Truth in James - 2

Rejoicing in Trials

James 1:2–8 NKJV

2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

James 1:2–8 HCSB

2 Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. 5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 An indecisive man is unstable in all his ways.

We are Creatures of Comfort

crea′ture com′forts

n.pl.

things that contribute to bodily comfort and ease of mind, as food, warmth, or sleeping facilities.

In most definitions creature comforts are things not really needed by humans, but that improve comfort or a sense of being at ease. A private hot tub is one amenity that may be considered a creature comfort. You can define creature comforts in many ways, and many of us view some of our creature comforts as near necessities. (https://www.homequestionsanswered.com/what-are-creature-comforts.htm)

JRR Tolkien was a Christian professor who taught the Anglo-Saxon Language at Oxford. He was also one of

the people instrumental in the conversion of CS Lewis. But that is not what most people remember him for.

His literary trilogy entitled The Lord of the Rings is regarded by many as some of the best of the 20th century.

At the center of these stories is a quirky little people called hobbits.

Theessential nature of hobbits is that they are homebodies. They like food, fellowship, and the easy life. They like things regular and predictable. The worst way a hobbit can describe something is to call it “uncomfortable.”

So it is surprising that a particular hobbit is selected to go on a series of adventures in which he discovers that there is more to life and to hobbits than just being comfortable.

The reason I bring this up is because we are all Hobbits in one shape or another. We enjoy the easy life, are quickly annoyed, and hate to be uncomfortable. So when life gets hard, we, like good little hobbits, look for the path of least resistance. We retreat or surrender or blend in with the hopes of avoiding inconveniences or challenges.

The Path of Least Resistance

The path of least resistance is the physical or metaphorical pathway that provides the least resistance to forward motion by a given object or entity, among a set of alternative paths. The concept is often used to describe why an object or entity takes a given path. The way in which water flows is often given as an example for the idea.

The path of least resistance is also used to describe certain human behaviors, although with much less specificity than in the strictly physical sense. In these cases, resistance is often used as a metaphor for personal effort or confrontation; a person taking the path of least resistance avoids these. In library science and technical writing, information is ideally arranged for users according to the principle of least effort, or the "path of least resistance".

The Goal of the Path of Least Resistance is Comfort

Take a look at how some describe the result of taking the Path of Ease: POWER POINT SLIDES

Author Elbert Hubbard - “The Path of Least Resistance is what makes rivers run crooked.

Henry David Thoreau - “The path of least resistance leads to crooked rivers and crooked men.”

H.G. Wells - “The path of least resistance is the path of the loser.”

Lee Ann Womack - “Never settle for the path of least resistance.”

That was the situation facing James’s readers. They were in difficult situations. They had probably fled their homelands looking for peace and were most likely finding it difficult to fit in where they had found themselves.

Many of them were probably wondering what to do. Some were maybe even starting to doubt their faith because of the hardship or compromised their beliefs in order to make life easier for themselves.

We have all been there. We have all found ourselves saying things like “Why is this happening to me?” or “Wouldn’t it be easier if…?” We have wondered why some calamity great or small befell us. Sometimes we phrase the questions, “Why did God let this happen to me?” Sometimes we are so desperate that we will do anything to be out of the situation. We want it to be over; we want to be out if it. Such suffering can cause us to doubt God: doubt He cares about us, doubt He is in control. It can lead us to try to manage as best as we can. It might even tempt us to do things we might not normally do.

James doesn’t mince any words. He doesn’t beat around the bush or build up to his main point. He starts off with a direct challenge not to give up. His advice is to do something unexpected, something that goes against our hobbit nature.

James 1:2 HCSB

2 Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials,

• Consider it All Joy – We are called to be joyful, not necessarily happy. Joy is something different. It is the deep-down assurance that everything is okay no matter what the circumstances because God is in control and has a plan. At a funeral, before we or a friend goes in for surgery, when we have lost all our money, or are facing an uncertain future, we need not and even should not necessarily be giddy or happy. But we can choose to trust God and not our own fears or emotions.

