Are you religious?

Throughout his letter, James is calling you and I to account for the faith we profess. He carries on inviting us to look at ourselves honestly to assess where we are with following God. It is great when brothers and sisters challenge us in our faith, if we allow them to without taking offence. Then we can grow and develop into good, obedient disciples. How are you at taking instruction from others?

The next couple of verses are aimed at the 'religious' people. We sometimes have negative, pre-conceived ideas about the type of people this entails, but really, if you are someone that says or thinks that they are a christian, one that follows God, then this means you. Do not automatically discount yourself from this category of being a religious person as James is speaking to those of faith, not those outside of it. So even if you think you have it all together, are you ready to see if you really have, and if you are being obedient to God's call on your life?

*26*If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. *27*Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. 

James 1:26–27

• ‘Bridle the tongue’
• ‘Visit orphans and widows in their affliction’
• ‘Keep oneself unstained from the world’

Are you doing these things? 

‘Bridle the tongue’ - Are you carefully considering your communication? If not, James is quite clear that you are deceiving yourself and that the faith you have is worthless! That's pretty harsh! Yet, do you not think this makes sense? If a person says they are a follower of God, but they are not mindful of how they communicate, in fact they speak like most other people, isn't there something wrong with that? If you trust and believe in Jesus, then that faith should effect every area of your life, including how you talk. No unwholesome speech should come from you. In fact, you should try your best to think before you speak, so that your communication is clear, kind and useful for building up others. Do you make an effort with how you communicate? Is your tongue bridled? If so then you are displaying the faith you have by doing so. Your faith is useful and you are living with integrity.

'Visit orphans and widows in their affliction’ - Do you care for others? Are you serving others who have nothing, or very little? Do you even know of others who society shuns or overlooks? Are you bothered by poverty? Here James calls for your faith to be faith in action. 'undefiled' faith is giving to those and loving those from whom you will get little or nothing back from. Who are those people in your community that you can step in to help and how can you interact with and help them? Can you sit and chat for a while with someone who is lonely and left out? Can you provide a meal for someone who cannot afford to eat and pay the rent? Could you look after someone's children so they can do something else? Pure faith requires you to put what you believe into action, and that will look inconvenient and maybe even messy. Are you doing it? Are you displaying 'pure and undefiled' faith?

‘Keep oneself unstained from the world’ - Are you living a life undistinguishable from those around you? Do you stand out in the crowd or blend in? Do people notice when you are around non-believers that there is something significantly about you? If not, why not? If you are a believer in God, and you trust in Jesus for your salvation, then you have been given a life unlike anyone else. Do people know and see how your character, decisions and lifestyle are different to theirs? Or are you getting mixed up and messy with the things that the world offers? How are your relationships? Do you manage the desires of your heart? Do you live a life honouring Jesus or a life fitting in with those around you? You cannot do both. If you try to please the world, you are displeasing Jesus and you are becoming 'stained'. Jesus saved you from that not for that. He died to the world so that you could be free from the influences of it, is that how you are living?

As a 'religious' person, how are you doing? Is your character developing along these lines? If you are a believer in God and a follower of Jesus, your faith should be living and active and noticeable, in a good way. The expectation is that you are growing and developing in your walk with God. Is the life and death of Jesus really changing you? 

Are you becoming more concerned with your communication, with those who are on the fringes of society and your own struggle with sin? 

James is showing you here that faith is not just inside of you, a notion or an understanding in your head or heart. It is to be lived out and demonstrated to the world around you through how you interact with others and how you keep yourself away from certain things. In reality, if you are a believer, other people should be able to see it from these things. Your behaviour, character and communication speak more about what you are really living for than the words you say. What are you showing others about what you believe through how you act? What can you do today to grow and become more of a person after God's heart? Do you need to consider your communication, take care of others or keep yourself away from worldly influences? James is helping you learn how to be an obedient disciple, demonstrating the love and power of Jesus, are you going to take up the challenge?