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Thoughts for a Woman's Heart |
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encouragement in things that matter |
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Ordinary James
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Within the Old Testament Jewish culture, the Hebrew slave was indebted only for a period of six years, and not for life. In the seventh year, the slave was to be set free. He could choose however to remain with his master, and that choice then became a lifetime commitment. When David spoke about his obedience to God in terms of "his ears being opened," it is believed by some to be an allusion to the piercing of the slave’s ear with an awl. It is that piercing that was a public display of the slave’s choice, and David’s words communicate his choice to live in a servitude of obedience to his God. James identifies himself in a similar manner in the salutation of the book that bears his name. He says he is a bond-servant or a slave of God and of Jesus Christ. He was expressing his choice to serve his Master and to do so as a lifetime commitment. What is interesting is that James could have identified himself as the leader of the Jerusalem church, or, as the half-bother of Jesus. He could have demanded the attention of those he was writing to based on his achievements or on a positional relationship. He did neither. I see James as wanting to be an ordinary person who was serving an extra-ordinary God. His letter is straightforward and practical as he encourages ordinary people to live their lives in extra-ordinary ways. He talks about everyday life and the impact our faith should have on it. The difficulties of life, our attitudes toward others, the words we choose to use, our pursuit of material things – these are some of the issues James addresses. In these areas and in still others, we need to make a choice similar to the one James made. Do I want to find recognition in my achievements or my position, or, do I simply want to be known as one who has chosen to be a bond-servant of the eternal, sovereign God? The theme of the letter James wrote is, "Don’t just talk about being a Christian. Act like it!" Doing so doesn’t encompass pursuing great things for God or totally changing my environment or the people I hang out with. It means living within my ordinary in an extra-ordinary way that gives expression to the faith I say I possess. It means allowing my ordinary to give glory to my extra-ordinary God – just like James. |
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— Bev |
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