In my attempt to encourage someone today God showed me something awesome. Well, it is actually more of an unfolding of what He has been showing me over the years as it pertains to a verse in James. I want you to know that I have lived what I write and I still struggle with it every day; so when you read this do not think that I am preaching AT you but rather, that I am sharing my passion and struggles with you. This is truly a piece of my healing heart.
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” ~James 1:2-8 ESV
The first thing that I noticed when I was reading this is the phrase “count it all joy.” Denoting, that we are not to simply survive our trials or to go-through-the-motions but rather, we are to delight! To take joy in! To be in a state of happiness! Let me be clear on this though, it does not say that “as Christians everything is always good and happy and that nothing bad happens.” It actually tells us the opposite! “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12) When James says to “count it all joy” that means that it does not matter what is happening around you, or to you, or even, to the ones you care about the most; you are to find your joy and to find your delight in Christ! “Blessed is the man…his delight is the law of the LORD, and on His law he meditates day and night.” (Psalm 1: 1a, 2)
We are all human, fallible and imperfect, and sometimes we just get MAD. It happens. People push the wrong button and just get on your last nerve and you explode; what do you do? How are you supposed to find delight in that moment? Well, James actually addresses that too: “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” (James 1:19-21)
Meekness is not offended by correction of any kind so, Believers as a whole, should not be defensive. It only leads to selective hearing, skewed perceptions, miscommunications, and quarrelling, which in turn divides the House of God and Satan wins with its crumbling and believers scattering; each with a chip on their shoulder ready to carry over into their next experience. “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.” (Mark 3:24-25)
We cannot control anyone but ourselves and it doesn’t matter how many times you scream, yell, push, or order them to do what you want. Our fallen nature is one that opposes direction instead of submitting to it. But understand this Proverb, teach it and live by it; “A rebuke goes deeper into a man of understanding than a hundred blows to a fool” (Proverbs 17:10).
It should also be a comfort to Believers that through every trial we are producing steadfastness. If you define “Steadfastness” you will find “immovable,” “unwavering,” “determination,” and “not subject to change” among its descriptions. How cool is that? It does not matter if it is a fight with your neighbor, depression, losing your job, being the victim of a crime, losing a child, fighting cancer, or being falsely accused of something; YOU DO NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT!
“For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20b-21) It is not about your situation! “For nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37)
Sometimes, God uses the pettiness and sin in our lives and those around us to shape us, stretch us, and form us into the followers of Him that we are meant to be. In the same way that Joseph was tested and shaped through YEARS of neglect and abandonment we are also shaped through our life trials so that God will be glorified beyond all doubt. Saul and Job had much success in their lives and but it was not until everything was taken from them and they felt alone, abandoned, abused, and the “unfairness” of life were they able to become tools for God’s glory and to discover God’s purpose in their lives.
Also, what good does it do to stew over how unfair life or this situation is? Or how wrong someone has been to us; to grow resentment and bitterness and anger? It is only hurtful to you! Staying in anger, bitterness, and resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die. It just is NOT going to happen and you end up with the ulcer – ONLY you. “Jesus said to him, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.’" (Luke 9:62)
Worrying about how everything is going to turn out is also God’s job. Not yours. Matthew 6: 25-27 says: “Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” and Jeremiah 29:11 says: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not evil, to give you a future and hope.” And also in Jeremiah 1:5 it says: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”
God has it all worked out – LONG since before you were born! SO QUIT WORRYING! You are not going to make that dollar stretch farther, improve the grade on your test, shrink your hips, or magically make the gas in your car never run out by fretting over it!
“Hindsight is 20/20.” It is easy to see the big picture when you are looking back onto a situation, to see the connections that you missed in the heat of the moment, clarify the miscommunications that caused the problem, etc…
God is not bound by time and space. He is omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient. He is all powerful, is everywhere, and is all knowing. For Him, our future is the same as the past. It is already planned out and everything is in place to make it happen and you are just one spoke on a wheel in a clock that has already been built. So why do we find it so hard to trust the one who already sees the big picture, who is looking at our road map, who has already made the clock? Because we are too busy being the backseat driver. That is why.
