JEWELS FROM JAMES #11

HOW TO MEASURE HUMILITY!

Shirley MacLaine, the Oscar-winning actress, was a spokeswoman for the new-age, self-consumed philosophy of her day. The Los Angeles Times reported an interview in which she said:

"The most pleasurable journey you take is through yourself. . .the only sustaining love is within your-self. When you look back on your life and try to figure out where you've been and where you are going, when you look at your work, your marriages, your children, your pain, your happiness, what you really find out is that the only person you really go to bed with is yourself. . . .The only thing you have is working to the consummation of your own identity. And that's what I've been trying to do all my life."

Well, her HERESY is so common that even today much of the public unthinkingly nods assent to her shallow philosophy. Our society, governed by such humanistic and selfish beliefs has become nothing less than extremely chaotic! The mastery of such an arrogant, self-centered life was a major concern of the Apostle James in his short epistle.

The late James Dobson told a classic story about human conflict, arising from arrogance and prideful behavior. Ten-year-old Robert was an obnoxious, terror-creating tumult wherever his passive mother took him. One day, this mother took Robert to an appointment with his dentist. This was an older man who understood children and was not about to be intimidated by the boy. Dobson recounted the event as follows:

Robert, who hated dentist appointments, arrived in the dental office prepared for battle! "OK, time to get in the chair, young man," said the doctor. "No chance!" replied Robert. "Son, I told you to climb into the chair, and that's what you need to do," said the dentist. Robert stared at his opponent for a moment and then replied, "If you make me get in that chair, I will take off all my clothes." The dentist calmly said, "Son, go right ahead. Take 'em off." The boy quickly removed his shirt, undershirt, shoes and socks, and then looked up in bold defiance. "All right, son" said the dentist, "Now get in the chair." "You didn't hear me," sputtered the boy. "I said if you make me get on that chair, I will take off all my clothes." "Son, take 'em off then," said the dentist. Robert proceeded to remove his pants and shorts, standing totally naked before the dentist and his assistant. "Now,, son, climb up into the chair," said the doctor. Robert finally did what he was told, the doctor covered his lap and Robert sat cooperatively through the entire procedure. When the cavities were drilled and filled, he was instructed to step down from the chair. "Give me my clothes now," Robert said. "I'm sorry," replied the dentist. "Tell your mother that we are going to keep your clothes here tonight. She can pick them up tomorrow."

Can you comprehend the shock Robert's mother received when the door to the waiting room opened, and there stood her son as naked as the day he was born? The dentist explained why. The room was filled with other patients, but Robert, with his mom, walked past them greatly embarrassed out into the hall. They went down a public elevator and into the parking lot, ignoring the snickers of onlookers.

The next day, Robert's mother returned to retrieve Robert's clothes, and asked to have a word with the dentist. However, she did not come to protest. These were her sentiments: "You don't know how much I appreciate what happened here yesterday. You see, Robert has been black- mailing me about his clothes for years. Whenever we are in a public place, such as a grocery store, he makes unreasonable demands of me. If I don't immediately buy him what he wants, he threatens to take off all his clothes. You are the first person to call his bluff, Doctor, and the impact on Robert has quickly been incredible."

The first ten verses of James Chapter 4, indicate that selfish desires are the source of human conflict, while peace comes from a quiet submission to God who supplies all our needs in His own time. "Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will lift you up" (verse 10). An ugly self-assertiveness raises its head in each of our lives apart from such humility! James identified two spheres of life as yardsticks for this godly humility. The first is the relationship we have with other people, especially in what we say about them. The second is the goal or plans we have for the future. (If you haven't already, I urge you to read last week's blog and even better the last 10 blogs on our study of James!) So now, let's consider the remaining verses of James, Chapter 4; verses, 11-17, having to do with HOW TO MEASURE HUMILITY!

First, humility is measured by OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD OTHER PEOPLE! (verses 11-12) As followers of Jesus, we are taught to RESIST JUDGMENT! James literally said, "Stop speaking evil against one another!" He used the present verb tense that means such speech was on-going, habitual! The brothers he wrote to were continually speaking negatively of others and and placing judgment upon them. Other translations of the Bible render the word as "slander." It is actually critical, cruel or sarcastic speech regarding other people that occurs regularly. James clearly said that this kind of speech is a very serious offense or sin and reaps serious consequences. He identified it as slander, backbiting, backstabbing and evil criticism in the attempt to place unChristian judgment on another. Included, he talked about talking behind one's back, engaging in that secretive power play that makes the speaker the "judge" of another's motives and results in condemnation of that individual.

