What would James do?

I received an email devotional from my pastor this morning and stopped for a brief moment to do my daily deed. I read it and italicized at the bottom of the email was an asterisk with a note from the Pastor saying this lined up with my reading this morning from James 3. This little note triggered something inside me to pull out my bible this afternoon and check it out. Here is what I found..something so profound that the Lord has been whispering in my ear for the last month or so.



I opened my Bible to James...read one line and was hooked. That line was this...James 3:1 "Dear brothers and sisters (keep in mind this is James speaking, Jesus' half brother), not many of you should become teachers in the church for we who teach will be judged more strictly." It dawned on me that we are all teachers. The word teacher according to Merriam Websters is defined as "to instruct by precept, example and experience." If we live our lives God first we are instructing others by our example and our experience in the Word. I am always so intrigued by the example that is set by my elders within the church. I look to them on how to live daily life. It is such a grand responsibility we have as Christian's to be teachers and lead by example and according to our experiences. During this season of my life, a student, fiance, student ministries leader and Christian I often find myself surrounded by others who are leading and teaching the wrong example. It says in James 3:1 that the 'teachers' will be judged more strictly and therefore we should be living our lives above reproach. What does this mean to you? Is it avoiding ladies night even if you're only having one drink, wearing an undershirt even if its not your style, or making the extra effort to leave your boyfriends an hour or two earlier. These are all things that I have struggled with but as I strive to become a better teacher realized are not living above reproach.



Well what does this mean? As we teach we become more and more in love with our Lord and desire more and more of Him. I read further in James 3..."If you are wise and understand God's ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom....For jealousy and selfishness are not God's kind of wisdom. Such things are earthly, unspiritual, and demonic." It struck me when I read this that as teachers of the Word we have a greater desire for the wisdom of our Lord. How often do we find ourselves back tracking and falling into the desires of our flesh and our world. The things of this world are not the things of our God.



I challenge you as a teacher and steward of a God first life to stop living selfish lives that strive only to satisfy our flesh. Eternity depends on your decisions today...take them seriously! Leave behind the one drink at dinner, staying over at your boyfriends/girlfriends (regardless of what's going on behind closed doors), gossip, etc. Take the challenge and allow God to transform your life!