, what You have given is not enough. I don’t want what You have given me. I want more.” And, if you take that thought process and pursue that path, you will surely destroy your life. You will invite chaos into your world and your heart will be in turmoil.

Too often, there is unrest among brothers and sisters, mothers and daughters, friends, co-workers, students and teachers, and the list goes on. Why? That is not to be if we, as Christians, live in wisdom. If you are jealous of someone, abandon it now! There is no need to want what that person has. You are not sure how she has obtained the coveted possession, and you may not be able to handle it, should you obtain it.

My friend recently offered her brightly colored connure to my husband and me. It was somewhat of a Christmas present. She had bought the bird for her son to enjoy, but then she found out she was allergic to it. After much thought and sadness, she begged us to take her feathered friend into our home. My husband, being an avid bird watcher/lover, was ecstatic. First, the bird is absolutely beautiful, and is also very playful and tame. Plus, he came with two cages furnished with the best of bird toys and treats. Who could ask for more…right! Wrong. After about a month, I began to complain. The bird made a lot of messes, bathes in its water, poops a lot, drops seeds outside of the cage, and gets an attitude if he is not petted regularly. Vacuuming has become a daily chore and washing the food bowls has lost its lure. All of a sudden, my little parakeets do not seem like a step-down from this parrot. I grew up with parrots, but my grandfather always took care of them, so all I had to do was admire them. I realized that when I had seen parrots in the pet shop and said, “I wish I could have one,” I had no idea what I was asking for. Now that I have one, I know that owning one and keeping my house clean at the same time, require more work than I had imagined. So it is with other things. Before you want what your girlfriend has or wish you could have the job your buddy has, thank God for what you have.

Things are not always as they appear. Don’t make a habit of wishing for things arbitrarily. Pray and ask God to furnish you with what He wants you to have. Work hard to attain your heart’s desires, but make sure those desires are pure, and don’t sell your soul just to have things. For where there is jealousy, there is also selfishness, envy, unrest, and disorder. Thank God for what He has given to you and enjoy where you are.

What’s in a name? Do names really matter today? They did in Bible times. People were very careful about the names they gave their children. They chose names that would fit the character of their son or daughter. Sometimes names are prophetic. Isaiah’s son’s name, Maher-shalal-hash-baz (“swift is the booty, speedy is the prey”), was prophetic for Assyria’s conquest of Damascus and Samaria.  With that in mind, I cannot help but wonder why Jezebel’s parents gave her that name. Jezebel means “Baal exists” in Syro-Phoeneican, but “no nobility” in Hebrew. It has a sordid ring to my North American ear. It is because Jezebel was an evil woman who wanted to kill Elijah, the prophet of God.

God’s people have access to His name. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, you can call on His name at any time—regardless of your name. Your name may have been stained in past controversy. Misrepresented. Trampled upon falsely or rightfully so. It does not matter what images your name conjures up when it is mentioned, you can call on the name of Jesus and His name—alone—is what makes the difference in your life.

It is a name that, when mentioned, brings joy to some and offense to others. Be that as it may, Christians revere the holy name of Jesus, because it is only through Christ that we have been redeemed from sin. From time to time, however, I think we fail to tap into the power that lies within the person of Jesus. The name of Jesus is powerful! Philippians 2:10-11 tells us that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

It is a new year, and as we pray to God, we know that Jesus is ever making intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25). Therefore, we have the ability to ascertain the power of God. When we call on the name of Jesus we are able to live above reproach. We have the power to refrain from speaking unkind words. We have the power to speak the truth at all times. We have the power to live in close communion with Jesus. We are able to put God first. We have the power to pray. The power to resist the Devil. The power to give sacrificially. The power to delay personal gratification. The power to trust God’s sovereignty when you do not understand His plan.  The power to hold back when lashing out is more than reasonable. The power to wait. The power to be gracious. The power to be kind. The power to step out in faithful obedience when things are uncertain. The power to cast aside things that cause you to sin. The power to forgive those who have hurt you. The power to accept God’s will regardless of what it is. The power to prosper by taking one day at a time. The power to look beyond the natural. The power to surmount fear. The power to rise above failure. The power to stand strong in the face of opposition. The power to follow well. The power to serve. The power to say “No.” The power to answer God’s call. The power to live a purposeful life. The power to be productive. The power to call on God before seeking human help. The power to have vision. The power to go deeper into the study of God’s Word. The power to fast. The power to be transparent. The power to be bold. The power to be meek. The power to have passion. The power to live in a meaningful way. The power to see through deception. The power to recognize truth. The power to desire God’s heart. The power to anticipate Christ’s return. The power to hold all God’s blessings loosely. The power to persevere. And, the power to leave this world joyfully when God calls you home.

