April 17, 2026:

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith  produces perseverance.  [Therefore,] let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

(James 1.2-3)

TODAY’S REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

The world today defines “lacking for nothing” in a much different way. Maybe the world has always defined “lacking for nothing” in a different way. Different that what? Different that what God intends for it to mean. The modern obsession, in and out of the realm of the Church, is some form of a “prosperity” gospel. Whether offered by God or accumulated by human effort, “lacking for nothing” is dangerously interpreted as wealth, power and control. The problem is that with such thinking: you never have enough money; you never have enough power; and you often lose control by trying to control others and the environment in which you and they are found in. As James speaks of “lacking for nothing,” he associates it with maturity. Financial pundits talk of maturity in funds when the bond or stock gains its full value. In life, maturity is often limited by the definition of age. Yes, we should gain knowledge and wisdom by the volume of experiences we gain. But, is our goal to be known at the end of life to be filled up with knowledge and wisdom, having achieved our goals and thus have nothing left to accomplish? Do we really want to belief that when it is said of us as we stand before the Judgment Seat, “Well done, my good and faithful servant” that Jesus is looking at our portfolio of investments to see the bottomline of how much we have made for ourselves? When did making the most for ourselves become the spiritual benchmark of life success? Are we not supposed to deny ourselves and lay all these things down so that we can take up the cross (the decision to live sacrificially and give ourselves the best opportunities to walk by faith and not by sight) to follow the example of Jesus from earth to Heaven? When James speaks of “maturity” and “lacks for nothing” in the same breath, he is telling us there is a Kingdom of God definition of both. I am not sure which comes first: maturity or lacking for nothing.

Maturity is when we “trust in God alone and lean not on our own understanding so that in all our ways, we acknowledge Him as God of all without whom we would be dust.”

Lacking for nothing is when we “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness knowing that in doing so know that He will provide all that is needed for our daily walk with Him.”

Neither of these discounts the efforts we are to put in to “steward and shepherd” creation. It is our second best calling. It is the duty we are given and by which we were designed from the moment God said, “Let us make humankind, male and female, in our image.” It is, of course, the very first definition of our identity of purpose which was given to us. Okay, it was given to Adam and Eve and thus intended to be their legacy and ours. Yet, “works” is not how we gain our righteousness, our salvation or true happiness. We are supposed to do good works and do them for the same of others that they might know of the goodness of God in and for their lives. We are sustained by our “daily bread” for which we pray in confidence knowing that He gives it and that we are glad to receive it without seeking “more” as if God never gives us enough or we just haven’t found the “enough” we think God is supposed to give.

So, if “works” is our best second calling, then what is our first best calling? Quite simply, it is to be “the image of God and the crowning glory of His creative effort to demonstrate what love can do.” The Apostle Paul said, “If I had all powers, abilities and riches but I did not have love, then I am as good as nothing.” (1 Corinthians 13) It is no accident that he would later say in that chapter “When I was a child, I spoke like a child and acted like a child and remained a child. But childhood and childishness have to be put away for adulthood and becoming mature so that when I became a man (accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and committed myself to follow Him all the days of my life) then I found myself speaking as a man (of faith), thinking as a man (with wisdom from God) and acting as a man (sharing mercy and grace and compassion). I put away childish things and put on maturity.” He never forsook that childlikeness which still sees the wonder of God and is amazed everyday at what God has done, is doing and will keep on doing to show His loving and creative power for His glory and our good. He never put away the need to make provision by working (he was a tentmaker). He did put himself and his life in priority order: faith, hope and love…. and the greatest of these is love. How will we know that through it all, all that we live out in this world and live through in this world for better or worse, that we have been made full and mature? It is when we love as God has loved us, loving others so they know the God in them is the God in us and when the two become as one…. there is life eternal and abundant. Mighty ones of God, that is a life worth living and striving for and accepting the struggles in this world may simply be because we haven’t decided yet to follow Him fully keeping a little of life for ourselves.

TODAY’S PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING:

Father, in these days we are finding the need to believe even more than ever before. We all have known trouble, some in greater ways than others, but You are offering us the assurance that we will not be consumed by it forever. Regardless of the “time” we are in and the “time” we have been given, we ask for Your Holy Spirit which Jesus asked You to share with us, to lead and guide and direct us in the paths we should go. Teach us what we still need to learn. Empower us to put that learning into action. Bless our actions not as a works righteousness but as righteous works of faith, hope and love in Jesus’ name. AMEN.