• My Brothers – Sometimes, the overlooked words contain important truth. There is something profound to the fact that James begins his letter by calling his readers, “my brothers.” Hopefully it goes without saying that James is addressing both men and women alike. It’s a term not just of friendship but of kinship and family devotion. James is saying hard things to his audience. It is important for him to show them that he isn’t cruel or unfeeling. He isn’t lecturing or condescending. He uses the language of family and the language of equality. He is talking to fellow children of God; to his brothers. He knows what he is saying is hard. It is probably hard for him as well. And he wants his readers to know that he is in the same boat.

• When You Experience Various Trials – Trials here aren’t necessarily temptations to sin. Trials have the capacity to turn into temptations. James will deal with how this happens later in this chapter. The exact definition of “trials” can be hard to pin down. They are things that cause us to wonder if we are on the right path, doubt ourselves, worry that we are stuck and that only bad can come of this. More importantly, they are things that shake our faith in God. It might shake our faith in His power (maybe He can’t help), or His love (maybe He doesn’t want to help), or His existence (maybe He isn’t even there); hard situations where things aren’t going as planned and we are wondering what to do next. Truth be told, it’s a word that is hard to write a definition for, but we all know what it means. We have been there far too often. James uses several words to illustrate the exact nature of trials to help us gain a biblical perspective on them:

o Experience – The joy we are called to have doesn’t come from the trial. The word James uses that is translated “experience” literally means “to fall into.” Though it may seem like trials are a neverending and therefore normal part of life, it is important to realize that from God’s perspective, they constitute something abnormal, something you fall into, something that will one day be over.

Psalm 23:4 HCSB

4 Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff —they comfort me.

2 Corinthians 4:16 NKJV

16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.

2 Corinthians 4:17–18 NKJV

17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

2 Corinthians 4:16–18 AMP

16 Therefore we do not become discouraged (utterly spiritless, exhausted, and wearied out through fear). Though our outer man is [progressively] decaying and wasting away, yet our inner self is being [progressively] renewed day after day. 17 For our light, momentary affliction (this slight distress of the passing hour) is ever more and more abundantly preparing and producing and achieving for us an everlasting weight of glory [beyond all measure, excessively surpassing all comparisons and all calculations, a vast and transcendent glory and blessedness never to cease!], 18 Since we consider and look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen; for the things that are visible are temporal (brief and fleeting), but the things that are invisible are deathless and everlasting.

AMP

For our momentary, light distress [this passing trouble] is producing for us an eternal weight of glory [a fullness] beyond all measure [surpassing all comparisons, a transcendent splendor and an endless blessedness]!

o Various (but common to everyone) – various is another word with a cool meaning. The word literally means, “multicolored.” In fact, it’s the word that is used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament to describe Joseph’s Coat of Many Colors. The idea is that trials come in all sorts of intensities and varieties. One wonders if the list of topics James will address in the rest of the book provide a clue into the nature of the trials we can expect to experience. He will go on to write about widows, orphan, poverty, favoritism, slander, business, and sickness, to name a few. But we shouldn’t expect to have thesame trials as other people or expect all our trials to be of the same quality or intensity.

As a result of living in a fallen, cursed, and imperfect world as a result of what happened in the story of Adam and Eve, every single one of us will have to face a certain amount of trials and tribulations as we journey through this earthly life.

1 Corinthians 10:12–14 HCSB

12 So, whoever thinks he stands must be careful not to fall. 13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful, and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape so that you are able to bear it. 14 Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry.

A Reason to Rejoice

James 1:3–4 HCSB

3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.

• Testing Produces Endurance v3 – Like a coach uses training, God uses trials to develop us into the types of people God has created us to be. God didn’t create us to be spiritual couch potatoes, so He won’t allow us to remain spiritually weak, lazy, sluggish people. He is developing in us characteristics He knows we need for the race He has set for us to run. God has a plan for our lives. It’s a plan for His glory and for our good but it requires some spiritual muscle. God uses trials in our life to strengthen us. This is why we rejoice not in the trials, but in what God can accomplish in our life through them.

