When Life Hits
A porch doesn’t prove itself while you’re building it, it proves itself when it starts carrying weight. No blueprint ever says “tested under pressure,” that’s learned later. The test always comes after it’s built, and faith works the same way.
Sunday is where we talk about trusting God. Tuesday is where we find out if we actually do.
If we’re honest, this is where many of us struggle with faith. We struggle because we’re planners. The problem is life doesn’t always cooperate with the plan. And that’s what leads us to find out what our faith is actually resting on.
Sunday is where we talk about trusting God. Tuesday is where we find out if we actually do.
If we’re honest, this is where many of us struggle with faith. We struggle because we’re planners. The problem is life doesn’t always cooperate with the plan. And that’s what leads us to find out what our faith is actually resting on.
Most of our spiritual growth doesn’t happen in the moments we planned for
When things get heavy or outside of our control, there’s a default question we ask, “God, why is this happening?”
James invites us to ask a much better question: “What is God producing through this?”
When life becomes difficult, with trials, suffering, and a loss of control, we assume that God has left. The problem with that is that faith was never meant to give you control over your circumstances.
When life becomes difficult with trials, suffering, and losing control, we assume that God has left. The problem with that is that faith was never meant to give you control over your circumstances. It was meant to give you confidence in God when your circumstances are beyond your control.
Who is James?
James is one of the key leaders of the early church in Jerusalem, but before that, he was Jesus' brother. What’s even more interesting is that James didn’t believe Jesus was Jesus until after the resurrection, which changed everything.
James has a very direct personality, and he’s writing to Christians who have been scattered because of persecution, and he certainly doesn’t begin by promising that God is going to fix all of it. He begins by teaching them how to endure it.
James 1
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations:
Greetings.
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
9 Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. 10 But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. 11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.
12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.
17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created.
Perspective
James is not saying that trials are enjoyable, that pain is good, or that suffering doesn’t hurt. Christians shouldn’t deny reality, we should interpret it differently.
James invites us to ask a much better question: “What is God producing through this?”
When life becomes difficult, with trials, suffering, and a loss of control, we assume that God has left. The problem with that is that faith was never meant to give you control over your circumstances.
When life becomes difficult with trials, suffering, and losing control, we assume that God has left. The problem with that is that faith was never meant to give you control over your circumstances. It was meant to give you confidence in God when your circumstances are beyond your control.
Who is James?
James is one of the key leaders of the early church in Jerusalem, but before that, he was Jesus' brother. What’s even more interesting is that James didn’t believe Jesus was Jesus until after the resurrection, which changed everything.
James has a very direct personality, and he’s writing to Christians who have been scattered because of persecution, and he certainly doesn’t begin by promising that God is going to fix all of it. He begins by teaching them how to endure it.
James 1
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations:
Greetings.
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
9 Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. 10 But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. 11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.
12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.
17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created.
Perspective
James is not saying that trials are enjoyable, that pain is good, or that suffering doesn’t hurt. Christians shouldn’t deny reality, we should interpret it differently.
Real faith changes its perspective
Why? Why should we change our perspective during trials?
James 1
3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
The key is that joy doesn’t come from the trial, it comes from the knowing. It comes from what you know about God during the trial. The trial reveals what’s there, and God uses the trial to build what’s missing.
That’s why James tells us to let perseverance finish its work. Don’t interrupt what God is producing. Let God finish what He started. That’s maturity. There are 3 verbs James uses in these verses:
These are all passive. James is quietly teaching us surrender.
Wisdom
How do we live through this changed perspective? James answers immediately.
James 1
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
He tells us to ask for wisdom. Why? Because wisdom is what you need when life is no longer under your control.
James 1
3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
The key is that joy doesn’t come from the trial, it comes from the knowing. It comes from what you know about God during the trial. The trial reveals what’s there, and God uses the trial to build what’s missing.
That’s why James tells us to let perseverance finish its work. Don’t interrupt what God is producing. Let God finish what He started. That’s maturity. There are 3 verbs James uses in these verses:
- Consider it joy.
- Know that God’s at work.
- Let perseverance finish its work.
These are all passive. James is quietly teaching us surrender.
Wisdom
How do we live through this changed perspective? James answers immediately.
James 1
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
He tells us to ask for wisdom. Why? Because wisdom is what you need when life is no longer under your control.
Wisdom is knowing how to live faithfully when you don’t have all the information
We want explanations, but we need to stop asking God to tell us what He’s doing, and it’s because we actually don’t realize what we’re asking.
When we ask God to reveal what He’s doing all the time and why he’s doing it, we’re asking God to grant us the power and personality of God without needing the person of God. We need to ask for wisdom because He’ll give that, generously.
And when you ask for wisdom, ask for it wholeheartedly. James is talking about divided trust. He calls it being double-minded. A double-minded person wants God’s help without surrendering control. God’s not going to give wisdom to someone who’s asking for it only for their version of faith.
Real faith is humble and submissive. Ask for wisdom because He’ll give it.
