Week 29: Pure Joy, Righteousness & Religion
I consider it a pure joy to be able to share with you some thoughts on one of my favorite chapters in the Bible, James 1. The three following beliefs that James called out have been so meaningful to me that I find myself referring to them often and have committed them to memory.
The first is so appropriate for what’s been happening to all of us in 2020.
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4
The worst tornadoes in Tennessee history were followed by a pandemic that seems to be getting worse not better. And on top of that the reawakening to the reality of racial injustice as we collectively witnessed and struggled to deal with the horrific killings of Black Americans. Where is the joy in all of this?
We all know that the joy described above is not what we see on the nightly news but we all have seen many examples of where these tragedies (and others) have provided us the opportunity to grow in faith by helping those who are hurting and in need. That’s what James learned from Christ. We overcome all these trials through love and compassion for those who are suffering. Sharing our faith with meaningful support during these times provides hope for those in need to persevere and it makes us complete and that’s the pure joy.
Secondly, QL + SS + SA = R.
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. James 1:19-20
This formula is something that I’ve been using for years especially with the men in the New Life Behavior classes I’ve been teaching at Riverbend Maximum Security Prison. Anger management for many of them is something they face every day and we are not excluded.
God expects us to truly listen before speaking. And that’s listening in the way that Christ would. Remember He told us that “the mouth speaks what the heart is full of” and that requires “ears that hear” so that we can respond compassionately in an honest and truthful way. God’s love is too compassionate for those of us who are judgmental. (Read that sentence again.) Self-righteous anger is not what God desires from us.
Lastly, James defines for us Pure Religion.
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. James 1:27
He tells us again that there will be many trials, distress. He also tells us to focus on those in need, especially orphans and widows. And he warns us to avoid the way the world treats those in need. We write them off, we exclude them and/or we expect someone else to help them. That’s not our calling.
God provided His Son to model pure religion for us. Also the righteousness that it will manifest in our relationship with Him, the incredible world He created, and most of all with others and ourselves. A Child of God. Transformed not polluted, that’s Pure Joy!
—James Kelley