Acts 15:13
When they finished, James spoke up: "Brothers, listen to me."
Thoughts for Today:
Taking the floor now was James, the half brother of Jesus, also called James the Just and James the righteous. Hegesippus tells us that James spent so much time in prayer that "his knees were reputed to have acquired the hardness of camel knees." Many Bible historians and commentators believe that James was the head of the church in Jerusalem (which was the center of the new Christian faith). This is further supported by the comment made by Peter when he was miraculously freed from prison and had to flee Jerusalem -- he asks in Acts 12:17 for James to be informed; in our text today as well as in numerous other passages it appears that James at minimum was one of the key leaders if not the leader of the church.
So how did James acquire such great respect and authority? If we asked some of our business leaders or young people today, they would say that respect comes from "personal power." From their perspective, it comes from the power you have over other people, in the sense that you can manipulate or threaten them. But is that really respect, or fear?
Respect comes from the positive of who you are, what you've done, and how you do it; fear comes from the negative. One is the definition of security, the other is based in insecurity. One leader knows who he is, the other is trying to prove something. Which are you?
James the Just, James the Righteous, James the camel-kneed one -- that is the kind of earthly man I respect. How did James rise to this position of great respect? By getting on his knees and staying on his knees -- not asking for power and position -- but asking for wisdom, knowledge and the humility to do the Lord's will, not his own. If you want real respect, follow James' example.
So how did James acquire such great respect and authority? If we asked some of our business leaders or young people today, they would say that respect comes from "personal power." From their perspective, it comes from the power you have over other people, in the sense that you can manipulate or threaten them. But is that really respect, or fear?
Respect comes from the positive of who you are, what you've done, and how you do it; fear comes from the negative. One is the definition of security, the other is based in insecurity. One leader knows who he is, the other is trying to prove something. Which are you?
James the Just, James the Righteous, James the camel-kneed one -- that is the kind of earthly man I respect. How did James rise to this position of great respect? By getting on his knees and staying on his knees -- not asking for power and position -- but asking for wisdom, knowledge and the humility to do the Lord's will, not his own. If you want real respect, follow James' example.
Questions to Ponder:
Are you respect-worthy? How much time each day do you spend in prayer? What do you pray for? Is it for the Lord to take the desire to sin away from you (righteousness or right living)?
Wisdom comes from the ability to look past the surface and the superficial into the heart of a problem. When was the last time you prayed for wisdom? Just means to be fair. That would be an awesome trait to possess; to be known as someone who will make a fair or just decision. So how do we become known for such characteristics? We become known for something because we do it repeatedly; over and over again in our workplaces, our marriages, and our homes.
A big problem in our society is we want respect without being respectful; we want to be thought of as wise but we don't want to be a student first; and we want to be thought just when our position is always every man for himself. Take a long hard look at yourself: What will it take to make you worthy of respect? Start with the example of James -- on your knees.
Wisdom comes from the ability to look past the surface and the superficial into the heart of a problem. When was the last time you prayed for wisdom? Just means to be fair. That would be an awesome trait to possess; to be known as someone who will make a fair or just decision. So how do we become known for such characteristics? We become known for something because we do it repeatedly; over and over again in our workplaces, our marriages, and our homes.
A big problem in our society is we want respect without being respectful; we want to be thought of as wise but we don't want to be a student first; and we want to be thought just when our position is always every man for himself. Take a long hard look at yourself: What will it take to make you worthy of respect? Start with the example of James -- on your knees.
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