James 1:26-27
26 If anyone thinks he is
religious without controlling his tongue, then his religion is useless and
he deceives himself. 27 Pure and undefiled religion
before our God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in
their distress and to keep oneself unstained by the world (Holman Christian
Standard Bible ).
Throughout generations and cultures, people have asked the
question, what should a relationship with God look? James response is stunning in
that is does not focus on behaviors to appease the divine. Instead, it offers a
simple description of controlling the tongue and caring for other people. A right
relationship with God will be evident in the right relationship with other
people. Jesus said people would know His disciples by their love for one
another (John 13:35). Christlike love is most evident in relationships in which
the other people have nothing to offer in return. This kind of love is countercultural.
It is selfless. It is righteous. Orphans and widows are vulnerable and have nothing
to make an offer in return for kindness, especially in the context in which
James is writing, where Christians were persecuted. God expects us, His church
to go out of our way to love the overlooked, the vulnerable, and the needy.
Why? Because showing God’s love and kindness for others is precisely what the
Bible commands us to do.[1]
May God help us to have spiritual ears to hear His truth and eyes to see
opportunities to put it into practice.
Pastor Dimas
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