Don't let this pass

About 16 years ago, near the beginning of President Obama’s first term, I want to just stop and let everybody take that in, that Obama became President 16 years ago! It’s been that long, anyway, he popularized the idea of

Don’t waste a hurt.

If something caused pain, do something, change something, change something big to try to fix it. Now regardless of how you feel about politics. A lot has happened since 2009 but in your life, how have you changed?

Are you searching for the same things today that you were searching for 16 years ago? What has been found?

Have you heard someone who had this huge trauma in their life, maybe it’s you, and people come and ask: Did you deal with it? Is it unresolved, unresolved trauma?

I often stop and ask, what does dealing with that horrible thing even look like? Is dealing with just being able to go to a job the next day? Or is it so much more:

Today is the day of the so much more, moving through trauma to something Jesus has for us.

Last week, we read the words from the Bible, thousands of years old, from the book of James, and let it challenge us, because there we are told how to handle the hardships that come our way,

James 1:2–4 CSB

Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.

We came face to face that even when the trials come, they are an opportunity to take God at His word. Even more in the midst of those incredibly hard times, when we have spiritual eyes to see, we will more easily spot what Jesus does. He will be with us in the problem. He will be the solution. He will be with us even on the other side.

Last week, I shared about our brother Kande, who gave his life to follow Jesus, as he was killed by radical Hindus in his homeland of India in 2021, just 4 years ago, and that his widowed wife Bindi said,

she has learned more about God’s faithfulness and purposes since Kande’s death. “God has provided what I need,” she said. “God is teaching me to remain strong so I can make other women strong.”

How did your week go? Did you face any trials. Not surprisingly my trials this week are different than Kande’s, Bindi’s or yours. God doesn’t play the comparison game. The hardship that came against you, is yours, it doesn’t matter if it would make a good plot for a movie or if it would even have people grabbing for popcorn when they gossip.

Your struggle is your opportunity. Its your chance, to know more of God. The week before our great challenge was McNair distance learning. My wife and boys got to go back to McNair, as the pluming at McNair was fixed, but this week had challenges because if it’s not one thing, it’s another, and

God is in the another!

New challenges of how to handle people, how to help people, how to see people move closer to God. Perhaps this week was the greatest trial of your life or perhaps it was the greatest week of your life. While its wonderful when great kind, things happen to you because we love when you feel happy, I also want to celebrate as we stated last week, that those various trials, those various hard times, could be a source of joy, because it could have produced something great, the endurance that comes from the testing of our faith. Let me give you an example,

How many of you know that

God goes before us

That’s the endurance I received this week. I learned more of God.

If the testing of our faith produces endurance, it is because as we walk in Jesus we begin to realize that God was way out before us, before we even got there.

This week I was set to have a verbal confrontation with someone over the mistreatment of special needs students. I was ready to fight with my words. I had been practicing, fixing my points. I was praying with God to be respectful but unrelenting and then I walked into a meeting. There at that meeting was not the person I expected, a person, I barely knew, the high ranking official, the one I was ready to argue with, but a deeply respected friend.

I still had to hold my ground but it was a lot easier being respectful with a friend than it was with someone I didn’t know. God is arranging what we can’t possibly control.

That’s my story one of conflict and it isn’t done. I know God will be in the next stage and the next, but some of you might not clearly see God right now. Yours isn’t like mine. But

God doesn’t rank problems, he gives opportunity to know Him.

I have had bad things happen and everything I did was wrong. Have you? Where it seems like the only thing you learned is what not to do. You can’t say you grew because one of your greatest fears is to go back to time just like what you went through, in fact, it could be said that you live your life so that you will never end up in that position again. In a state of constant trauma and fear.

I’ve had a knife stuck to my throat because of an open door. A person snuck in while I was watching tv, in my own house, put their hand over my mouth, and a knife to my throat. Then robbed my house.

For years I was fine and then I became obsessive about locks. I drove back and forth to a business I worked at multiple times because I couldn’t remember if I locked all the doors.

God doesn’t want us to live in fear. God wants to give us something for our life today. A way to to walk in the strength that knowing that this world is about more than money, stuff, power, even more than about who likes us and who doesn’t. We were created with a purpose. we were created for God.

Ephesians 4:30 NLT

And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption.

You matter to God, because even before you turned away form evil, God loved you enough to die for you.

Romans 5:8 NLT

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

Jesus loves you and that means that even in the worst of circumstances there is joy, love and truth to be found. Because God is also there.

God told me when my mom got sick, very clearly, before I even knew all that would happen, I got a text,

come straight home, we need to talk.