Going back to the original text in James 1, verse 4 says: “And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” We already said that the trials and issues that we have everyday allow Christ the opportunity to shape us and teach us. Whether it is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, or self-control (Galatians 5:22); We are always being pulled whether it is by the world or by Christ. As Believers we are supposed to always be moving toward Christ and the more time we spend seeking and immolating His actions the more we will become like Him and the more we become like Him the more we become like the Father. “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me?” (John 14:9b-10)
As we align our spirits with Christ and pursue him our priorities will fall into line with God’s priorities. That is why it is easy to say: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” (Matthew 6:33) “Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). Because what we will desire most will be godly attributes and grace and we will not be concerned with the pettiness of our co-workers, siblings, and spouses. We will not worry about how the bills will be paid. We will not be bothered by the angry drivers who scream and curse and who cannot seem to keep the steam of their frustration inside their own skulls.
Why? Because we will be so consumed with the Kingdom/Eternal worldview that we will immediately realize the temporal and vanishing nature of these conflicts and not allow them to affect us negatively. But as with all things, it takes time and practice. That is why there is forgiveness and grace extended to us as well as us extending it to others.
I have known people in the past who have become angry at God because they prayed endlessly for a sign or for direction and God did not answer their prayer. I have even seen people walk away from Christianity because they were not hearing God speak to them like some others boasted that they did so that must mean that they are not as loved by God as the other person, or whatever their reasoning. . . but that is not what the bible says at ALL. James 1:5 says: “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives without reproach, and it will be given him.” God is not a respecter of persons (Acts 10:34) but rather He looks to the innermost heart of a man (1 Samuel 16:7). Any who ask of God in faith will receive.
But here is the catch, this is where people tend to cut things short and make their point but get offended when God doesn’t answer their request right away – they ARE asking in “faith” after all – but keep reading in James 1:6-8. “But let him ask with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” WOW! That is about as black and white as it can be.
I will not belabor this point any further except to say this: belief or faith in a prayer is a major controversial topic apparently and this is my two-cents: God is God. Alpha, Omega, Beginning, End. Omnipotent, All Mighty, El Shaddai, Jehovah Jireh, Nissi, Rophe, Shalom. If you cannot truly trust Him to feed you, clothe you, supply you with what you need for tomorrow – how can you say that you trust Him and believe in Him at all? Much less for your salvation? Think about it – the GOD of the UNIVERSE! Maker of heaven and Earth! … He cannot work something out for you? HA! (Are you smiling yet? You should be, this is GOOD NEWS!) God has your back, Friend, and you need to stop doubting Him.
“MUST NOT suppose…” that is very emphatic, direct, and strong language. To understand the severity of this statement let’s define the word “suppose.” It means: to assume, hypothesize, or predetermine based on [nothing but] your own opinion. Does that change the way you read that verse now? “…That person must not suppose/assume that he will receive anything from the Lord...” To suppose something of anyone almost sounds arrogant and silly now does is not?
I once heard a mnemonic to recall the spelling of the word “assume” that really stuck with me. And please pardon the language here. “To assume is to make and ASS of U and ME.” When I read the word “suppose” I immediately associate it with “assume” and to assume anything of God and that He would bow to serve our every whim is to quite literally make and fool of ourselves.
What would be the profit to us if we were given everything that we asked for in every situation regardless of whether we needed or wanted it? Ever meet or hear of a person who was like that and handed everything on a silver platter? We all can recall the spoiled child, Veronica, on Willy Wonka “I WANT A SQUIRREL, DADDY! GIVE ME ONE! NOW!!” A ridiculous over exaggeration of what we do with God, but we plea and bargain: “Oh please God, I need this. If you just give me this new job I will put half my paycheck in the offering every week! I just need a job, God, PLEASE!” Whatever the situation we have a bargain and we have a price but we never follow through. Or maybe we are just not willing to give up the one last thing that is necessary. Often, that is our pride. If you need a job so bad why not walk into McDonald’s or Wal-Mart and get one? It is a job! Not the highest of occupations to be sure, but it can be done with respect to you and that company and no one should ever be ashamed of a minimum wage job. Most everyone in the workforce today started there – some went back and others never left.