God doesn’t cause everything, but He doesn’t waste anything!

James 1:4 NKJV

4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

• The Goal is Perfection v4 –A boot camp drill instructor might seem mean, harsh, demanding or cruel, but everything he does is out of a desire to make sure his people have everything they need to survive

the war they are about to be sent into. In the same way, God is using trials to develop endurance/perseverance in us so that we will be ready for the assignments He has for us. The words James uses are “perfect” and “complete.” Though the words perfect and complete sound redundant, James uses both intentionally.

o Complete – that we may possess all the things we need.

o Perfect – that we may possess them in the best possible form they can exist in us.

3 Mechanisms That Make Muscles Grow

Underlying all progression of natural muscle growth is the ability to continually put more stress on the muscles. This stress is a major component involved in the growth of a muscle and disrupts homeostasis within your body. The stress and subsequent disruption in homeostasis causes three main mechanisms that spur on muscle growth.

1. Muscle Tension

In order to produce muscle growth, you have to apply a load of stress greater than what your body or muscles had previously adapted too. How do you do this? The main way is to lift progressively heavier weights. This additional tension on the muscle helps to cause changes in the chemistry of the muscle, allowing for growth factors that include mTOR activation and satellite cell activation.3

Muscular tension also most dramatically effects the connection of the motor units with the muscle cells. Two other factors help to explain why some people can be stronger, but not as big as other people.

2. Muscle Damage

If you’ve ever felt sore after a workout, you have experienced the localized muscle damage from working out. This local muscle damage causes a release of inflammatory molecules and immune system cells that activate satellite cells to jump into action. This doesn’t mean that you have to feel sore in order for this to happen, but instead that the damage from the workout has to be present in your muscle cells. Typically soreness is attenuated over time by other mechanisms.

3. Metabolic Stress

If you’ve ever felt the burn of an exercise or had the “pump” in the gym, then you’ve felt the effects of metabolic stress. Scientists used to question bodybuilders when they said the “pump” caused their muscles to become larger. After more investigation, it seems as though they were onto something.

Metabolic stress causes cell swelling around the muscle, which helps to contribute to muscle growth without necessarily increasing the size of the muscle cells. This is from the addition of muscle glycogen, which helps to swell the muscle along with connective tissue growth. This type of growth is known as sarcoplasmic hypertrophy and is one of the ways that people can get the appearance of larger muscles without increases in strength.

Why Muscles Need Rest To Grow

If you do not provide your body with adequate rest or nutrition, you can actually reverse the anabolic process and put your body into a catabolic or destructive state. The response of muscle protein metabolism to a resistance exercise bout lasts for 24-48 hours; thus, the interaction between protein metabolism and any meals consumed in this period will determine the impact of the diet on muscle hypertrophy.5 Keep in mind there is a certain limit on how much your muscles can actually grow dependent on gender, age, and genetics. For instance, men have more testosterone than women, which allows them to build bigger and stronger muscles.

How Muscles Grow: Conclusion

For muscle breakdown and growth to occur you must force your muscles to adapt by creating stress that is different than the previous threshold your body has already adapted to. This is can be done by lifting heavier weights, continually changing your exercises so that you can damage more total muscle fibers and pushing your muscles to fatigue while getting a “pump.” After the workout is completed, the most important part begins which is adequate rest and providing ample fuel to your muscles so they can regenerate and grow.

The Hope of Help

James 1:5–6 HCSB

5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind.

• The Need: “If any of you lacks wisdom” – Corn Maze The maze

builders equipped the maze with three things to assist participants: Maps, markers and elevated lookout posts

If you consulted the map, you could find your way to the markers. Finding the markers let you know you were on the right path and reading the map correctly. If you get totally lost, the posted lookouts could help you find your way because they are looking at the maze from a higher perspective.

