James ChallengeSýnishorn

James 5 brings the multiple themes in the preceding chapters together!

WHERE DO YOU PLACE YOUR VALUES?

A rich life on earth does not and cannot compare to what God has in store for us in heaven. You can store up so much wealth on earth, but it will not follow you to the grave. Solomon laments about this in Ecclesiastes (2:26; 6:2), you may have so much material posessions only for the next person to enjoy the fruits of your labour. Your values should be based on what is eternal. You (your soul) will never cease to exist, but your material things will. Which do you value more?

APPROPRIATE ACTION FOR YOUR EMOTIONS

Verses 13-16 give practical guidelines for our response to our various emotions and highlights two things; the power of prayer and the power of fellowship/accountability.

Prayer is our main way to communicate with God. Throughout the book of James he talks about prayer and how we must pray with the right motive, but this chapter highlights something new in the latter part of verse 16 ‘The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective’. To be righteous is to have right standing with God. Our righteousness doesn’t come through our works, but it comes through our belief and total reliance on the redeeming power of Christ. When we grasp that understanding of righteousness, then there will be a fulfillment of scripture. Our prayers won’t be unintentional but they will be powerful and effective! 

SHOULD I REALLY CONFESS MY SINS TO OTHERS?

Some of you can’t confess your sins to others because you can’t even confess it to yourself or God. The feeling of condemnation, pride and shame stops us from doing this important thing. To confess your sin to your brother or sister in Christ is not to give them something to gossip about, but it is an act of seeking wise counsel and it is also an opportunity to share a testimony of how God enabled you to overcome that sin.

WHY DO YOU SWEAR?

Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear—not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple “Yes” or “No.” Otherwise you will be condemned. (James 5:12 NIV)

The habits of saying 'swear down, swear on mums life or swear to God' need to be cut out!We say it is just slang and we don’t think it means anything, but let us not forget what James has been telling us these past 7 days, which is that our words carry so much power! The Bible is very clear, even our slang needs to be in check. Some of us are at fault for using biblical spiritual terms as common colloquial words. Be careful of how you use certain words because it could be seen as blasphemous and disrespectful. We can’t be calling ungodly things anointed, glorious, righteous, or biblical…to name a few misused terms! Remember, out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks, get your slang right, get your heart right! 

Thank you for doing the #JamesChallenge (@doctorkanayo)