James reminds me of a New Testament Proverbs. There is so much good stuff there within it. Today, we see such good advice about lament and pain; we also are told to resist the devil, and he will flee. We are not bound up in our sins. But the main thing that we talk about is this. What does it mean to say we should not be friends with the world? Yet, at the same time, we are called to be holy. How do we stand against the world while we still love the people who make up the world?

Shameless plug: here’s a link to Method(ist) to the Madness, our new, hopefully entertaining podcast about church history.

Join us for our daily reflections with Andy. In 10 short minutes, he’ll dig a little deeper into Scripture and help you better understand God’s Word.

If you’d like to receive this daily reflection on your phone, text @39110 to 81010 to sign up.

Click on the image above or this link to watch today’s video.

You can read today’s passage here.

You can podcast this reflection here. You can subscribe through Spotify or Apple Podcasts as well.

Or, if you’d like to read the transcript of the video, keep reading!

Good morning! It’s great to be with you on this Thursday as we continue our journey through James. I love the book of James—it feels like the New Testament version of Proverbs, full of practical wisdom for everyday life. Today, we’re diving into James chapter 4, verses 1 through 10.

There’s so much here to unpack, but today I want to focus on one key idea: friendship with the world and what that means for us as Christians. James challenges us to examine our motivations and desires, reminding us that holiness requires setting ourselves apart from the world.

At St. Matthew’s, we’ve been studying temptation during Lent, reflecting on how Jesus resisted each one in Matthew 4. The key takeaway is that we are not powerless against temptation. James tells us to resist the devil, and he will flee from you. We are not defined by our failures or trapped by our sins. We have the power of the Holy Spirit and the image of God within us, equipping us to live boldly and faithfully.

James also emphasizes the importance of lamentation and humility. It’s okay to grieve, mourn, and acknowledge the darkness within us. There’s a place for lament in our faith journey, and acknowledging our brokenness allows God to heal us.

James warns us about friendship with the world because it pulls us away from God’s holiness. Yet, we must remember that the world we’re called to stand against is made up of people for whom Christ died. We cannot confuse standing against worldly values with hating those who hold them. Our fight is not against people but against the forces that lead us away from God.

The church must navigate this tension carefully. While we stand against evil, anger, and divisiveness, we must also love people where they are. Jesus modeled this perfectly—Pharisees and tax collectors, religious leaders and sinners alike were drawn to Him because they knew He loved them.

How can people believe in a God they cannot see if they think the church they can see hates them? We’re called to be holy and set apart, but that holiness should be marked by love and grace. Let’s point people to Jesus, not by compromising our values, but by demonstrating His love in everything we do.

Thanks for joining me today! Tomorrow, we’ll pick up with James chapter 4, verse 11. Have a blessed day!