James, a servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ!-

Polluted By The World!

^"26If 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."
 

Here we are at the end of chapter 1 of James and it is so obvious that James has a pastor's heart. Once again he is urging us to live in a way pleasing to God. James does more than say the word, obey! James gives us an understanding of what obedience looks like in our daily lives. Verse 26 is no different, he tells us to control our tongues. He uses the "bridle" as a way of expressing what he means. The bridle is how we control a horse. In the same way we should bridle our tongues, have control. He even stresses the point a bit more by stating that religion is worthless if you cannot control your tongue. When we get to chapter 3 we will see much more about controlling our tongue.

In the same context of writing about religion, James expresses some more wisdom for our lives. Taking care of orphans and widows when they are distressed, is pleasing to God. Keeping oneself from being polluted by this world we live in, is another attribute of a person wanting to please God. This world is full of corruption, it doesn't take much to fall into sin. Reading the book of Proverbs on a daily basis can help us in our thinking and decision making. The Word of God is rich with guidance for living in a way that pleases the Lord. Let me urge you to continue in your daily reading of the Bible. If you don't know where to start, you can start today by using the day of the month to select a book of Proverbs to read. Keep in mind that there are 31 Proverbs and several months have 31 days, just use today's date and begin. A long journey begins with the first step! If you have had the habit in the past and have gotten off track, today is a new day, start fresh today and you will be blessed!

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in  righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."                     2 Timothy 3:16-17