I can’t believe that I have been “stuck” in James since the beginning of August. We started reading it as a family then and I have not been able to tear myself away. Now I have to admit that I have not been doing an in depth word by word, verse by verse analysis (I know of at least one hermeneutic prof who would be glad to hear this), rather I have been trying to understand the stories that James is trying to convey.
It seems that James is telling his audience “Don’t worry about the struggles and hardships you are facing, God can use them to build character in you and help you develop Godly wisdom. Rather than worry be about the task of taking care of the forgotten, the marginalized, the voiceless; and while you are at it don’t forget to take care of your own spiritual well being. Live out your faith in such a way that people will see that you are different. If you say you believe something do you have a concrete example of how that is being lived out in your life? Finally, remember it is not about you. Guard your tongue, keep your own want and desires in check, humble yourself before God so that He is the one who can life you up.”
This is my summary of James, the key story themes that James develops. What I need to do now is to figure out how I can apply them and integrate them into my life. Is there one of these themes that jumped out at you? If so grab onto it and see how God want you to transform you life based on the theme.