A Word from James: Slander

by Marilynn Chadwick

Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another…who are you to judge your neighbor? (James 4:11,12 NIV)

Slander. It’s an ugly word. Slander, or defamation of character, used to be considered a crime. Nowadays, it’s more like a contact sport. Runaway slander fuels reality shows, tabloids, and especially social media. 

James gives us a hard-hitting warning about the dangers of slander. If we find gossip enticing, then we’d better pause. Old "camel knees," is sure to step on our toes in today's verses:

“Don’t speak evil against each other, dear brothers and sisters. If you criticize and judge each other, then you are criticizing and judging God’s law. But your job is to obey the law, not to judge whether it applies to you. God alone, who gave the law, is the Judge. He alone has the power to save or to destroy. So what right do you have to judge your neighbor?” (James 4:11,12 NLT).

The New Living Translation of the word “slander” is straightforward: "Don't speak evil against." Slander, katalaleo, comes from two Greek words: kata, "against," and laleo, or "speak." There's an innate hostility in the word “slander.”  

So why aren't we more careful about the use of our tongue? Sometimes I catch myself speaking ill of someone under the guise of "processing a problem." Or maybe I share a morsel of gossip "for prayer." Ugh. Am I the only one who struggles with this sin?

James speaks strongly against slander. Imagine how it makes the Lord feel to hear his children speaking evil about each other. Slander is one of the devil's favorite tools to divide the Body of Christ. Especially since his scheme catches most of us unaware.

Lord, I need a wake-up call. Alert me to the dangers of slander. James won't let the subject rest. Neither do you. Make me uncomfortable with slander so that I won't speak or listen to harmful words. Help me realize that slander breaks your heart. Let it also break mine.

A Word from James: Want

by Marilynn Chadwick

You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. (James 4:2 NLT)

"But Mommy, all I want is what I want when I want it," came the whine from three-year-old Molly. The story brings a chuckle every time her mother retells it. But aren't we all a bit like Molly? All we want is what we want when we want it. What's so bad about that?

James challenges this inborn propensity toward selfishness. Our fights and quarrels have wants, or "desires," as their root, he says. The word here for desire is hedone from which we get "hedonism." The meaning is simple: "Pleasure, desire, enjoyment."

Pleasure and enjoyment are not wrong. But when we "don't get what we want when we want it," what’s our response? James probes our heart. Do we pout? Inwardly stomp our feet. Throw a temper tantrum. Harbor jealousy. Quarrel and fight?

James gives us a heart check. What’s at the root of these wrong responses? The first culprit he mentions may surprise you: A lack of prayer. More specifically, the lack of prayer with a surrendered heart.

“You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong—you want only what will give you pleasure” (James 4:2,3).

He calls out our motives, making us squirm a little more. Why do we want what we want in the first place? Is this something God would want to give us? If so, are we willing to pray—and then to wait for his timing?

I sometimes refer to this delay as "wait training." It seems to be one of God's favorite methods for purifying our wants. The Lord desires for us to learn how to wait in faith, with a trusting and thankful heart.

In our consumer-crazy culture, our "wants" can sometimes run wild. So, let's pause and reflect:

Lord, all good gifts come from you. You delight to bless your children. But I confess that sometimes my wants run ahead of your perfect will. Slow me down, Lord. Let me examine my wants in the light of your Word. Remind me to ask you for what I want. Give me a willing heart to wait for your answer in your time. Above all, turn my eyes outward. While I wait, make me more sensitive to the wants of others… for truly, giving is your secret weapon against the “I want what I want when I want it” syndrome.

A Word from James: Wisdom

by Marilynn Chadwick

But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving. (James 3:17 NIV)

Do you want to be wise? King Solomon sure did. And God blessed him mightily. If we lack wisdom, we should ask God. It's a prayer he loves to answer. But James warns us about the dangers of what he calls “earthly wisdom.” He contrasts it with heavenly wisdom in two short, power-packed sentences.

Let's take a look these verses as translated in the Greek Interlinear New Testament: 

“But the wisdom from above is first of all pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, free from prejudice and hypocrisy. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace” (James 3:17,18 MOUNCE).

The first characteristic of heavenly wisdom is purity. It’s also peaceable. Gentle. Merciful. Get the point? The wisdom that comes from above bears little resemblance to its worldly counterfeit.

Earthly wisdom has a swagger about it. It's power-hungry. Commanding. In control. Eve found earthly wisdom irresistible. And tragically, sometimes, so do we.

But make no mistake. Heavenly wisdom is anything but weak. It comes with its own kind of power. James reminds us this brand of wisdom produces humility. The Greek word praus, translated “humility,” implies bridled power. Praus is the very same word Jesus used when he said: "I am gentle and humble in heart" (Matthew 11:29 NIV). It’s the only instance in the New Testament where he described himself.

Think about it. The all-powerful King of the Universe, wisdom personified, described himself as humble. In his presence, the sick were healed. The dead were raised. Demons trembled. Jesus was true wisdom from God in human form.

That’s the kind of wisdom I’m seeking today—the wisdom that comes from above.

Lord, I ask for your kind of wisdom, not the worldly counterfeit. Make me attentive to your voice, sensitive to your gentle whisper. Lead me in the pathway of true wisdom. I pray this in the name of the humble Savior who is also our conquering King!

Simply click on this Bible Gateway link for access to the Greek Interlinear New Testament.