Balanced!

Balanced!

‭James 1:27 AMP‬

[27] Pure and unblemished religion [as it is expressed in outward acts] in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit and look after the fatherless and the widows in their distress, and to keep oneself uncontaminated by the [secular] world.

As always, it is important to determine the audience that the words of the verse above is addressed to. In the very first verse of the book of James, we read this: "James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ" and "To the twelve [Hebrew] tribes [scattered abroad among the Gentiles] in the dispersion". The very first lesson to learn here is that the Christian faith calls for sacrifice, and will expose you to tough times. If what you are looking for is earthly comfort only, and not heavenly preparation, then, maybe this message is not yet ripe for you. We do not know if this James, the writer, was one of the twelve disciples, but we know that he was one who was willing to suffer for the sake of Christ and the gospel. A reference to James in the book of Acts reveals one who was one of the leaders of the apostles, who inspired the letter to the Gentiles to encourage them in the faith. It was yet James that Herod took and then beheaded. Who says serving God comes with no pressure?

As much as we would want to enjoy the blessing and benefits of the faith, there are burdens placed on us. The people who James was writing to were Jews who had found themselves in different nations due to severe persecution and oppression. If you also recall, it was the death of Stephen that led to the first dispersion of the believers from Jerusalem, leading many into Gentile towns and the gospel being preached to people such as the Ethiopian eunuch, and even Saul the leader of the riot became one of the leaders of the church, because he had an encounter with the Lord. Can I get so comfortable in my own space that I forget that lives are perishing on a daily basis? Can I get so focused on doing my own thing that I forget that there is not much time left? Like James the writer, and like the Jews in the dispersion, I must note that the call of God upon my life will lead me to the purpose of God for my life. There are no guarantees that there would not be hard times, or occasions when I have to undergo persecution, but I have the assurance that as long as I am connected to God, I can never run out of supply. 

That understanding then drives the verse above. I know who I am, and I know what I am expected to do. I do not compare myself with anyone else, and I just focus on the assignment I have been given. The verse above makes clear the connection between my public and my private lives, and both have to align. Men will see the outward, and may applaud the impact of the outward, but I must not let that distract me from the demands on my inward. In these days of hypocrisy and eye-service, one has to be careful of acts of service that are not backed up by a heart that is totally yielded to God. I must not focus just on what men can see, but I must give careful thought to that which God demands of me. It is inner confession that drives outward profession. Let it not be that all I have is the applause of men, nice as it may sound, and nothing about the applause or approval of heaven. Without God, all I do is a show for the audience of men. Men may reward, and of course, men will thank God for my acts of service, but if heaven has no record of your submission, or your commitment to holiness and righteousness, there can be no eternal reward. The balance is key. God's time of favour is here.