Relevance 3

James 1:27

Coming from a secular business background into the ministry, one of the hardest issues I have had to deal with – and still do – is getting caught up in getting things done. With an eye toward the completed project I can become frustrated when someone interrupts me because they need to talk. But that is the primary purpose of ministry – helping those in need. The neatly decorated altar, the tidy Sanctuary, the completed bulletin can and should be set aside when someone comes to me.

James condenses ministry into a very simple instruction. What is our “religion” supposed to do?

Each of us can get caught up in our “religion” – going through the motions of worship, Bible study, prayers, and so on. We can easily forget that one of the main things we are called to is helping those in need. The perfect examples in the First Century were the widows and orphans. In our community we might replace these with the homeless, working poor, drug addicts, alcoholics, AIDS sufferers.

Last week we looked at the problem of appearing to be a Christian without really feeling or thinking like a Christian. Now we look at doing the work of the Christian. We must be relevant. We must address the issues of strife and struggle in the lives of people.

To be relevant we need to be involved and engaged with our society. We cannot keep our eyes on Jesus by avoiding looking at the people all around us who need our compassion and help.

But part of our “religion,” our faith, requires that we avoid falling into the secular sinfulness of the world. James tells us to keep “from being polluted by the world.” We can not nor should not avoid the world. Real Christians work to ease the distress of others. We must, however, be cautious of the temptations of the world.

DAILY CHALLENGE: How are you “religious?”