How To Profit From Your Problems
Advancing in adversity
James is the most practical book in the New Testament.
It is the "How To" manual for the Christian life.
When you write a letter you normally figure that the guy is going to warm up and ease into his subject.
He's going to have a few opening remarks and then move into the message.
But James drops a bomb in verse 2.
He announces who he is and then in verse 2 he says:
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,- James 1:2NASB95
How would you like to get a letter like that?
"This is a letter from me... yo James, You got problems? Be happy!"
You’re thinking: There's no way I could be happy. You don't know my situation…
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The key is the phrase is found in v-3 knowing this or "because you know".
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance."
Your attitude is determined by your understanding.
Rejoicing is not just positive thinking, rejoicing can happen because it is based on some real hard facts of life.
Four facts of life from James that will help you with the problem you're going through right now:
I. FOUR "FACTS OF LIFE" YOU NEED TO KNOW
1. Problems are inevitable
Scripture doesn't say, "If you encounter problems consider it joy" but whenever -- count on it, you're going to have problems.
If you don't have problems, check your pulse. It is a fact of life.
Jesus said "In the world you will have tribulation."
Peter said, "Don't be surprised when suffering comes upon you."
Problems are not only inevitable
2. Problems are unpredictable.
He says, "...whenever you face or encounter problems or various trials ..." v-2
The word "encounter literally means "to fall into unexpectedly".
It is the same word used in the story of the Good Samaritan where the man fell among thieves -- it was unexpected.
Trials are not planned.
We seldom can anticipate the problems we're going to experience in life.
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.
3. Problems of many kinds
They come in all shapes and sizes. V-2 again
One thing about problems, you never get bored with them.
There are a wide variety of them.
The word in the Greek for "various" is literally "multi colored".
There are problems of many shades and varieties.
They vary in intensity, they vary in variety, they vary in duration.
Some are minor inconveniences. Some are major crises.
We had some problems with the cement trucks on Friday…
4. Problems are purposeful v-3
They have a purpose.
Pain can be productive.
Suffering can accomplish something.
It has value in our lives. You say: What value?
Three purposes of problems in your life:
· Problems purify my faith.
James uses the word "testing", as in testing gold and silver.
You would heat them up very hot until the impurities -- the dross -- was burned off.
Job said "He has tested me through the refining fire and I have come out as pure gold."
The first thing trials do is test our faith.
First of all these trial tell us whether or not we are truly born-again.
Then they purify us.
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Christians are a lot like tea bags.
You don't know what's inside of them until you drop them in hot water.
Your faith develops when things don't go as planned.
Your faith develops when you don't feel like doing what's right.
So trials and problems purifies your faith.
2) Problems fortify our patience v-3 "...the testing of your faith develops perseverance."
James is talking about staying power, not a passive patience, but endurance.
The ability to keep on keeping on, the ability to hang in there.
The Greek here is literally "the ability to stay under pressure."
We don't like pressure and we do everything we can to avoid it.
We run from it: take drugs, drink alcohol, buy another toy… anything to get away from pressure.
But God uses problems in our lives to teach us how to handle pressure, how to never give up.
How does God teach you patience?
By everything going your way? No.
God teaches you patience in traffic jams, in grocery lines and long messages on a beautiful Sunday morning.
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We live in a comfortable and convenient society.
Everybody wants it now. Even our spiritual growth.
If I can't have it now, forget it.
Endurance, today, is a rare quality.
Lombardi said, "When the going gets tough, the tough get going."
3) Problems sanctify my character. v-4
They make me like Jesus. They help me mature.
They help me to grow.
"The testing of your faith produces perseverance that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
That's God's long range goal.
His ultimate purpose is maturity.
God wants you to grow up. He wants you to mature.
In the Christian life, character is the bottom line.
So many Christians I talk to have absolutely no idea of God's agenda in their life.
They don't know what's happening and as a result they are overwhelmed by their problems.
God's number one purpose in your life is to make you like Jesus Christ.