These are only a few of the advantages of reclaiming the name of Jesus. How do you do this? By getting up each morning with the conscious awareness that Christ is your Lord, and you are His child. You commune with him honestly. Read His Word faithfully. Listen to His voice keenly. Wait for Him patiently. Serve His people joyfully. When you do these things, you are actively reclaiming the powerful name of Jesus, a name for which every knee will one day bow. A name for which you and I must be ready to lay down our lives.

Yesterday, I mailed three boxes of things to my relatives and I was shocked when the post office clerk told me the cost for mailing them was almost $200. “Wow! Oh man…that’s way out of my budget at this time,” I thought. I desperately wanted to send the things overseas for them, but honestly, I had no idea the boxes would have been that pricey. It was toward the end of the month and $200 extra was not what I wanted to spend. I would have been content to spend a hundred dollars, not two. I took a deep sigh as I sat in the van with my husband relaying the events of the day. He took my hand, squeezed it and said, “Jesus loves us so much that He was willing to sacrifice His life for us. You love your relatives a lot, and this is a big sacrifice and God sees it.” I looked at him with tears in my eyes and nodded. A conversation about the Father’s love for mankind ensued, and we were both filled with a gratitude that was quite apropos in this Holy Week.

What is love? What is sacrifice? What is a gift?

God is the embodiment of love. He loves us so much that He sent His one and only Son, Jesus, to give His life so that we can be experience forgiveness and unity with the Father. Jesus’ willingness to be crucified and humiliated—albeit wrongfully and without retaliation—is the epitome of grace and submission. His death was a sacrifice and a gift to us. He poured out His life so that we can live. So, what are we to do with this gift?

I believe every Christian is called to do the following:

1. Love God and his/her fellow man
2. Serve God and his/her fellow man
3. Give to God and his/her fellow man

In the Gospels we are given a vivid picture of the crucifixion and we conclude that God’s love for man caused Him to send Jesus to redeem us from eternal damnation. That same love propels Jesus to clothe himself in humanity and walk the dusty roads of Israel and embrace mankind. During that time, He healed the sick, touched the unclean and outcasts, embraced the sinners, and loved the unlovely. He broke with social etiquette and took water from a Samaritan woman (John 4:7-26). He allowed another (who was a former prostitute) to anoint his feet and dry them with her hair (Luke 7:36-50). Talk about risqué behavior. Although Simon the Pharisee objected, Jesus did not. It was His encounter with the woman that led her to change her lifestyle. He offered her hope and God’s love, and she seized it. Jesus’ love for mankind is phenomenal; we were and still are His main objective. You are a priority to Him. The decisions you make today matter to Him. He is concerned about all that concerns you. John 13:1 states, “…having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end [to the fullest extent].”

Jesus’ love for mankind beckons Him to serve us. In John 13:4 Jesus, knowing that His death was imminent, and that one of His twelve disciples would hand Him over to the Pharisees in betrayal, rose up from the dinner table to wash the dirty, grimy, smelly feet of the all the men. The men wore sandals, so their feet were not clean at all. The entire supper event seemed out of order. First, Jesus was the host of the supper so He should not have been washing the men’s feet. Also, He was greater than them; He was their teacher and it was not fitting for Him to be kneeling down before them and drying their calloused heels. To make matters worse, He had poured His life into theirs and yet they had not aligned themselves to His Father’s plan. Some of them were following Him for the wrong reasons as they thought He would oust the Roman regime and set up His own kingdom with them as subjects, and reign as God’s true king. They wanted that plan, not the agenda that sets Christ on a Cross in the midst of a jeering crowd. And, to make matters worse, there was a devil among the twelve. Nothing is worse than disloyalty. When you embrace someone and take her into your inner circle and give her your heart, only to have her turn on you out of sheer jealousy, it hurts! It really hurts. David felt the pang of betrayal as his own comrade with whom he had shared sweet fellowship, turned on him like a rabid dog (Ps 55:12-14). It broke David’s heart. However, Jesus knelt down, and taking Judas’ feet in His hands—washed them. He served His disciples until the very moment He was taken into custody on false charges.

I believe it was Peter’s sense of inadequacy that led him to question Jesus’ desire to wash his feet. Peter was probably astounded because he did not expect such an act of humility from One so great. Peter knew that Jesus was the Christ and he knew that God has sent Him. He knew he was in the presence of Deity and somehow his own sense of unworthiness must have pushed him to ask, “Lord, do You wash my feet?” When God places gifts in my lap, I sometimes ask the same question. “Why, Lord, I don’t deserve this.” But I am reminded that nothing I could ever do could earn His love for me. He loves me simply because He chooses to do so. The writer quips rightly when he penned the following words, “The love of God is greater far, than tongue or pen can ever tell…” So, in light of Jesus’ example you and I are called to serve God first, and then do the same to those around us. We must do what we can to help the sick, the poor, the needy, the discouraged, and the debilitated. Jesus pointedly states that greatness begins with service to others, (Mark 10:43). He reminds us that if He were willing to serve in the lowliest position, so should we (John 13:14).