James condemns this sin and offense, for a very serious reason. One who practices such activity actually judges God's Law, rather than being a "doer" of it! The passage is clear, there is only ONE LAW-GIVER and JUDGE . . . God, Himself! Since His second great commandment is to "love your neighbor as yourself", when we go around speaking evil or accusing and judging another, we literally judge God's Law/Commandment, which is an attempt to nullify it! This would be an infringment on God's prerogative. Absolutely no human being has the right to overrule God's job. Now, this is not to say that we must hold our tongue when there is something that needs to be corrected, but we "who are spiritual" must do the correcting in love, humility, honesty, gentleness and maintaining a watch over ourselves, so that we ourselves do not fall into satan's trap of sin (Galatians 6:1).

A poet named Ruth Calkins skillfully described our need to be cautious in our evaluation of other people. She wrote:

"I spoke to her at the bus stop, But she turned the other way.

My immediate reaction: A rush of resentment --- she is ignoring me, she really doesn't like me;

I've always suspected it, Now I know!

Suddenly she looked toward me, Startled but sincere: "Forgive me -- I didn't see you."

(Until then I hadn't noticed the agony lining her face.) A hesitant pause, A catch in her voice -

"I just came from the doctor's office, our little boy has leukemia. It's all a terrible nightmare."

Lord, Lord what loathsome selfishness. A mother stricken with grief,

Her heart soaked with pain. An hour of black catastrophe, And I thought only of me.

Cleanse me, Lord, Sensitize me, until my first concern is for others, And my last concern is for me."

Second, humility is measured by OUR ATTITUDE TOWARD LIFE! (verses 13-17) We must RESIST PRESUMPTION about the future! In last week's blog we discovered that James indicted self-indulgence as spiritual adultery or worldliness. An arrogant attitude of self-sufficiency with no regard for God is the peak of worldliness as we seek to supplant God with the assumption that we have final authority and control over our own lives (James 4:3-4). James is not condemning either planning or profiting. There are many good reasons to personally plan and to profit. However, James did condemn the attitude that disregards God in our pursuit of any legitimate activity. An attitude that says, "I can manage this myself. I am intelligent. I am in control of my own life! I don't need God for this" is certainly unbiblical, un-Christian and has very serious and potential eternal consequences. Here is exactly what James warned against:

"Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit" - - - -yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil! So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin" (James 4:13-17).

James actually described people who have laid out an elaborate blueprint for their lives that reveals an arrogant belief that they are in control. Every detail is assumed, even to the profit made in the last trade. With great presumption these people declare, "We will go into this or that city, spend a year and make money." As far as they are concerned, their destination is set, and even a year's time is theirs to do with as they please. They have a "game plan" that presumes destination, time, circumstances, pleasure, activity and profit at the end. THE FATAL FLAW IS THEIR FAILURE TO INCLUDE GOD AND CONSULT HIM REGARDING THEIR STRATEGY!

In closing, I have a word of sincere caution and warning for each one who is reading this blog, based on that which James taught. An arrogant, presumptious attitude is faulty because first ot all it is ungodly and does not honor God. Also, it is faulty because no allowance is made for unforeseen circumstances. "Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow" (James 4:14). We can plan extensively and systematically, even to the point of planning out our whole life, but we cannot be sure that we will even draw another breath. It is absolutely impossible for us to predict the events of a day, much less the events of a year from now. Our lives could be radically changed by circumstances well beyond our control, such as tragic accidents, sudden and debilitating illnesses, death of a loved one, the loss of a job, the inability to work another day in our life, a natural disaster, etc. How dangerous it is to disregard the Bible's clear word, "Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth" (Proverbs 27:1). There is no certainty that we will even be alive tomorrow. Death is, after all, the ultimate statistic: one out of one die!

So, how do we live life in the NOW?

1. Make sure we have surrendered our life to Jesus Christ is number one! Repent, turn from sin and to God and His righteousness!

2. Live every day in His Word and prayer!

3. Avoid all that the Apostle James condemns, such as sin, pride and worldliness, speaking evil of others and judging their motives; instead embrace wisdom, truth, humility, peace, and always consult God for His will, His Way and His Purpose!

4. Be aware of and ready in anticipation that Jesus is coming back, and it can happen at any time. He can return while you are reading this blog.