Going back a bit to 2 Corinthians 5:20a “We are ambassadors for Christ” so if we were given all that we asked for, what would that say about God? Isn’t is like giving the child all the ice cream and sugar they want before dinner every night and staying up with tummy aches and hyperactivity and never learning! Then, the child is a teenager with diabetes and highly overweight! Who is at fault for that?! Is it the child for wanting sweet stuff all the time and then crying about not getting it? Or is it the Parent’s fault for not controlling what the child did and did not get and guiding that behavior for the benefit of the child later?
God is looking out for us even when we are blinded by the immediate desire for that shiny new thing. Again, going back a bit to Jeremiah 29:11b: “plans for welfare and not evil, to give you a future and hope.” God is not going to let us walk into a snake filled pit and die. He just will not. 2 Corinthians 10:13 says “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”
God is faithful! He will not abandon you and nothing that you are going through is new. It is “common to man.” Meaning that someone else out there has gone through the exact same thing! And notice though how at the end of the verse it says “to endure it” NOT “to escape it.” Why do you think that is?
“For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” (James 1:3b-4)!! We should NOT WANT to escape our trials! Is that not backwards or what?! When the fall of man occurred I am convinced that everything in our brains got entirely reversed. Left is right but right is left and right is wrong because wrong it right. Ever feel that confused? I do. But it is really that simple!
Our flesh is going one way but our spiritual walk is going the complete opposite way and we have to make the conscious choice every day to follow Christ and with that to kill the desires and lifestyle of our flesh. Galatians 2:20-21 says: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.”
The last thing I want to point out and going back, again, to 2 Corinthians 5:20a “We are ambassadors for Christ” that means that we are to be an example for God on this earth. We are branded with His seal, we claim His name, we speak with His power, and we declare His authority, glory, and reign. Until we lose focus and take our eyes off Christ; until we doubt.
To be “like a wave tossed and driven by the wind” (James 1:7) is a VERY scary place to be. Have you ever been flipped, dumped, or made to stumble by a strong wave? I was repeatedly crashed into the surf when I was young by some fairly strong waves, I scratched my knees and hands on shells in the sand and I swallowed nearly my weight in salt water. I thought, for a short moment, that I was not going to survive. It was very traumatic for me and I did not go back into the water that day. After a night’s rest, I couldn’t resist and I was back in the waves. I love the water still. However, I know what it feels like to be completely at the mercy of the surf. Scary. In the biblical times their storms were much scarier and they were much further out to sea than what I experienced on a beach. I picture that TV show ‘Deadliest Catch’ and imagine it is a bit more like that.
You cannot second guess God. Either you believe Him, believe IN Him, or you do not. You cannot fool Him and you cannot bargain with Him. Doubting God is a bigger issue than just believing or not believing in His existence too, it is the question of ‘do you trust God completely enough to obey?’ That is where I and many, many struggle. Trust. It is a hard thing to give once someone so maliciously burned that bridge one time too many. But that is a human characteristic that we tend to project onto God unfairly. He is not human and He IS perfect. God does not lie and God’s plans for us are “for welfare and not for evil” (Jeremiah 29:11b).
Another major issue that affects our behavior of following Christ is the struggle of speech. There are a whole lot of verses written all throughout the bible about controlling your tongue and learning to be silent and the wisdom of thinking before speaking. That alone should tell you that it is something quite important to God. But there is one verse that I think is the true epitome of all of them. 1 Peter 4:11. This verse felt like a punch in my stomach from God the first time I really read it and ever since then He has been reminding me with it whenever I realize that I am talking too much, about to breach concern into gossip, and many other scenarios. As ambassadors we should take every minute of every day extremely seriously. Not that we cannot laugh and have a blast enjoying life, we are to delight in the life God has given us but we are to have a level of sober-minded rationality that is always reminding us of our number one objective on this earth. To serve Christ.
So let me end with this quote and words of encouragement: It does not matter what you are going through and how bad it looks. Trusting in God is easy when you realize that He has already made the clock and all we have to do is throw up our hands and enjoy the ride. This does not mean be lazy! But we are not to worry and stress about little things!
There is a point to this trial that you are experiencing and God will give you the outlet for your frustration and the strength to endure and if you are overwhelmed and confused; pray! And if you lack the wisdom for a decision; pray! But never doubt God! You are an ambassador! So…“If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God. If anyone serves, they should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 4: 11)
