As Jesus calls us to follow him and his Kingdom, we see there are clear rhythms and practices his disciples live out. These are not how one becomes a disciple or how a disciple proves belonging to the Kingdom, but rather an outpouring of being with and like Jesus.
We use the acronym B.L.E.S.S. (Bless, Listen, Eat, Speak, Sabbath) to encourage one another to engage in the rhythms and practices of Kingdom living. This first week we examined how we have been blessed to be a blessing to others.
After James addresses the wealthy and powerful, he turns his attention to the poor and powerless. What is his call to the poor and oppressed? To be patient. This is a message for all of us; no matter how much money you have in your bank account, we have all experienced areas of need or brokenness. How do we patiently endure those times? What is it we are patiently enduring for?
We live in a world of economic injustice. It seems as if the 'rich get richer and the poor get poorer.' The love of money is the downfall of many in our culture, and James is quite aware of this. Money has the potential to cause us to ignore God and to become indifferent to the needs of the least, lost and left-out. The question the Christian community must wrestle with is this: has our wealth blinded us to the things of God? The wealth we are given is to be shared with those in need. As we live in this way, we reflect the kingdom of God that exalts the poor and humble.
