Ever try to chop a tree down with a dull axe? Abraham Lincoln was quoted to say: "If I had six hours to cut down a tree, I would spend the first fours sharpening the axe." We have heard that analogy before in terms of how we prepare ourselves for a task to be done. But when we come to Christ in faith, and we are saved from our sins, the work of the Lord in our lives is not yet done.
Ephesians 2:10 (NKJV) For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
We are His workmanship. God is preparing us to do His good works. He is molding us into His image.
Romans 8:29 (NKJV) For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
What does God do to conform us to the image of His son? How does God sharpen us, His tools ion His hands?
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.
For two years, September 26, 1991 to September 26, 1993, scientists sequestered themselves in an artificial environment called Biosphere 2 (located about a hour NE of Tucson AZ). Inside their self-sustaining community, the Biospherians created a number of mini-environments, including a desert, rain forest, even an ocean. Nearly every weather condition could be simulated except one, wind. Over time, the effects of their windless environment became apparent. A number of acacia trees bent over and even snapped. Without the stress of wind to strengthen the wood, the trunks grew weak and could not hold up their own weight. This is true with all who avoid trials of various kinds.[1]
It’s easy to walk in the Spirit if you are in church all day, every day. Its easy to live the Christian life if you ae around like minded people constantly – 24/7. If we lived in a monastery, cut off from all the influence of the world, it would be easy to shine. But, that is not where we live, is it? If all was happiness and bliss, we would not be worth much when the storms begin to blow. It is not a question if storms will come, but when.
James 1:2 (NKJV) My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
So much is packed into this little verse. Let mr point out a couple of things. First, it does not say if you will fall into trails but when. And the world trials is plural. We all have trials. We all have difficulties. We all have disappointments. I heard about a pastor who placed this sign on his door: "If you have problems, come in and tell me all about them. If you don’t have any problems, come in and tell me how you avoid them."[2]
How Christians deal with trouble is what sets us apart from the rest of the world, and world is watching. We should view trials as preparation for greater things.
1 Peter 4:12–13 (NKJV) Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13 but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.
Joy in trials. You see joy is not the product of circumstances, but the most fundamental expression of our faith. It was in joy that Jesus endured the cross:
Hebrews 12:2 (NKJV) looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
James in this little verse is encouraging the reader to embrace the trials they are experiencing, not for what they are, but for what God can do through them.
Romans 8:28 (NKJV) And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Not that all things are good, but God can work all things for good, even the bad things. And not for everyone, only those who love Him and those whom God has called. Has God called you? And if God has called, He desires to build up us up in our faith. A faith untested is no faith at all.
James 1:3 (NKJV) knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
The testing of our faith: God allows testing to bring out the best, but Satan tempts us to bring out the worst. Faith, like gold and silver are tested by fire.
1 Peter 1:6–7 (NKJV) In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
The Word tells us that He will sit as a refiner of silver:
Malachi 3:3a (NKJV) He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver;
I found the following in a devotional: A woman had read this verse and was puzzled by it so she decided to go and visit a silversmith to find out how he did his work. As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest. That way it would burn out all the impurities. She began to think about God often placing us in a really hot spot… then she thought again about the verse, that he sits as a refiner and purifier of silver.
She then asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. Because if the silver was left even a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed. The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He said , "Oh that’s easy, when I see my image in it."[3]
We’re refined like silver. We go through trials that enable us to realize what our proper priorities ought to be. We experience tragedies so we will know what is truly valuable. And ever so gently, other begin to see the reflection of Jesus in our lives.
One of the things trials produces is patience. “testing of your faith produces patience”
Remember patience, or longsuffering is one of the fruit of the Spirit. Other translations have the word “endurance.” Jesus calls for believer to have endurance.
In the tribulation period with the uncovering of the Anti-Christ, the call for endurance is significant.
Revelation 14:12 (ESV) Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.
