James 1:20

NIV: 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

The Message:

So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage. In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life.

Take a look around at the country you live in and the people in it. See how the government behaves, how the officials and ministers conduct themselves both in public and in private. See who is making the headlines in the newspapers and the reasons they are being written about. Look how people behave when they go for a night out and the things they get up to.

I look around here in the UK, and see MP's still fiddling their expenses and claiming they have done nothing wrong, bankers who helped bring about the recession now paying themselves huge bonuses with taxpayers money, youngsters going for a night out with the sole aim of getting drunk and my heart breaks at what is going on around me. I was checking my bank balance the other day online and noticed a large purchase from Amazon had not gone through although the goods had been delivered two days earlier. When I queried this with the bank (to see if the payment was pending), the girl told me to just keep the money and not tell Amazon!

It is a case of everyman for himself and it doesn't matter who gets hurt in the process, or whether what you are doing is right or wrong. Just look out for yourself and ignore the cost to others.

When I was at school, we had philosophy lessons with Mr McEchran and as part of that, he would draw three circles (like a bull ring) on a chair and we would each take turns in standing on the chair and reciting poetry. One of the many verses he had us recite was this one, from John Donne (Meditation XVII):

No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main...….any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee.

I am continually reminded of these words when I look around. People follow the examples of others, so if it is usual to spend your time getting drunk and sleeping around, then you are more likely to do the same. If MP's fiddle their expenses, or claim more than they are entitled to, then this sets an example for the rest of the country, because of the leaders of the country are on the fiddle, then why shouldn't everyone else do likewise?

The state of the country today is a reflection of our morals, of the beliefs of everyone. It is easy to sit here and criticise everyone else for what is happening around us, but we each play our own part too. We are not superior to others because we don't fiddle our expenses, we don't sleep around, or get drunk or whatever it may be. But let’s face it, each one of us is a sinner, and each one of us does things that are wrong probably every single day.

James here is telling us to get rid of everything that is bad in our lives, to throw out the rubbish and live our lives as God would have us live them. Get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is prevalent. Don't behave like others, don't cheat the taxman, falsify your expenses, steal from others, take drugs, sleep around, get drunk, hurt others and so on. Like Peter says in 1 Peter 2:1-3:

So clean house! Make a clean sweep of malice and pretence, envy and hurtful talk. You've had a taste of God. Now, like infants at the breast, drink deep of God's pure kindness. Then you'll grow up mature and whole in God (The Message)

We need to turn to Christ, to let God's word fill our lives so we naturally do what God would have us do, not follow the examples of our neighbours, family, friends and colleagues. Just imagine what this country would be like if we did as Peter instructed, swept away all the bad stuff in our lives and tried to live our lives for God instead of our own pleasure, putting others first instead of ourselves, honouring our parents, obeying the ten commandments? What if there was a sweep of the Holy Spirit across this nation and whole villages, towns and counties turned back to God? Wouldn't that be amazing?

It is all a case of each individual getting their heart right with God. Then everything else will follow naturally. Yes, we will still mess up, but at least if our hearts are right with God, He can work on us, changing us to be more like Jesus. So throw all spoiled virtue and cancerous evil in the garbage. In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life.