David Leventhal

I’ve been spending some time this week in the book of James. And, in grace, I’ve been humbled as I hold my life up next to the plumb line of God’s word & see how crooked I can be. One of the things that jumped out at me the other day was the three branches that James says make up the tree of true religion. I discovered (once again) some major deficiencies in my attitudes, my motives, my behaviors & the way I live & use these verses.

So we’re all on the same page here – let me remind you of what James writes at the end of chapter 1 in verses 26 & 27:

(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.

When we think about “true religion” many people & especially those of us concerned about the orphan, (and I am in this line) go straight to verse 27. We often use this verse to convict our brothers & sisters who are not over-the-top passionate about orphan-care of the fact that their faith, though perhaps sincere & deep, is not “pure & undefiled.” Here’s what I was reminded of the other day as I read through and mediated over this passage.

James points out three aspects of worthy religion – not one, not two…but three:

• Bridling the tongue
• Caring for orphans AND widows
• Keeping myself unstained by the world

It’s easy to get caught up in number two (and if we’re honest…the reality is it’s easy to get caught up on the orphan part of number two….how many widow’s ministries have you heard of in the last 30 days?). Working with and for orphans is sexy. You see the pictures of the orphans in your inner-city, in Africa & China (I’ve got some of me with them) & it’s super easy to get behind a movement to want to care for them and provide for them. Heck, even Hollywood has caught on this and made it in vogue to want to care for orphans.

But – if we’re going to be consistent with God’s word (& in my heart that’s my desire) – we have to admit we really don’t like looking at the two other aspects of true religion: our words & the purity of our hearts. I mean, they’re unglamorous, kind of ugly & frankly they are much more difficult to obey.

Regarding the tongue – James goes on in chapter 3 to discuss at length the issue & the impossibility of truly bridling the tongue. But here’s the reality – when’s the last time I got excited & passionate about keeping my words in check? How hard do I work to reign in the caustic & sarcastic thoughts that go through my mind on an hourly basis? Many of us (& rightly so) are quick to come back & seek forgiveness AFTER we lose our temper & say something we shouldn’t have but how many of us are waging war to keep hateful, un-edifying & ungodly words from EVEN GETTING OUT IN THE FIRST PLACE? We are commanded to repent when we say hurtful things – but isn’t the better way to not say them at all?

Regarding the purity of my heart – how am I doing at keeping myself unstained by the world? Do I get as excited about guarding what I allow my heart to mediate on as I do finding a home for an orphan? I’ve been to a couple of orphan care conferences this year but you know how many “keeping myself unstained by the world” conferences I’ve been to? Zero. And yet, this command sleeps in the same bed as the command to care for orphans.

So here’s the bottom line – if I want to consider my religion as pure & undefiled I need to come before Christ daily and ask him for the strength to guard my tongue, my heart & the defenseless. To God be the glory forever and ever.