Clean Up!

James 1:21

“Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.”

I love the book of James! He’s so practical in his writing isn’t he? His book is full of suggestions that we can apply to our everyday living, in order to live abundantly, in step and in tune with God.

James is confident, that God has planted His word and His truth within our hearts, yet so often we avoid it and maybe even run from it. We choose selective hearing, choosing only what we want to hear, only those things that will satisfy our own cravings, pleasures and desires. When we compromise in our living this is the way we choose to live? It’s not that we don’t know what’s right. We do! We have a conscience that even gives us an alert, yet we ignore it! We know what’s right. We know what we should do, but we don’t do it, instead, we react against it and find ourselves dabbling with temptation. We do the wrong thing just because it looks enticing. It’s interesting in Verse 19 and 20 James speaks out on listening, speaking and anger and connects these things to this verse with a therefore. Read verse 19 and 20 to see how he applies it. By nature we are a rebellious and angry people defiled in sin. Only God’s Words can break through hardness to soften a heart and save us from ruin. We must put off the filthy, decaying rags that we wear, listen to His healing words within our hearts and follow in obedience.