Managing Christian Trials-2

MANAGING CHRISTIAN TRIALS-II—James 1:1-27

Attention:

A man in a supermarket was pushing a cart which contained, among other things, a screaming baby.

As the man proceeded along the aisles, he kept repeating softly, "Keep calm, Thomas. Don’t get excited, Thomas. Don’t yell, Thomas."

A lady watched with admiration & then said, "You are certainly to be commended for your patience in trying to quiet little Thomas."

"Lady," he declared, "I’M THOMAS!"

Likewise, Christians are expected to effectively manage the difficulties they face.

James divulged the proper management of trials which were endemic/common to Christians.

There are proper ways of managing the those difficulties.

How are Christians to manage their trials properly?

Previously in James, we saw that Tackling trials properly, involves managing...

1—SOURCES of GUIDANCE(:1)

2—JOY(:2-3)

3—PATIENCE(:3-4)

4—Tackling trials properly, involves managing...

WISDOM(:5)

Explanation:(:5)

:5—“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally & without reproach, & it will be given to him.”

“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God

We may need “wisdom” in order to tackle certain trials patiently. Something we’ve never gone thru before. Patience without God’s wisdom is mere optimism or hopefulness based on a fleshly ‘wish’ or ‘want-to.’ But patience undertaken in God’s wisdom gives us solidity, certainty.

We are encouraged to call upon God for His wisdom. When we see things thru God’s eyes, we can endure the trial or combination of trials, not necessarily with ease, but with certainty & assurance, with real patience.

*If one merely asks “wisdom” of “God”, then He will simply provide it. Why? Because He is our loving Father, & supplies our need.

Mat. 7:7-11—““Ask, & it will be given to you; seek, & you will find; knock, & it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, & he who seeks finds, & to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!”

“Wisdom”—sofia—Wisdom, broad & full of intelligence; used of the knowledge of very diverse matters. Denotes a "mental excellence of the highest sense", to details. Eng.—‘The quality of having experience, knowledge, & good judgment; the quality of being wise.’

“Ask”—aitew— To ask, beg, call for, crave, desire, require. ‘Denotes a request of the will.’ ‘To ask for something to be given, not done, giving prominence to the thing asked for rather than the person, & hence is rarely used in exhortation.’ Strong —Strictly a demand for something due.

“Who gives to all liberally”

How or in what manner does God provide His wisdom? God gives “liberally” without restraint as we have submitted ourselves to desire His will. There are none who truly seek it, who are exempt from God’s wisdom.

“Liberally/Generously”—aplwv—Simply, openly, frankly, sincerely.

“& without reproach, & it will be given to him.”

God will provide wisdom without fault finding or scolding.

We are not robbing God of His wisdom, so He does not scold us in our asking. In fact His desire is that we have it.

“Reproach/Upbraideth/Finding fault”—oneidizw—To reproach, upbraid, revile. Eng.—Address (someone) in such a way as to express disapproval or disappointment.

Wisdom guides & determines our everyday decisions. Each decision made in Christ teaches us greater trust in God. Godly wisdom then, takes us thru “various trials” & “tests” of “faith”(:2-3).

Argumentation:

Prov. 1:1-4, 7—“The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel: To know wisdom & instruction, To perceive the words of understanding, To receive the instruction of wisdom, Justice, judgment, & equity; To give prudence to the simple, To the young man knowledge & discretion--”.....“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom & instruction.”

Prov. 2:1-6—“My son, if you receive my words, And treasure my commands within you, So that you incline your ear to wisdom, And apply your heart to understanding; Yes, if you cry out for discernment, And lift up your voice for understanding, If you seek her as silver, And search for her as for hidden treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the LORD, And find the knowledge of God. For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge & understanding;”

Prov. 2:10-11—“When wisdom enters your heart, And knowledge is pleasant to your soul, Discretion will preserve you; Understanding will keep you,”

1Cor. 2:12-16—“Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. For “who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?” But we have the mind of Christ.”