God is much more interested in building my character than in making me comfortable.
If God is going to make me like Jesus, He's going to take me through the things Jesus went through.
There were times when Jesus was lonely, fatigued, tempted and maybe even discouraged.
The Bible says there are two ways that God makes us like Jesus:
· Through the word of God. John 17:17 "Sanctify them through Thy truth. Thy word is truth."
James 1:22-25 "The word makes us like Jesus" it builds our character, matures us.
But even if you read the Bible two hours a day, how many hours of your life are you not reading God's word?
God demands even more in the second way.
· Through the circumstances of life.
Here's where James hits it right on the head.
So many Christians I meet say, "Everything was going great when I first became a believer.
Then all of these problems came.
Maybe God doesn't love me. Maybe I'm not a Christian. Maybe I've missed the boat."
My friend, you are exactly where God wants you. You are in a character course.
He's making you like Jesus.
And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.- Romans 8:28NASB95
The secret of Romans 8:28 is v-29 "For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son … Romans 8:29NASB95
Why do all things work together for good?
In order to make me like Christ.
For instance: if God wants to teach us the fruit of the Spirit, how will He do this?
By putting us in the exact opposite situation.
· If God wants to teach you love, He puts you around unlovely people.
· If He wants to teach you joy, He puts you in times of tragedy and sadness so you will learn joy in the situation.
· Peace? God puts you around chaos.
The dinner's burning, the telephone rings, the diaper is dirty -- that's where you learn peace.
It's easy to be peaceful laying on the beach in Hawaii.
Anybody can do that.
But Patience or endurance is learned through tough times of waiting.
Ephesians 2 says “We are Christ’s workmanship” – Christ wants to make a masterpiece out of you.
He wants us to be mature, complete, not lacking anything.
That is a picture of Jesus Christ.
That’s what He wants you to be like.
This is what you need to know.
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And then there are three things we need to DO.
II. HOW TO HANDLE YOUR trials or problems
1. Rejoice
"Consider it pure joy whenever you fall into or face trials ..." v. 1.
Don't misunderstand what he's saying.
He's not saying "Fake it or to put on a plastic smile and pretend.
God never asks you to deny reality.
He doesn't ask you to have 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.
One of the most misunderstood verses in the Bible is I
Thessalonians 5:18 "In everything give thanks for this is the will of God concerning you in Christ Jesus."
It does not say, "For everything give thanks."
Why should I thank God for giving me leukemia?
"Thank You for that accident... . Thank You for that … NO
It says "In everything give thanks." Why?
It means we can thank God because we know that He can even take the bad in our lives and turn it around and bring good out of it.
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Listen, it doesn’t matter where your problems have come from.
You may have caused them yourself.
The devil may have caused them.
They may be a problem that society has brought on you.
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The source of your problems doesn't really matter.
God can use them all for your growth and His glory.
What makes the difference???? ……….. Your attitude!!
James says "Consider it pure joy..."
The word "consider" means a deliberate look
It means to evaluate, to make up your mind once and for all.
While I'm living in the present, I look to the future for the benefit of this problem.
Consideration is a choice.
Although I cannot control the circumstances that happen to me in life, I can control what…? how I will respond to them.
Victor Frankl, the Jewish psychologist who spent time in the Nazi concentration camp in Germany said, "They stripped me naked. They took everything -- my wedding ring, watch. I stood there naked and all of a sudden realized at that moment that although they could take everything away from me -- my wife, my family, my possessions -- they could not take away my freedom to choose how I was going to respond."
We must choose to rejoice in our situation.
Psalm 34:1 “I will bless the I at all times. His praise shall continually be in my mouth.”
Even when I don’t feel like it, even when things aren’t going right.
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Interestingly, problems do not automatically produce blessings.
For some people, problems destroy them.
For some, it will make them bitter not better.
The difference between bitter and better is the letter "I". I make the difference -- my attitude.
Problems break some people, while they bless others. Why?
It's how you choose to respond.
