A Life On Fire

Be glad God is growing you, even if it’s tough

James 1:1–4 CSB

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ: To the twelve tribes dispersed abroad. Greetings. 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.

Tested faith becomes spiritually tough and rugged.

Trials don’t determine if you’re saved or not. They strengthen the faith you already have.

A believer with endurance is mature and complete.

This doesn’t mean sinless and perfect. But, it does mean being a fully developed believer who is capable of living in God-honoring ways.

Here’s what we need to understand: everyone will stand before God one day. From the moment we give our lives to Him, until the day we meet Him face to face, He is preparing us for that moment. You may have heard someone say that God takes us where we are, but He doesn’t leave us there.

Whatever your goal in life — maybe athletic achievement or academic success, popularity, getting in to a good school or making money when you get out — trials devastate us if our goals aren’t lined up with God’s. Trials blind-side us and interrupt our regularly scheduled plans for our lives. But know this:

God’s plan for your life is that you would look like and live like Jesus.

There will be times when you’re over your head and you need help!

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.

There is some wisdom that can’t be learned from this world.

God will generously give wisdom whenever we ask for it. That’s grace! He will give it again and again and again. What if we fail? What if we didn’t act wisely the last time we asked for it? James says that God gives “generously and ungrudgingly.”

God intends for you to ask for wisdom whenever life is hard.

God proves Himself to us by giving us wisdom and teaching us how to live when life gets tough. Not only is our faith shaped when life gets hard, but the object of our faith becomes clearer.

However, there is a condition.

When we ask for wisdom, we cannot doubt.

A person who doubts (that God will answer) is influenced by an opinion that comes along. Is this true faith? Is this genuine trust in God? No, not really. (This is different from the normal struggles and bouts of unbelief we typically struggle with. Remember, even JTB questions whether or not Jesus really is the Messiah.)

People who waver from trust in God to trust in others are “double-minded” and unstable in everything. The last thing anyone needs when life gets tough is a faulty and unstable foundation to stand on.

Remember this: The Creator of the Universe, God Himself, is saying “I will pour MY wisdom out on you if you’ll ask for it!” What?! But remember, you’ve got to ask and trust that God will give you wisdom. And, remember He gives you wisdom, not necessarily an easier life.

Taking the world’s way out will leave you empty-handed.

James 1:9–12 CSB

Let the brother of humble circumstances boast in his exaltation, but let the rich boast in his humiliation because he will pass away like a flower of the field. For the sun rises and, together with the scorching wind, dries up the grass; its flower falls off, and its beautiful appearance perishes. In the same way, the rich person will wither away while pursuing his activities. Blessed is the one who endures trials, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

James flips the world’s value system on its head.

A few things that we should learn from this last portion:

Living for God is actually easier when wealth is removed from the equation.

This is a persistent state of “trial” where the believer must constantly trust God.

Wealth will make you want to trust your ability to “buy” your way out of tough times.

Wealth, and chasing after money, consumes us but never satisfies us.

Only God satisfies us fully!

God is most glorified in me when I am most satisfied with Him. This becomes much truer when my life is difficult.

Verse 12 is our hope: when we endure the test, we receive the crown of life.