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This sample devotion is from my new series, Wisdom for Writers: Devotions from the Book of James.

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Key Scripture:

“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.
To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion:
Greetings.”
James 1:1

How would you start a letter to someone you barely knew?

What’s the first thing you’d say about yourself?

If it were me, I might start with something like:

Dear Reader,

My name is Bethany, Jared’s wife. I am a writer who lives in the part of Arkansas that’s as thick as honey in summer and where cows roam peoples’ front yards.

We usually begin with our name, quickly followed by what we do or who we are affiliated with.

James, the half-brother of Christ Jesus, was a writer too. More than that, he was a leading shepherd of the church in Jerusalem (Acts 15 & 21).

But when he wrote his letter to scattered Jewish believers, he didn’t identify himself the way we might expect.

“James, the brother of our Lord Jesus Christ. We grew up together.”

“James, an elder of the church in Jerusalem. The Apostle Paul and I worked together.”

No, his greeting is small in its humility:

“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.”

James understood that the most important thing about him was not his family, his ministry, or anything he did for God. It was Whom he served—the Master who called him, saved him, and set him apart for a good, glorious work (Eph. 2:10).

It turns out that this work wasn’t about James at all.

How do you think about yourself, foremostly? As a writer? A student? A storyteller? A creative?

Remember, long before you could write a word, you were a sinner who needed grace to even stand. Anything you create is because of the God Who created you.

Anything you create is because of the God Who created you.

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This is good news for the writer who doesn’t like their first draft; who feels like everyone else is better than them; who wonders if their family and friends think less of them because they want to be a “writer”, not a physical therapist or an English teacher.

Dear writer, James’s introduction should put the wind in your sails.

When your Father looks at you, He does not see your writing (including how good or bad you think it is). He sees the Son Whom you write for.

You are a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.

What a title!

What an honor.

You’re a writer because of Him.

Further Reading: Romans 1:1, Ephesians 2:1-10

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