From Strange and Unusual Events of 1982 from the Encyclopedia Britannica Yearbook:
Brian Hise had more than his share of bad luck in July. His apartment in Provo, Utah became flooded from a broken pipe in the upstairs apartment. The manager told him to go out and rent a water vacuum. That's when he discovered that his car had a flat tire. He changed it and went inside again and called a friend for help. From the electric shock he got from the phone, he inadvertently ripped the instrument from the wall. Before he could leave the apartment a second time a neighbor had to kick the door down because water damage had jammed it tight. While all of this was going on, someone stole Hise's car. But it was almost out of gas so he found the car a few blocks away, but had to push it to a gas station where he filled up the tank. That evening Hise attended a military ceremony at his university. He injured himself severely when he somehow sat on his bayonet which had been tossed in the front seat of the car. Doctors were able to stitch up the wound but no one was able to resuscitate four of Hise's canaries who were crushed to death from falling plaster. After Hise slipped on the wet carpet and badly injured his tailbone, he said he began to wonder if "God wanted me dead but kept missing."
That's what I call a good attitude!
It is your choice to rejoice.
2. Request
Pray. Of all times to pray, pray when you've got problems.
Amanda’s Camera…
What do you pray about?
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.- James 1:5
You ought to pray for wisdom when you're in the middle of problems.
Why should I pray for wisdom?
So you won't waste the opportunity to grow.
If you don't learn it this time, guess what?
There will be one more lap around the desert!
God will give you another opportunity.
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Learn from the problem.
We become overwhelmed when we don't understand what God's doing.
So Pray for wisdom.
Wisdom is seeing life from God's point of view.
Pray for wisdom to understand the problem. Request.
There is no situation of life that you can't learn from if you have the right attitude.
Don't ask "Why?", ask "What?".
"Why" is to purify your faith, fortify your patience, sanctify your character.
But ask "What do You want to teach me in this problem, Lord?
What do You want me to learn?
What Christian character can I develop?"
3. Relax
Trust God to know what's best for your life.
Co-operate with His purpose so you don't short circuit the process.
That's what's called faith.
"When he asks he must believe and not doubt." V-6
Relax. Let God work.
Some of you here today have been through enormous challenges in life, with your health or a relationship or something else that you have little or no control over.
It's not easy to have a joyful heart in the middle of problems even if you want to.
That's why you need to pray for two things:
Wisdom to understand the trial and faith to endure it.
James says you need wisdom to know what's going on and faith to hang in there and not quit.
You're never a failure until you what… quit.
God says the devil wants to use problems to defeat you, but God wants to use those problems to develop you.
Which will it be?
Some of you are going through some tough times right now.
And it's pretty hard…
But God cares. He sees, He knows:
The very hairs of your head are numbered.
He has the power to do something about that problem.
He could change it in a snap. He's a miracle working God.
Why doesn't He?..
Because there's a greater purpose.
The greater purpose is what He wants to do IN you.
God is more interested in building your character than in making life comfortable.
Once you've learned those qualities, He may be free to remove that situation.
There is a fantastic promise in v. 12
Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.- James 1:12NASB95
God says there will be a reward.
I don't think when we get to heaven the rewards will go to the pastors and evangelists and the Billy Grahams.
I think the rewards will go to the people who quietly put up with difficult situations and developed the character of Jesus Christ in their life.
He says, There will be a crown of life!
Will you trust Him for it today?
Will you Pray with me:
There are some of you who may never have invited Jesus Christ into your life.
You've heard about God and Christ and maybe you even went to church as a kid.
I'm not talking about a religion, I'm talking about a relationship.
It doesn’t matter what your background is…
The issue is your relationship to God.
It's not where you've been that counts it's the direction your feet are headed now.
Would you say, "Jesus Christ, I don't understand it all, but as much as I know how, I want You to come into my life.
Make me the person You want me to be.
As much as I know how I want to live for You.
Thank You for loving me.
Thank You for forgiving me.
Thank You for dying for me.
Lord please save me!!