Wisdom for Struggling People

Introduction

Mother’s Day perfume - Someone told Staci it smelled like bug spray. For several years Staci walked around smelling like bug spray and we didn’t even know it! Oblivious!

Life is hard - trials and struggles - and you are completely oblivious that God has given you everything you need to live a blessed, joyous, and full life even in the midst of the struggles. How do I know you are oblivious? You don’t listen to Him or do what He says.

Hmmm....

For a couple of weeks - James has helped us to understand the trials of life. God intends for trials to grow us not to destroy us. Count it joy, but BEWARE, in every trial, a temptation to turn from God. (First century audience - trials were very real.)

Instead of giving into temptation, how do you find blessing, joy, and fullness of life even when life is hard? Wisdom for struggling Christians - Two ways to find joy and blessing when life is really hard. Simple, common sense instruction, but hard to live out.

Stop talking and start listening.

Sounds like James is simply giving basic, good advice. You don’t have to be a Christian for this to work for you. Generally speaking, if you listen more than you speak, your life would probably go better because your mouth gets you in lots of trouble.

BUT, this is not merely practical advice for anyone and everyone. This is specific instruction given to struggling believers who are facing trials and temptations.

When life is hard - that’s when you need to listen the most - especially to God. But, when life is hard - you have a tendency to talk a lot more than you need to.

You start to talk to yourself. You analyze your challenges over and over again. You become consumed by your trials - and it’s all you think about.

You start to talk to others. You want everyone to know you’re miserable and hurting. You look for sympathy. We get really selfish in our trials - “I want everyone to know how bad my life is!”

You start to complain. Life isn’t fair. Why is your life so hard when everyone else’s life is so easy?

You get angry. You get angry at God. You get angry at yourself. You get angry at others because they don’t show you enough sympathy, or you get angry at the people who have made your life hard, and you can’t get over it. And before you know it, in your anger, you’ve done things you later regret. You say things that you can’t take back.

Know the path you’re on - when you’re constantly analyzing, talking, complaining, and ultimately let your anger take over, it does not produce the righteousness of God. And, after all, isn’t that what we’re after?

James practical advice - stop talking and start listening! If you stop talking, you’ll stop complaining, and you’ll stop getting angry.

Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent. ()

28  Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent. (Proverbs 17:28)

Start listening. Listen to what?

Listen to the implanted word. (1:18) We have been brought forth (born again) by the word of truth. The Gospel!

when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.

If you are a believer - truth has been implanted in you. ( - the Spirit of truth lives in you.) The only way for you to have truth implanted is to believe Jesus to die in your place and rise again to give you new life. () To give you a new purpose, new desires, a new outlook on life. And, He has placed His Spirit in you to empower you to live according to His will as you trust the living Word (Jesus) and as you read the written word (the Bible).

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), .

Receive with meekness. (The opposite of anger.) Humble yourself - know you need to be quiet and listen. God has placed His Spirit in you - to teach you, to guide you, etc. Are you listening? How do you listen?

1. Remove the sin - Vs. 21 - language = removal of filthy clothes. You simply cannot hear God well when you are continuing to live inconsistently with His Word. Can you really expect to hear from God when you are not even willing to do what He says? You wonder where God is, you wonder why your life is not blessed, content, joy-filled, etc. You can’t and won’t hear God because you refuse to do life God’s way.

2. Remove the distractions - the sin of avoidance (omission - ). You simply don’t give the time to God that you need in order to hear Him, but you freely give your time to time-wasters. (54 minutes a day on FB - younger generation - 9 hours a day connected to a device.) We’ve forgotten how to Be Still and Know He is God. ()

Constant distractions on our anniversary - hard time hearing my wife.

It’s not that you can’t listen to God, it’s that you don’t won’t to listen to God. Look at how much time you give to fostering your relationship to Him - that shows you are not quick to listen.

