James is a very practical book. This is not to say that the other books of the NT are not practical. It's just that James deals with a wide variety of topics in a very simply and straightforward way, and his instruction is concerned primarily with very practical issues. All of us can relate to the topics that he discusses. We all face trials and need to know the positive effect of the trials that God allows in our lives (1:1-8). All of us need to know the nature of sin and temptation in order to know how to fight against it (1:13-15). There isn't a one of us that doesn't need to be reminded of our responsibility as it relates to the proclamation of the truth of God's Word (1:19-27). It is important for each of us to be warned against the dangers of showing partiality to different types of people (2:1-12). We all need to be reminded that it is not enough simply to "say" that we have faith, but that we must demonstrate that we have that true faith in us by the outworking of that faith into our daily lives (2:14-26). None of us is exempt from James' warning concerning the detrimental effects that our tongues can have in the midst of our interpersonal relationships (3:1-12).
As I said before, James is a very practical book. It deserves our reading of it, our meditation on it and even our memorization of it. It is not long. It is not difficult to understand. It would be extremely helpful in advancing your Christian discipleship. Will you take the challenge? Memorize the book of James!
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