That maze is a lot like life. We easily get lost and confused. When we turn to God, we often ask Him to provide us an escape door. Rarely does God give this in a miraculous way. He has already given us a way of escape through His Word. It is through faith in His Word and His Promise that we move THROUGH the trial.

His Word is Our Map. Past Victories are our Markers. He is Ever-Present as Our Lookout.

Psalm 46:1 NKJV

1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.

The Hebrew text for “a very present help” is translated as “a help found exceedingly,” or “tried very much”. God is always with you and His help is always immediately available. In his Treasury of David, Spurgeon wrote that God “has been tried and proved by his people. He never withdraws himself from his afflicted. He is their help, truly, effectually, constantly; he is present or near them, close at their side and ready for their succour, and this is emphasized by the word very in our version, he is more present than friend or relative can be, yea, more nearly present than even the trouble itself.”

Isaiah 41:10 HCSB

10 Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will help you; I will hold on to you with My righteous right hand.

Isaiah 43:2–3 HCSB

2 I will be with you when you pass through the waters, and when you pass through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. You will not be scorched when you walk through the fire, and the flame will not burn you. 3 For I Yahweh your God, the Holy One of Israel, and your Savior, give Egypt as a ransom for you, Cush and Seba in your place.

Isaiah 43:2–3 AMP

2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched, nor will the flame kindle upon you. 3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt [to the Babylonians] for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba [a province of Ethiopia] in exchange [for your release].

Through the trial we are working out our spiritual muscles which will make us stronger. We are learning to navigate using our map and the markers of our testimony when we can’t see around the next bend. We are learning to see our situation from a higher perspective. The biblical word for that is “wisdom.”

We seek a way out; what we really need is wisdom to see the way forward.

• The Source: “Let Him ask of God” – This verse is often taken out of context to imply God can at random give us the ability to be like Solomon. He may very well do so, but that is not the purpose of this verse.

This verse relates to those that preceded it. The wisdom being offered is insight into God’s plan and vision from God’s perspective. James is saying, “Consider it all joy when you are under trials. But if you are unable to see how God is working inyou, through you, and for you in your trials to make you into the person He created you to be, ask God to give you the ability to see things from His perspective.” James goes on to tell us two things that are important about God and His wisdom.

o God Gives Generously – God isn’t a miser sitting on His store of wisdom, begrudgingly giving out to people who beg hard enough or long enough. He gives generously, which means He is eager to give it out, and promises to give it in abundance.

o God Gives Without Reproach – Reproach is to blame or shame a person. Have you ever asked for money from someone, but when they gave it to you, they made you feel like garbage for asking?

Maybe they gave you a lecture about working harder or being a better money manager. The good news is God doesn’t act that way with His wisdom. He isn’t frustrated that you are asking AGAIN.

He isn’t tired of always giving it to you. He doesn’t wish you could get by on your own. He wants to give you the ability to see things from His perspective.

• The Requirement: “Let him ask in faith without any doubting” v6-8 – Only one stipulation is placed on

whether God will give you His wisdom: You have to really want it. When James uses the phrase “let him ask in faith,” he is talking about a specific kind of doubt – doubt whether you really want God to give you the wisdom. Remember, most of us in the midst of trials don’t want wisdom; we want a way out. James is saying that God doesn’t give His wisdom as an option to be considered. He gives it out to people who are committed to His plan.

A person who doubts is wavering between the escape hatch and the lookout post. Such a person doesn’t know if he really believes that God knows what He is doing, and isn’t sure that God can be trusted in hard times. James describes the doubting man as “surf of the sea, “double-minded” (literally “Two-souled”) and unstable in all his ways. He does so not to shame or humiliate us. But to further expose our need. Before you can trust God to give you wisdom, you have to trust God. All of us at one time or another match James’s description of the doubting man. We aren’t supposed to shrug our shoulders, turn around, and leave emptyhanded.

We are supposed to realize that we are drifting, recognize our need of an anchor for our soul, and renew our trust in the One who offers it to us.