What The Trial Reveals
James then takes a strange turn, answering what a trial reveals.
When we ask God to reveal what He’s doing all the time and why he’s doing it, we’re asking God to grant us the power and personality of God without needing the person of God. We need to ask for wisdom because He’ll give that, generously.
And when you ask for wisdom, ask for it wholeheartedly. James is talking about divided trust. He calls it being double-minded. A double-minded person wants God’s help without surrendering control. God’s not going to give wisdom to someone who’s asking for it only for their version of faith.
Real faith is humble and submissive. Ask for wisdom because He’ll give it.
What The Trial Reveals
James then takes a strange turn, answering what a trial reveals.
Trials have a way of exposing what we’re trusting
James 1
9 Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. 10 But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. 11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.
12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
The thing trials uniquely reveal is whether your life is built on something that won’t endure. For many people, that’s money, so James starts with rich and poor, saying:
“If you don’t have a lot, rejoice!”
“If you have a lot and lose it, rejoice!”
Why?
Both scenarios help us see that money is not a solid foundation to build your life on. It can be taken away. But if you persevere under that kind of trial, if you remain steadfast to God in the trial, the Lord has promised a crown of life to you.
Then James shifts from trials to temptation. In Greek, trial means difficulty or hardship, and temptation means an opportunity to sin. And the reason we need this distinction is that in almost every trial, there’s a temptation to sin.
James 1
13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.
17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created.
Every trial eventually presents a temptation, but no one should say, “That’s from God.” The temptation is to look somewhere other than God for life, security, comfort, identity, or relief. Every trial eventually asks you one question, “Where will you run to now?”
When life hurts, where will you go?
When you can’t control the outcome, what will you reach for? What coping mechanism do you reach for?
James 1
14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
James says, “It’s enticing, it looks good.” Be careful of the life cycle here.
Desire leads to sin. Sin leads to death.
Don’t be deceived. Temptation doesn’t come from God. What does God come from?
James 1
17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created.
So underneath every trial, there’s one question: Do you still believe that God is good? If you do, you can endure almost anything.
That’s the challenge behind this passage. We read it quickly and think James is asking whether we can handle suffering or surrender control, but he’s actually asking whether we believe God is good.
It’s time to ask yourself… Where is your faith carrying the weight right now? James gives you 3 invitations.
When you build a porch, there’s only one way to find out if it was strong enough. Eventually it has to carry weight. And maybe that’s where you are. Maybe you’ve been wondering where God is, but don’t mistake the weight for God’s absence. The weight may actually be the place where God is doing His deepest work.
God is using this in your life to mature and shape your faith.
The God who is good on Sunday is still good on Tuesday.
9 Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. 10 But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. 11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.
12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.
The thing trials uniquely reveal is whether your life is built on something that won’t endure. For many people, that’s money, so James starts with rich and poor, saying:
“If you don’t have a lot, rejoice!”
“If you have a lot and lose it, rejoice!”
Why?
Both scenarios help us see that money is not a solid foundation to build your life on. It can be taken away. But if you persevere under that kind of trial, if you remain steadfast to God in the trial, the Lord has promised a crown of life to you.
Then James shifts from trials to temptation. In Greek, trial means difficulty or hardship, and temptation means an opportunity to sin. And the reason we need this distinction is that in almost every trial, there’s a temptation to sin.
James 1
13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters.
17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created.
Every trial eventually presents a temptation, but no one should say, “That’s from God.” The temptation is to look somewhere other than God for life, security, comfort, identity, or relief. Every trial eventually asks you one question, “Where will you run to now?”
When life hurts, where will you go?
When you can’t control the outcome, what will you reach for? What coping mechanism do you reach for?
James 1
14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
James says, “It’s enticing, it looks good.” Be careful of the life cycle here.
Desire leads to sin. Sin leads to death.
Don’t be deceived. Temptation doesn’t come from God. What does God come from?
James 1
17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created.
So underneath every trial, there’s one question: Do you still believe that God is good? If you do, you can endure almost anything.
That’s the challenge behind this passage. We read it quickly and think James is asking whether we can handle suffering or surrender control, but he’s actually asking whether we believe God is good.
It’s time to ask yourself… Where is your faith carrying the weight right now? James gives you 3 invitations.
- Change your perspective – If you’ve spent months or years trying to figure out why something is happening or how you get more control around the trial, maybe it’s time to ask, “What is God producing through this?
- Ask for wisdom – Don’t ask for another explanation. You don’t need another YouTube sermon or podcast.
- Pay attention to what the trial is revealing – Maybe something you’ve been leaning on has been exposed. Maybe God loves you enough to shake what cannot hold you down.
When you build a porch, there’s only one way to find out if it was strong enough. Eventually it has to carry weight. And maybe that’s where you are. Maybe you’ve been wondering where God is, but don’t mistake the weight for God’s absence. The weight may actually be the place where God is doing His deepest work.
God is using this in your life to mature and shape your faith.
The God who is good on Sunday is still good on Tuesday.
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