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Dealing with the Struggles of Life" -
March 4, 2007 - Byron H. Hand
1 JAMES, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.
2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; 3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering.
For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
Charlie Brown builds a beautiful sandcastle, works on it for hours.
Finally he stands back, looks at it.
It’s wonderful.
Just as he’s admiring it, a storm comes up and blows over all of his sandcastle.
Now, he’s standing where his beautiful masterpiece was, on level sand, saying to himself, "I know there’s a lesson in this, but I’m not sure what it is."
Charlie Brown builds a beautiful sandcastle, works on it for hours.
Finally he stands back, looks at it.
It’s wonderful.
Just as he’s admiring it, a storm comes up and blows over all of his sandcastle.
Now, he’s standing where his beautiful masterpiece was, on level sand, saying to himself, "I know there’s a lesson in this, but I’m not sure what it is."
One thing everyone here has in common is that we have had storms come and wipe out our sandcastles.
We have all faced trials and have wrestled through the struggles of life.
Some our struggles are extremely tragic … some, by comparison, are less traumatic.
But they are all real … the Bible refers to these struggles as trials.
Introduction: The term trials used in this verse means a “test,” and it is often translated “temptation” in other contexts.
The trials in this case are the tests of faith that come from low-grade persecution from outside the church and from conflict within it.
These Trials include struggles; adversity; affliction; sorrow, anything that has a negative effect on our life.
There are different reactions to Struggles: Throw up hands and give up; anger; bitterness; turn to something to ease the pain; hostility.
People deal with these struggles in many different ways.
We ask many questions, mostly “why?”
*****In these verses we can see three Questions in Dealing with Struggles.
The First is…..
I. How should I “Look At” my struggles or Trials?
(1:2)2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
The Holy Bible: King James Version.
(2009).
(Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., ).
Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
A. Three Things we see about trials – They are inevitable – “Whenever” not if - Scott Peck's book “The Road Less Traveled” ... the first sentence is "Life is difficult."
It is.
It is inevitable that you will have problems in life.
1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
The Holy Bible: King James Version.
(2009).
(Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version., ).
Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
B. They are unpredictable – “Face trials” – Face = Literally to fall into unexpectedly – Trials are not planned.
We seldom can anticipate the problems we're going to experience in life.
That's probably good because if we could anticipate them we'd run the other way and we wouldn't get the benefit from them.
We don't plan to have a flat tire, or a crisis.
They are unplanned and unpredictable -- when we least expect them.
That's what makes a problem a problem.
Often it's inconvenient when you fall into it suddenly.
C.
They are not all the same – “Many kinds” – Idea of multi-colored trials – They come in all shapes and sizes.
Some are minor inconveniences.
Some are major crises.
We have all kinds and shapes of problems.
They come in more than 31 flavors.
Some problems are custom made and you know it.
Some are minor inconveniences.
Some are major crises.
We have all kinds and shapes of problems.
They come in more than 31 flavors.
Some problems are custom made and you know it.
There is a saying: "Into every life some rain must fall, but this is ridiculous."
Lots of varieties of problems in our life.
Message: Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides.
Net Bible: My brothers and sisters, consider it nothing but joy when you fall into all sorts of trials,
True joy does not come cheaply or as a fleeting, superficial emotion.
Real joy is produced by much deeper factors than the circumstances that produce superficial happiness.
When we are struggling through the bad things of life, let us not forget that genuine joy resides in the confidence that our life is hidden with Christ in God.
In God’s providence, that joy and assurance can be most strong during a trial.
"Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials ..." v. 1. Don't misunderstand what he's saying.
We are to thank God and be joyful because of His presence in our life during these things.
He's not saying "Fake it.
Put on a plastic smile, pretend, be something you are not" God never asks you to deny reality.
He doesn't mean some kind of psychological pump-up based on nothing.
He's also not talking about masochism.
"Good!
I get to suffer!
I just love to suffer!
I feel so spiritual when I feel bad!"
He's not having a martyr complex.
We don't rejoice for the problem, we rejoice in the problem.
We don't thank God for the situation.
Why would I thank God for evil?
But I thank God in the situation.
The key word is count.
It is a financial term, and it means “to evaluate.”
Paul used it several times in .
When Paul became a Christian, he evaluated his life and set new goals and priorities.
Things that were once important to him became “garbage” in the light of his experience with Christ.
When we face the trials of life, we must evaluate them in the light of what God is doing for us.
This explains why the dedicated Christian can have joy in the midst of trials: he lives for the things that matter most.
D. We are to evaluate our trials on the basis of eternal realities.
1.
That God is in control –Joseph speaking to his brothers after they knew who he was.
Genesis 50:20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.
2. Trials are known about by and allowed by God.
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