“James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.” James 1:1
Our pastors recently walked us through the book of James. What a blessing we received from their teaching and encouragement. We at Lincoln are so blessed to have them teaching and challenging us with the Word of God.
I decided to go back and do a personal study of James and discovered that Martin Luther thought this Book of James was an “epistle of straw”. He wrote, “James is a very dangerous and bad book… I feel like throwing Jimmy into the stove.” Wow! I guess he really didn’t like the book. Yet, as God would have it, later in life by the power of the Holy Spirit and godly friends, he had a change of heart. Luther wrote, “I think highly of James (now) and regard it as valuable.” What a blessing when God changes our heart. I wonder what the Holy Spirit is changing and rearranging in me or you? Trust He is.
Then I got to thinking, why didn’t James introduce himself by writing, “Hello, I, James am the little brother of Jesus,” because that is truthfully who he was. But, there was no name dropping here. No need to inflate himself. His purpose was to serve God and Christ and the scattered people of God.
I wondered why I name drop? Am I insecure and need to feel more important? Am I a narcissist who has an over-inflated sense of myself? Do I name drop so I can feel socially superior? Not sure or maybe yes to all of these and other reasons as well.
But James the brother of Jesus and author of the Book of James simply and clearly reminded himself and all the readers that he was a servant of the Lord. What an important lesson! The next time and beyond when I go to drop a name for whatever reason, may the Holy Spirit remind me first that who I am is a servant of Jesus Christ. May it be true for us also.
God bless you.