Devotional - September 28, 2022

Scripture: James 1: 9-11 Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wildflower. For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.

For some, what James presents here is unthinkable, but hear him out. He commends those who are not wealthy, the middle-class or even lower. He says they ought to be proud of it, moreover, they ought to take pride in it. Why? Being poor in James' day, or at any time, is no picnic to say the least. It is hard and many things are available to those with wealth, the poor have to do without. But in James' day, even what was available was not available for the believer. They were ostracized due to their faith. Opportunities for advancement did not exist. So, why would James say they were to take pride in their "humble circumstances". As I just said, James was not writing to everyone. He was writing to the Messianic community. The way they dealt with their difficult conditions was through their faith and their community. Even today, we have communities that do the very same thing. They often get rated as some of the happiest communities of people in the United States. Keep in mind, I did not say every community that deals with poverty fares this way. But, the love and life found in communities of faith often ranks high when looking at quality of life. James is calling his reader to take pride in their circumstances because they are living their faith and receiving the blessing of God's Kingdom, here and now. But, there is a little more to it. People in humble circumstances, who are humble in their attitude, can move through life without the trappings of pride. They do not concern themselves with others opinions or social norms. Instead, their faith and community (which includes God) is everything. When confronted with hardship, their humble state of mind allows them to push through. Pride goes out the window, it is not going to help them resolve anything. Instead, they pray their way through it, helping each other out. Have you ever seen people enduring difficult situations and they make it look fun? Have you ever been one of those people? In contrast, James asks his reader to now turn to those who are rich, worldly, and proud of it. They too will face hardship and testing, but what do they have to support them? Money can't fix everything. Nice cars and houses cannot solve life's most difficult problems. Instead, they end up being the problem. I was eating at a restaurant the other day and the guy seated at the table across from me was wearing a nice Polo shirt and dress slacks. The little Polo horsey guy prominently displayed on his shirt. Well, the little horsy guy may have looked nice, but it did nothing when a spoon full of food sloshed onto his shirt and lap. He sprung back, knocking over his chair. Thankfully, no one was behind him. Then, he disappeared into the bathroom. Much later he reappeared, a few faint stains still visible on his shirt. Honestly, I felt bad for him. He never recovered from it. My shirt on the other hand had plenty of spots on it, but it was dark blue, so they did not show. I accept there is going to be collateral damage after the third trip back to the buffet. The stains washed out without any issue. More importantly, I enjoyed my meal, spots or no spots. But here is a question, would he have enjoyed his meal had the spill never occurred? Or, would he have still been so concerned with his appearance that he barely even noticed the restaurant or what he was eating? Not to mention, who he was with... James calls us to favor our life with God and others over worldly circumstances. More than that, James wants us to revel in it!

Pray with me... Lord, we thank you for the riches found in our relationship with You and others. Help us to continue to discover the breadth and depth found therein. Be with our loved ones, bless them according to their needs. And, continue to bless our church, so we can be the people You call us to be. In Jesus name, Amen.

God's peace,

Pastor Brian