Off and on in the past couple of months, we have been talking about faith and how it plays a part, a vital part in our spiritual lives. So now that each of us has examined our spiritual faith, what do we do with it? What part does it play in our lives? Over the next 6 weeks or so I want to take that subject of faith and discuss how it applies in our life during the hard times, in the relationships we have, in our daily actions, in our conversations with others, when we face the enemy, and where that faith fits in our priorities.
Sure, we've learned what faith is and how we obtain it and how we hold on to it. But now let's talk about living out our faith. What is more important the wedding or the marriage that follows? To have a lasting marriage the couple will need to do more than just celebrate their love, they will have to live out their love.
Let's switch the picture now to our faith. A lot of people celebrate the fact that they believe in Jesus and have followed that with baptism. But we have to do more than express our faith. We have to live out our faith. Knowing what you believe is one thing. Living it is much greater. That is our journey for the next 6 weeks. Prayer.
You might remember the true story about Dave Dravecky. He was a pitcher for the San Francisco Giants. But he was diagnosed with cancer in his pitching arm. He went through the surgery and he was still determined to keep pitching. On August 10th, 1989, just 10 months after surgery to remove the tumor, he won the first game of his comeback. 5 days later, in the bottom of the sixth inning, he delivered his 69th pitch of the night. He would never throw another pitch.
With that final pitch, his arm snapped and he fell to the ground in pain. He ended up having to have his arm amputated. What a let down that must have been for Dave Dravecky.
We may not have had anything so drastic happen to us, but it's still difficult even to think of joy in those trying moments of our lives. Yet James wrote that believers should consider trials joyous. It's not that the trials themselves are joyous, but we can have joy even as we go through hard seasons. I'll be using James 1 today for our text. After a brief introduction, James gets right to the point.
James 1:1-2 – “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ:
To the twelve tribes dispersed abroad. Greetings. 2 Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials,”
This is a familiar verse that we have heard and read many times. Did you know that as Christians, we are equipped to face adversity and challenges? 13 times in this letter written by James did he refer to his readers as my brothers and sisters. That's important to remember as we consider this unusual command to consider our trials as a joy. The world doesn't see any joy in trying times because it can be a time of isolation and separation.
But for those who are Christians, we're not alone, we have fellowship with other believers. In Christ, we can have joy. Joy is kind of a supernatural response that's empowered by God. James was genuinely concerned and wanted us to think about our trials in a totally different way as a Christian, not complaining, whining, or grumbling, but with great joy.
James called them various trials. That encompasses a whole lot. It includes all of the challenges that we face and the unique trials that believers experience simply because they are believers and are persecuted for their faith. Christians can experience joy in everyday life challenges, as well as in more serious misfortunes.
Any and all trials can test our faith, and in the process, those trials can actually strengthen our faith. Our trials act as a certification process for the genuineness of our faith. Do you realize that it is those difficult days that actually refine our faith? Trials purify a believer's faith. And as our faith is strengthened, we develop a deeper confidence in God and His power.
James 1:3-4 – “because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.”
So we see that adversity and trials refine our faith. Through these trials, we gain the ability to endure hardships. We become steadfast. Yes, trials can strengthen our faith just as exposure to wind strengthens trees. Now the science side of me is going to come out.
You may have heard of the biosphere to that scientists constructed which is a miniature version of earth, to learn more about how our planet's systems work. But an unexpected discovery was learned about the value of exposure to wind for the trees. Even though the trees grew more quickly in the biosphere, they fell under their own weight before they could completely mature. Without the resistance of the wind, they didn't develop adequate strength. They weren't firmly rooted. That was the theme of our men's retreat two weeks ago, being firmly rooted in Christ.
Well just as wind makes a tree stronger, giving it the strength to hold up its own weight, trials also strengthen us as believers, giving us the ability to bare the weight of life. This isn't a test of our personal strength or wisdom. Instead, it's a test of our faith in the strength and wisdom of God to see us through. Faith is like a muscle that must be exercised to gain strength. If you think about it for just a moment, you can probably think of a trial that you went through that actually strengthened your faith. You can thank God for that.
James 1:5 – “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.”
We need perseverance to effectively face trials, but that's not all that we need. We also need wisdom. Sometimes the trials in our life make some think that they're suffering because of something they did before and are being punished for the wrongdoing. Then sometimes our friends add to this impression by outright accusing those going through a trial that they deserve the suffering their experiencing. Have you ever heard someone say, “You reap what you sow?”
