I was struck recently by a lesser known phrase in the book of James. It was one of those coveted strikes that opened a new vein of “Wow!” realizations. It went something like this.
Read
This verse dovetails nicely with one from Jude (notice the same thing: what God does).
Jude 1:24 (NIV) :“To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy …”
And that one goes well with Ephesians 1:7-8 (NIV) : “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.”
Think About It
God always says yes to a request for wisdom. Lavishly. Generously. But James tacks on yet another level of generous giving: without finding fault.
In the Greek, the phrase “without finding fault” was strong language. The words “finding fault” conveyed enough reproach to cause blushing. It implied scorn.
And we’ve all been there. The tone of the Jiffy Lube guy when he shows us our caked-up air filter. The smirk of the church bookkeeper when we finally turn in that long-lost receipt.
But imagine being let off the hook, with no upbraiding. That’s how God responds when we ask for wisdom. Even when we’re in the middle of a crisis—and we haven’t been in touch with Him on a regular basis.
Find yourself needing to make a decision but don’t know what to do—and it’s been quite a while since you’ve had your quiet time? It’s OK. Ask God. He’ll give wisdom generously. Without finding fault. You won’t hear Him saying something like, “Well, if you’d been praying all along, you’d know what to do and not have to panic.” That’s not what God does. One more time, for emphasis: He gives wisdom generously, without finding fault.
Apply It
Wisdom isn’t all God gives without finding fault. Grace and mercy fit into the no-fault category, as well. Yet we expect to hear from God the things we’d say if we were in His shoes. This creates an I-keepblowing-it-why-try mindset that becomes the Great Inertia we—and our students— struggle to overcome.
Students tend to avoid the anticipated reproach from God by avoiding contact with Him, leading to long stretches of spiritual lethargy. Meanwhile, generous portions of grace, mercy and wisdom go untapped.
Somewhere along the way it should cross our minds that this no-fault plan sounds too good to be true. It’s that good! This picture of God from James is a gift. It’s a window into some of God’s favorite things to d present us blameless and lavish us with grace.
How can we help our students see this?
Create a talk built around these verses in James, Jude and Ephesians. Use a story about a long-lost receipt and your church’s bookkeeper. I know you have one.
Schedule a “Quiet Time Day of Jubilee” (see
If you’re ever at a restaurant with a student and receive less than stellar service, leave a generous tip. That’s what God does with us every day.
________
A 20-year youth ministry veteran, Barry Shafer is the founder and director of InWord Resources (www.inword.org), a ministry that encourages depth in youth ministry by enabling students and youth workers to become better equipped with God’s Word. Shafer is the author of numerous student devotionals and small-group studies, including James: 12 Inductive Sessions on Practical Christianity (YS).