God wants to make us patient because that is the key to every other blessing. The little child who does not learn patience will not learn much of anything else. When the believer learns to wait on the Lord, then God can do great things for him.
James 1:4 (NKJV) But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
God is in the process of making us perfect or mature. God will not build our character without our cooperation. God worked on Abraham for 25 years before Isaac came along. God let Joseph languish in prison for 17 years be for he appeared before pharaoh. God worked on Moses for 80 years before He called him. Impatience and unbelief often go together hand in hand. But patience in trials will mature the believer. The word “perfect” here means to be mature. To be mature means to grow in our faith. God is molding us to serve Him. Remember the fruit of the Spirit?
Galatians 5:22–23 (NKJV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.
How are we doing in exhibiting these qualities. Remember the word fruit here is singular, meaning these qualities are all together. They are all present simultaneously.
The trials God allows in our lives sharpens us, to round us out, in not some of these qualities, but in all of them. Now keeping the this in mind the next verse seems to take us in a different direction but it does not.
James 1:5 (NKJV) 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.
In times of trouble we cannot face the issues in our own wisdom. Why do we need wisdom when we are going through trials? Why not ask for strength, or grace, or even deliverance? For this reason: we need wisdom so we will not waste the opportunities God is giving us to mature.[4]
Wisdom is required because the faithful do not always know how to persevere nor do they easily find the will to rejoice in future blessings while enduring present trials. Wisdom is given out of God’s generosity and gentleness. To request wisdom in the midst of trial is precisely what God intends for his people. Wisdom is always God’s gift to his own. Wisdom also is necessary to endure the testing of faith.[5]
When we admit our shortcoming and weaknesses to God, we will not get scolded, but God is pleased when we are teachable. We become like pliable clay in His hands to mold us as he desires.
James 1:6 (NKJV) 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.
It was being in doubt that Peter sank when He walked on the water with Jesus. A close connection exists, therefore, between faith, prayer, and wisdom. The one who asks for wisdom asks in faith; asking in faith requires divine wisdom; to ask for wisdom is itself wise and is part and parcel of persevering in faith and growing in wisdom. Growth in wisdom is to understand that everything of faith is from God. Prayer is both accepting and asking. Prayer accepts the gift of faith. Prayer likewise asks for the means to work out that faith through the gift of wisdom. In the asking mode of prayer, the believer seeks that which will secure persevering wisdom. And asking without doubt is at the heart of James’s understanding of prayer. Since faith is always a matter of personal trust in God, to doubt God in any way is to call his character into question. [6]
James 1:7 (NKJV) For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
If a person has doubts about God, how can he make any request of God? A believer with doubts shows the instability of His faith. And persistence doubt will nullify faith. Can you begin to see why God allows us to go trials? To build our faith, to build our confidence in Him, to reinforce that our total dependency on Him.
James 1:8 (NKJV) he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Without testing of our faith, we become unstable when trials do come. And trials will come. The way of true faith in God is with the whole heart, mind and soul. James was determined to show that there is no safe middle ground between faith and unbelief.[7]
But there is good news in the passage. We can ask for the wisdom so we know how to proceed. So we can move past doubt, so we will understand the working of God in our lives. God is sharpening His tools. We live in a cruel world and we cannot be go out with a dull edge or we will accomplish nothing useful.
Is God in the process of sharpening you?
[1] https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/count-it-all-joy-christopher-nerreau-sermon-on-temptation-general-118070?ref=SermonSerps; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biosphere_2
[2] https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/form-of-our-test-and-trials-jimmy-chapman-sermon-on-doubt-112797?ref=SermonSerps
[3] https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/what-doesn-t-kill-us-makes-us-stronger-david-henderson-sermon-on-trials-and-difficulties-178984?ref=SermonSerps
[4] Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 340.
[5] Kurt A. Richardson, James, vol. 36, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1997), 63–64.
[6] Ibid., 66.
[7] Ibid., 70.
