True Religion

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

James 1: 27

As a Christian, I often get caught up in what makes me a true follower of Jesus. Have I prayed enough today? Uh-oh, I missed church for the past two Sundays. Have I been tithing 10%? Does the money I give to Christian organizations factor into that 10%? Do I need to supplement my Scripture reading with Christian devotional books?

While there is certainly nothing wrong with these practices (in fact, spiritual disciples are absolutely necessary to growing our faith), James gives us a simple yet powerful picture of what God sees as a pleasing, Christ-centered walk: taking care of orphans and widows while maintaining a pure heart and mind.

These stipulations are so simple yet at times so difficult. I've had plenty of compassion for orphans and widows, but am I actually doing anything about that gut-wrenching sympathy? The idea of a pure mind is nice, but hey, I like my hip-hop music with its occasional cussing. Am I willing to take serious steps to change both the inward (heart and mind) and outward (caring for orphans and widows) realities of my life to honor Christ?