God said to me, “Everything changes now.” My life was pretty good. My parents are awesome. My kids are wonderful. My job is steady, income is fine. At the time my dog was very old, and there was difficulties in life, but overall my life has been very blessed.

I hope that is true in your life today but what that is, is just a circumstance. It is a stage of life. Yet God is not tied to our circumstances. Change comes. God is not God only when the sun is shining, it’s 80 degrees with a light breeze, our car has a full tank of gas and our bank account is full of digits.

God said to me, “Everything changes now.”

When God told me, I didn’t know what to feel. I was aware God would be with me. Because God is with us beyond the circumstances. God is with us when everything changes. One Christian wrote this,

Philippians 4:11–13 NLT

Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to be content with whatever I have. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

Do you recognize the power in these verses. This is truth, a life impacted by God, with the Holy Spirit, can learn what it means to be content in all circumstances. But it doesn’t come by surviving bad circumstances or from no trauma. It comes from a spiritual truth that is revealed after the verses I talked about last week. Last week, we read and heard to consider it great joy when we experience trials but now, we get to see what we need during those trials, that endurance will be created but now we get what that endurance really needs:

James 1:5–8 NLT

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.

There can be a lot of confusion about what these verses look like in our everyday life. Because remember, when the Bible describes life, and we are like that is not how my life is, than what needs to change is us, not the bible.

This part of the Bible talks about waves and not receiving from God. Two very scary things. If you notice the background for today on the screen is the ocean. Yet, God has a really awesome truth about Himself in this and yes it can be easily missed.

So, I was studying for what I’m sharing today and I came across a great old statement, that reveals the kind of faith we are supposed to have, the kind of faith that these verses are talking about

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Two: Turning Trials into Triumphs (James 1:2–12)

a gifted secretary, (of a writer I read) was going through great trials. She had had a stroke, her husband had gone blind, and then he had to be taken to the hospital where (we were sure) he would die. I (The writer) saw her in church one Sunday and assured her that I (he) was praying for her.

“What are you asking God to do?” she asked, and her question startled me.

“I’m asking God to help you and strengthen you,” I replied.

“I appreciate that,” she said, “but pray about one more thing.

The Bible Exposition Commentary (Chapter Two: Turning Trials into Triumphs (James 1:2–12)) “Pray that I’ll have the wisdom not to waste all of this!”

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Two: Turning Trials into Triumphs (James 1:2–12)

She knew the meaning of

You see if we are not just about this life, but about seeking after what God has for us then whether every one loves or hates us, God has a truth for us. He will let us know Him, when we seek Him.

Jesus told us to

Matthew 6:33 NLT

Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

Seek God, above all else. When can you not seek God? What circumstance makes it impossible to seek God? I don’t know of one. But I have experienced the opposite of the wisdom that comes from God.

I want you to hear a nerdy word today, counterpose.

It’s definition

“To set something against another thing, often for contrast or comparison.”

Here are the ideas:

Option 1. Seeking God in whatever circumstance you encounter to receive wisdom for the sake of knowing God. Option 2. Seeking whatever will remove negative feelings or thoughts from my life.

That is the real contrast here, It’s about what is this life about for you.

It’s why my friend could say that the gym was his church. Took me forever to figure out what He was talking about. He broke up with His long time girlfriend. Very depressed and then he began working out, every day for hours. And he felt better. The gym was his church, He said.

Do you see what he believes church is for: To feel better to get back to an ok feeling.

It’s why Karl Marx called religion the opiate of the masses. The drug to make them feel better.

That isn’t what this is. Some of you know that. You know that this is a relationship with a living, amazing, incredibly, Holy, loving God.

I grew up completely opposite but still not understanding the amazingness of God and I really missed out on what these verses are about. I went the completely other way, You see when I read

James 1:5–8 CSB

Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord, being double-minded and unstable in all his ways.

I got stuck on not doubting. I would say a prayer and as I’m saying the prayer, I would be all, at the same time in my mind, “don’t doubt that, don’t have any doubt, if I have any doubt than its a “no.”

Why did I think that way? Why would I think that God is like my mom determining whether I can play video games based on whether I did all my chores. All the dishes are not done, therefore the answer is no. I would think, you prayed that prayer and there was a second of doubt so the answer for your need for a healing is no! No blessings for you! God the gotcha man.

I seriously thought, and maybe you still do, that God is so spiteful, he is listening to our prayer, with a little yes or no button and then the second he feels any bit of doubt,

NOOOOOOOO!!!

Who cares that your friend has cancer, you doubted whether God could do it.

