James 1-5

James 1 starts with having a solid relationship that does not waver. Trials develop us and was doing so in this early church. Perseverance develops maturity and completeness spiritually. 1:12"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." He says we should be doers of the word. When we encounter the Lord through scriptures, we should spend some time before him and that truth. Then when we get up we can experience the fruit of the truth through experiencing God through His message.
Foe example God tells us in 1:26 "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. 27Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. When we spend some time with that truth and start doing this it will change our relationship with God and those He is bringing into our life."

One thing we encounter today in James 3 is Godly wisdom. Here is what my friend Pastor Stan Jordan wrote about it yesterday in his blog: Friday, November 21, 2008
"Finding God's Wisdom in Any Situation"

"Often, people ask me how they can know God's will or how they can find God's wisdom for a particular situation. I can't tell them God's will for them, and they can only get God's wisdom from Him, but I can point them in the right direction. James 3:13-18is a passage I use to help people like this.

There are certain things that show us when things are done according to the wisdom of this world. Those things are envy, self-seeking, and confusion. It leads to sensuality and even the demonic. However, sometimes it is just very subtle selfishness. God never operates that way.
On the contrary, God's wisdom is seen by these types of things: purity, peaceableness, gentleness, being willing to yield, mercy, good fruits, no partiality, and no hypocrisy. I believe that is a clear contrast, don't you?
Therefore, when you are seeking God's wisdom, step back and look at these lists, and see how they apply to your situation. I believe that will make it clear to you how to act in God's wisdom. However, I do want you to pray for God to direct your steps and your words in all you do and how you do it."
Posted by Stan Jordan