Faith Developed and Lived Out: James 1 in Actionნიმუში

While Chapter 3 contains the longest passage about “taming the tongue,” Verse 26 here in Chapter 1 contains one of the most powerful.

Let this sink in: If you don’t control the words you speak, your religion is worthless.

Not "weakened." Worthless. (Ouch.)

The Greek word used here is mataios. To get the full sense of the word, here are a few of the nuances of mataios: vain, futile, worthless, empty, unreal, ineffectual, unproductive.

The off-handed, spiteful, careless words we speak transform our religion from a full glass, overflowing God’s grace on everyone we encounter into an empty glass, absolutely incapable of fulfilling its purpose – to quench the longing of those who are thirsty.

So, what is pure and undefiled religion? Pretty simple. Shut your mouth and do something for someone in need.

For Reflection & Discussion

• When was the last time you said something careless or hurtful? Do you need to apologize?
• Spend some time doing a word study on worthless/mataios. There are several free websites that make word studies really simple. Two of my favorites are BlueLetterBible and BibleHub. To learn how to use these sites (and lots of other ways to do word studies) go to my YouTube channel and search "word study."
• Look for ways you can compliment or encourage at least three people today.

Thanks for joining me on this journey through James 1. If you could use more help studying the Bible, I would love to give you my free guide: The Simplest Way to Study Any Bible Passage.

Alongside,
Keith