If you won’t listen - then don’t complain because you’ve yet to exercise faith!

give to fostering your relationship to Him - that shows you are not quick to listen.

This morning, unbeliever, hear the Gospel - God wants to implant truth into your life - truth is His Son - perfect in every way who lived and died for you.

Made a decision to follow Jesus? Quit ignoring what’s been implanted in you. The more you ignore, the more you will struggle to find joy.

Stop sitting and start doing.

James challenges us to listen but to not JUST listen. You listen and do. God has implanted his truth in your heart to change you.

Lifeless Christianity - Came to Jesus to get paid (heaven) but not living in fulness of the Spirit! Missing so much!

https://www.npr.org/2019/04/14/713303712/do-you-love-lying-in-bed-get-paid-by-nasa-to-do-it-for-space-research

Beware of passive Christianity - real easy in the Bible belt - Believing in God and going to church is just a part of life but it is NOT your life.

Beware of passive Christianity - real easy in the Bible belt - Believing in God and going to church is just a part of life but it is NOT your life.

Passive Christians - slip in on Sunday morning because you know it’s the right thing to do - even enjoy coming. You like the music, and you even like the preaching and Bible studies, but you have no intention of actually letting God’s Word change you.

You listen, but you don’t do. This is probably the biggest problem plaguing the American church in the south! Some of us have plenty of Bible knowledge but little Bible obedience. So what if you can win a Bible trivia game if you don’t love your neighbor!

Passive Christians - may not

James: passive Christianity is pointless - it’s like looking in a mirror and seeing flaws and walking away without doing anything. You have a mirror so you can see yourself so you might know you need to fix your hair, apply makeup, pop a zit, etc.

The Word of God is a mirror - it shows us who we are. It shows us our flaws/imperfections, but it also shows us a solution! The Gospel! It shows us that Jesus is the perfect Law - Because of love, He is the One who has done everything for us and now empowers us to live to glorify Him because of what He has done for us.

Liberty in the Law - Liberty in living God’s way. Bondage in living apart from God’s way.

Blessing in obedience (vs. 25). This is not hard! Life is never better without God’s Word. And, you are never worse off because you obeyed God’s Word. You are always blessed when you obey.

James gives examples of how you “do the word.”

Examine your tongue. Do you talk too much? ()

Examine your tongue. Do you talk too much? ()

Examine your heart. Doing the word leads to selfless ministry - widows and orphans - caring for the least in society.

Examine your lifestyle. Putting to death sin

You can’t listen to God’s Word and say, “This is not for me!” Or, “I tried it and it didn’t work.” Or, “I’m not going to do that.” It is for you! Instead of passively listening, how do you actively listen?

How should I think?

What should my attitude be? Possible to obey with a bad attitude vs. obeying because out of a response to God’s love.

What should I do? What behaviors should change? Who should I minister to? etc.?

Example: Widows and orphans, When God calls me to forgive? Or, when God calls me to sexual purity. Etc...

Believer - it’s a simple challenge - do the Word. This morning, repent of not listening. You’ve let anything and everything distract you from hearing God’s voice. You’re struggling - why not shut your mouth and start listening? Why not repent of passive Christianity? In one ear and out the other? Why not do what you know God wants you to do?

Unbeliever - Will you turn to the One who has listened to the voice of His Father and done the Word? When you realize that Jesus has done everything for you, it transforms you into a person who wants to listen and obey. Turn from living your way and give your life to the One who lived, died, and rose again for you.

Life will always be hard - trials will always be present - we will always struggle - But, there’s help in Jesus. He has freely given Himself to you to help you live a life that honors the One who made you. He has freely given His love and acceptance to you, His wisdom to you, and His power to you. Walk in it. Why would you live any other way?

Examine your tongue. Do you talk too much? ()

Examine your heart. Doing the word leads to selfless ministry - widows and orphans - caring for the least in society.

Examine your lifestyle. Putting to death sin.