Service requires us to give of ourselves. God gave. Jesus gave. We should do the same. What can we give when our eyes are open to the vast love basket God sets before each of us? The first thing we should give is our thanks. God appreciates our thankfulness. When we acknowledge that He is good and kind and loving, it warms His heart. When we take the time to thank God we show that we are dependent on Him. He wants us to depend on Him. He wants us to want Him. He longs for us like a married couple longs to hold a baby of their own. He loves us. He takes us into His arms and breathes on us. He holds us firmly when we are apt to squirm out of His embrace. He balances us when we think we are able to steady ourselves without His help. He comes alongside us when we take our focus off Him and place it on the wrong things. God is always giving to us. He is always finding ways to bless us. How, then, can we live without offering to others some of what we have received? How can we keep it to ourselves? We cannot. God’s blessings are so magnanimous that even if you were to spread your arms as wide as you can and try to hold it all in, some would surely fall from your grasp. It is too much for you to hold for yourself—because you were never meant to keep it all. God’s blessings are meant for you to share, not hoard. Paul urges us to give liberally and joyfully, for God loves a cheerful giver. Give and it shall be given to you, pressed down and shaken together shall men give unto your bosom (Luke 6:38).

Prayer: Oh Lord, my Father, when I think of the goodness of Christ the Savior, my heart melts like ice on a hot August day. Thank you, Lord, for choosing to breathe life into me. My heart cannot adequately express just how much I appreciate You. My mind cannot grasp the intensity of Your love, and my soul is overwhelmed when I feel Your closeness. Thank You for remembering the nameless and calling the forgotten. Thank You for calling me and my many friends. Our hearts will one day sing, “How great is our Lord…” as we lay our crowns at Your feet and bow in complete obeisance to You—the One who was, and is, and is to come. We love You Lord Jesus and we say, “Come quickly!”

The onion is a culinary masterpiece when it comes to savory dishes. As far as I am concerned, all you need is an onion, some garlic, salt and pepper in order to cook any main course. Without the onion, your food will sink in the taste test. I use onions and garlic in almost all my dishes because I love the taste they add to roasted vegetables, fish, and poultry. In my home, the onion reigns supreme in the kitchen, and I am proud of it.

Onions are always on my grocery list. I want to make sure I am never without them. So, when I purchased some locally grown collards, I made sure I had onions with which to marry the two. I was excited to cook the greens, so I eagerly grabbed the biggest, most attractive onion from my onion basket to begin the exercise. The onion looked appealing. It was truly attractive with its large round body.  It had just the right hue and I was certain it was unblemished. I cut open the onion thinking it would surely do my greens justice, but when I sliced it in two, I was astonished to see that one side had blackness in the center. It had begun to rot. My mouth hung open and my eyes did a double take. “This can’t be true!” I thought. The onion had deceived me. It looked perfect on the outside, but the inside was far from it.

At that very moment, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and said, “Janet, if you don’t stay in my Word and follow me closely, you too will be like the onion.” I began to process the gentle exhortation and my heart nodded in agreement. If I do not maintain my prayer time, my quiet time in the Word, and my time in meditation, then I will function OK for a while; but I will not have the true stamina and depth that God wants me to have. I must be truly grounded if I want to be a woman after God’s own heart. As a teacher of God’s Word, I cannot be matter-of-fact about my inside—my heart. My heart condition is God’s utmost concern. My behavior is His priority. My walk is His testimony. I have to be true if I am going to be clean. Like the onion, I will deceive you if I do not yield to the Holy Spirit’s work consistently. My heart will be tainted and tarnished and dark without the light of Christ penetrating within.

Look around and you will see that it is easy to become laden down with the cares of the day: the cleaning, the washing, the ironing, the E-mails, the Facebook, the Twitter, the phone calls, the books to read, the friendships to maintain, the packages to mail, the pets to feed, the cars to wash, the yard to clean, the house to tidy, the husband to nourish, the children to feed…. Get the picture! It takes consistent prioritizing to make Christ the center of our every day. If He gets further and further down the To-do list, you fill find that your center—your heart—will become like the deceptive onion.  That does not happen overnight, but it will happen over time. May the layers of our being, be perforated with the love, grace, holiness, and purity of Almighty God. When peeled back, we should be like our Lord in every way.

A word from the Word

Therefore, prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.” 1 Peter 1:13-16

Petition

Dear Lord, I have been like the onion at different points in my life and that is not my desire. I want to be true in the deep recesses of my heart. I want you to have access to the layers of my heart so you can search me and form me into your likeness. I want Christ to reign supreme in my life. Help me, Lord, to ascertain the power of Christ’s resurrection through the reading of His Word and daily confessions of who I am in Christ.