Rein It In
James 1:26 If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man’s religion is worthless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
Do you know that exam that men are supposed to get when we get into our 50’s? Yeah, I see James pulling on that latex glove right now and I’m tightening up. This might get uncomfortable.
Let’s get some definitions out of the way as we don that gown with no back.
“religious:” No surprise here. Strong’s includes “pious” in his definition and here’s a bit of Webster 1828: 1. Godly; reverencing and honoring the Supreme Being in heart and in the practice of the duties he has enjoined; having due veneration and affection for the character of God, and habitually obeying his commands; religious; devoted to the service of God; applied to persons.
“bridle:” The IPD Greek is succinct: to lead by a bridle, to guide to bridle, hold in check, restrain. As in “I restrained my urge to flee when the doc said “bend over.” Oh, wait, wrong orifice but you get the point.
“worthless:” KJV uses “vain.” Strong’s implies “worthless” and/or “idol.”
We’ll probe deeper tomorrow. Keeping true to the analogy, I’m going to fast until tomorrow morning. I’m going to pay particular attention to what comes out of my mouth today as I prepare for the exam. Perhaps the preparation will be enough? Will I be able to put the exam off till later?
This might be unpleasant but we know the importance of early detection.
Father, You see inside our hearts every day. Guide us as we self examine. Give us discerning ears to hear what we say and how we say it. Reveal to us the infection and cancer we may be harboring inside of us.