Yes I know, God died for our sins, Rose again, offers us forgiveness and deliverance but I seriously lived like he can’t handle the way our minds go back and forth.

I really, really thought that way. I repent.

But that isn’t the real truth, that isn’t a Jesus who when his followers showed a lack of faith, still allowed them to keep on following him. Remember when Jesus walked on water, and Peter had low faith and asked to come to Jesus too, Jesus invited him out to walk on water even though Peter showed a lack of faith and but then when Peter began to doubt again and sink, Jesus didn’t let him keep sinking. Jesus did say why did you doubt, but Jesus put out his hand, picked Peter up and put him back in the boat.

God is our redeemer. He is our Savior. He is not our accuser.

Do not, in your prayer life, sit there and spend your time trying to say the perfect prayer so that God doesn’t go “gotcha, you suck.” God already knows you need Him. Pray for wisdom, don’t waste this.

Let’s go back to the scripture

James 1:3–5 NLT

For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.

The need for wisdom is tied to the test or as some translations say it, the trial. When people go through trials, tough times, some will see the trial as the problem. Like God can not be found if you lose your job, God’s blessings are only when you are happy. God’s job is to keep you happy.

Remember the two ideas:

Option 1. Seeking God in whatever circumstance you encounter to receive wisdom for the sake of knowing God. Option 2. Seeking whatever will remove negative feelings or thoughts from my life.

This are two opposed ideas. That’s why many people will trust God with those who died and their own eternity but they won’t trust God with their sex life, their financial life, their relationships with co-workers or enemies. They won’t follow Jesus with their life. They use God for Option 2. They live life by option 2. James is telling us we must live by Option 1.

How do I know what option people live by? Simple, do they do what God says.

We are most likely to abandon God and go after other solutions when those trials come our way. Loneliness, financial problems, someone hurting us to our core in our relationships. Or when we are afraid. Afraid of things changing in our health, wealth or society. What will we accept to feel better.

Wisdom is different. Wisdom is seeing God in the past and knowing God is in the press and with us in the future.

This week, there was a moment when I was actually wise. I was called out to go across the large yard because a co-worker was in trouble with a student. The special needs student was getting aggressive with an adult who was trying to keep the student from getting to a chained opening to a fence.

If the student with some work, could get through the opening in the fence. I have wisdom. I know stuff. I said through the walkie to my coworker, as I walked there, back off, get away from the student. The co-worker confused began to move away slowly. I told them to keep backing away.

Then I shouted at the student to go the other way. The student stopped fighting and slowly began walking the other way. I slowed and even though all students had already gone in, I told the student to go line up like the student would normally do at the end of recess even though no one was there. Because I had wisdom.

You see some autistic people really appreciate doing the thing the same way every time. Even though most of us would say, there is no reason to line up, for the student it gave time for him to calm down. Also with the opening of the fence, I knew that even if the student got through the fence there was nothing dangerous on the other side. Just a bigger fenced in field. My co-worker didn’t know that and was ready to take a beating from the student to prevent them from going.

Wisdom changed everything.

In your own life and your situation you could think you know what to do. You know what makes sense. You “know” yourself, what “makes you happy.” But don’t those statements actually show a huge amount of stupidity? I use such a harsh word, because I want us all to realize we don’t know what God is up to. We don’t know the future. We don’t know what God is doing before us, in places we can’t be. We don’t know what is on the other side of “the fence” in our lives.

Proverbs 16:25 NLT

There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.

Instead we need to seek wisdom and where does wisdom begin?

Proverbs 9:10 NLT

Fear of the Lord is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment.

So when you are asking for the wisdom in your situation, whether you are in plenty or in desperate need, in peace or in war what you are actually asking for is a relationship with God. And God will answer, but if the answer we are looking for is not a relationship with God to seek what God wants to do with us right now, how God wants to show us more of Himself but instead we seek what would change how we feel, what will change what we can get. Then we are just like the waves of the sea. We will be after God for a second of feeling and then it withdraws until the next crisis.

Because yes, God will change your situation but there is another problem coming, if its not one thing, it’s another. That’s life. But in that next situation will you have the wisdom that God is with you, God has purpose in this, God will provide, or do you live your life with incredible fear. Seeking above all that that somehow you will stop all negatives from coming, all anxiety from entering your life, all conflict from occurring. Sorry, not going to happen, so please don’t come back on God and say, I knew God wasn’t real.

Jesus is the savior of the world. The one who loves you, and calls you to a higher purpose. Provides, teaches, and gives purpose.

His way is right.

And in His way there is no need to fear anything except not doing what He is calling you to do.

James 1:3–8 NLT

For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.