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. (James 1:21)
Expanded Passage: James 1:21
When you’re running a long race, you need certain equipment. Everything you carry needs to have a purpose. Otherwise, you’ll be bogged down by all kinds of things that aren’t helpful. James had a similar idea in mind when he wrote to “get rid of all moral filth.”
If we asked a runner what is needed to run well, I am sure they would have a practical response. They might mention having the right clothing, the right shoes, and the right fuel (food and water). We would not find it easy to run with a backpack, snow boots, or a stomach full of soda and candy.
I imagine this is what God is inviting us to do. He wants us to “run well” and not struggle. So he gives these instructions: “Get rid of all moral filth and evil”—those things that are holding us back from being the person God has called us to be. For us to be able to identify the moral filth and evil that exists in our life, we need to make space for the Holy Spirit to work and speak.
After listening to the Holy Spirit’s prompting, we are invited to listen to the Word and accept it. We accept it by the way we live our lives without things that bog us down, and with the right equipment to keep us sustainably obedient.
Consider what needs to change for you to run well.
Sarah Linder is a lay minister for congregational care at College Wesleyan Church (IN) and a stay-at-home mom of three boys.
© 2024 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission. Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.