That's what happened to Job in the OT. He had three friends who came to his side soon after they heard about his calamity. They supposedly came to sympathize with him and comfort him. But then they started talking. Job's friends gave long speeches where they blamed Job for his problems. According to his friends, Job's suffering was his own fault. He deserved what he was getting. Or so they said.
Job’s friends were outspoken with their criticism. But don't point a finger at them. Many Christians are no different. But even if the accusations are more subtle or implied, it can be easy to get the message that we deserve our suffering.
So the trial begins to wear us down and then the accusations start wearing us down even more. I'll have to agree that our trials sometimes are the results of poor decisions and immoral behavior, but not all trials are corrective punishment. It takes discerning wisdom to know the difference.
If there's a trial or a difficulty in life that you're going through right now, I encourage you to lift it up to the Lord in prayer and ask God for wisdom. Ask Him to provide that wisdom today. You'll be surprised at the direction of your thoughts and your actions just from that prayer.
James 1:6-8 – “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 being double-minded and unstable in all his ways.
This gets back to God's character. God doesn't give His wisdom to us because we deserve it. We can approach God, asking Him for wisdom because of His character. He invites us to come to Him and ask, seek, and knock.
And here's another thing. We never have to doubt God's faithfulness to us. God is faithful. He will not keep wisdom from us if we ask with unwavering faith. You might remember King Solomon. He's a fitting example. Solomon's name is synonymous with wisdom. Solomon didn't become wise simply by studying the decisions of others or learning from his own mistakes. Solemn became wise because he asked God for wisdom, and God generously gave it to him.
And let me tell you, you are not alone if you sometimes become paralyzed by a ceaseless, internal argument that makes you spiritually seasick. That happens even to Christians sometimes. One moment, they trust that God will respond to their request. In the next moment they don't. Tossed back and forth by the swelling waves, they have no solid footing. They believe God exists, but they don't trust Him to respond to their request. Has that ever happened to you?
But I'm here to tell you today that God will respond, but only if your request is accompanied by a firm, unwavering confidence in God, a firm belief that God will supply that wisdom. Those with wavering faith will not enjoy the fruit of God's faithfulness. NOW, this wavering Faith doesn't doubt the existence of God, it wavers because they doubt the faithfulness of God. That is what James is talking about here.
James 1:9-12 – “Let the brother of humble circumstances boast in his exaltation, 10 but let the rich boast in his humiliation because he will pass away like a flower of the field. 11 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.
********12 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.”
Poverty is a trial for obvious reasons. People need clean water, nutritious food, adequate shelter, and warm clothing. If they don't have these things, they suffer. Yet James commanded the poor believer to boast in his exaltation. What do the poor have to boast about ? What do they have to be happy about?
James answers that fully a little later when he says in James 2:5:
James 2:5 – “ Listen, my dear brothers and sisters: Didn’t God choose the poor in this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?”
With the poor, their poverty is a constant reminder of their dependence upon God, and it provides them with non-stop opportunities to exercise their faith. Does that make more sense now?
In contrast to the poor, the wealthy make a dire mistake if they think their greatest resources are what they own. Those resources are temporary, at best. The wealthy are not supposed to boast in what they have because their wealth will wither and pass away just like the grass and flowers. The wealthy also need the grace of God. Only as they realize their great need will they be led to seek and find eternal riches in Christ. I say that and I think of what Jesus said when He told us to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all other things will be added to us.
A lady by the name of Jillian Bayford learned about the trials of wealth the hard way. She thought that all of her problems were over when she won 148 million pounds in a British lottery in 2012. 15 months later, her marriage was over. She said the wealth tore her family apart. Instead of the happiness she expected to find, she said her marriage ended and she no longer spoke to her parents or her brothers. Money does not fix everything. It actually breaks things.
But to summarize James's message, the ultimate reason for both the poor and the wealthy believer to celebrate is not found in this life, but in the life to come. The trials we face in this life are temporary, they will not last forever. Just as wealth fades into eternity, so do our problems. But faith endures. Faith is permanent . In this world, trials strengthen our faith, and that faith remains with us as we live with Christ for eternity.
Yes, we must realize that the trials we face are temporary, but faith in God will endure forever. 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.
Yes, life can be hard. No one goes looking for difficulties and trials. Trials have a way of finding us! While no one enjoys going through the hard days, we can experience joy despite the difficulties. The joy doesn't come from the trial itself but from the realization that God is at work. Trials can play an important role in deepening our faith and our walk with Christ.
How is it going with your walk with Christ? Think upon that as we enter into our time of response and invitation. Our altars are open for you to come.
