James 4:11-17
Imagine the scene:
A Minature Golf Course, 1998, a place where high schoolers go to work after a long day for school. Here we have two such high schoolers engaging in a conversation about a fellow employee...
(names and events have been changed to protect the guilty)
Vick: Another day, another dollar.
Christalena: Yeah, I can't stand this place. But at least I get to work with you.
Vick: Oh Yeah! There are some people I can't stand to work with here.
Christalena: I had to work with Bryan yesterday. What a day! All he ever does is stand around and talk about other people and how bad they are at their job!
Vick: I know! he enver helps any customers unless he is told to by Harry.
Christalena: Yeah, and Harry the Bossman thinks Bryan is the greatest employee he's ever had. he didn't even get mad when Bryan yelled at the owner.
Customer: Excuse me. I'd like to get some game tokens please.
Vick: (Ignoring the customer) You can always be sure that Bryan will stand at the least busiest counter so he has to help the least number of people.
Christalena: I know! I probably helped, like, 200 people yesterday, and he maybe helped 10. And even then he didn't get to them very quickly. They had to wait FOREVER!
Customer: (Becoming irritated and knocking on the counter) Excuse me. Can I get some help over here?
Vick: He Christalena. Do you think we could get Bryan fired?
Christalena: Maybe. I was thinking about complaining to Harry about him, but the Bossman likes him so much!
Customer: He people! I don't have all day!
Vick: Can't you see we're having a conversation here! Everybody always thinks they deserve immediate service!
Harry: Vick. Christalena. What are you guys doing? There is a customer over there and ya'll are just standing here talking! If you don't get to work, you're time here is going to be ver short! Don't assume you'll have this job as long as you want it!
Christalena: But Harry, Bryan does this all the time. He never helps customers! you never get mad at him!
Harry: You don't worry about Bryan. Let me take care of him. You just do your job. You'ren not the boss here, I am! Now GET TO WORK!
Do you see the irony in this scene? Here are two employees judging and speaking against a fellow employee for actions that they are presently commiting themselves. The boss comes in and reminds them of their present responsibility, which they know they are supposed to be doing, and reminds them that he is the only one who has the authority over the employees. He also warns them that their time could be very short at that job, so they should get to it or they may lose the only job they have.
In James 4:11-17 we see a similar picture played out in relation to the Christian life. Christians are often so busy pointing out other people's issues, and trying to play judge, that they forget about their own daily responsibilities for the Kingdom of God. We also often plan, in our arrogance, our life ahead as if we had a gaurantee that we would live to that point.
James reminds us that God is the only judge and lawgiver and that he has the power to save or destroy us. In light of eternity our life is very short, like a mist rising from a boiling pot of water, or hanging around after a shower.
We do have a responsibility to point out sin to fellow Christians, but not in a condemning way of passing judgement. The purpose is to encourage each other to get off the fence and move deeper into our relationship with Christ, trusting His plans for our life and not our own plans.
James closes out this discussion with one, very clear truth.
v17-"To you who knows what you are supposed to do, and yet do not do it, to you it is sin."
We know the life we are supposed to live. We know what parts of our life are straddling the fence between surrender to God and friendship to the world. We must surrender those areas of sin in our life to God for any hope of joy, peace, and direction in life.
Remember, if we submit to God, then we can resist the Devil and he will flee from us.
Selected Truths from James 4:11-17
Truth 1: Only God can judge a man's character. (v 11-12)
Truth 2: God is able to save or destroy you. (v 12)
Truth 3: We don't know what our life will be like tomorrow. (v 13-14)
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