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James 1:1-12
Overview of the first four verses
v. 2 “Consider it all/wholly/pure JOY”
Literally – an occasion for Joy or gladness
“whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or
fall into various temptations”
Difficult things happen in life – you don’t plan them/you don’t look for them –
situations/relationships/work issues/crisis happen – you fall into them…
v. 3 Because you know that the testing/proving of your faith brings
out/develops/produces PERSIVERANCE , PATIENCE ,
STEADFASTNESS and ENDURANCE
In other words – STICKING POWER
Why is Patience such a key?
Why are patience, longsuffering & endurance so important in the Christian make up?
- It is a quality of God: with him there is no shadow of turning
- It takes time and consistency to develop anything of significance
- Because Love itself is patient...it is key ingredient to relationships...unchanging patient love and the strength that this brings is what people need...children need it, we need it. It is the ingredient that does not give up on people. It sees the bigger picture and the potential. It has gained the wise perspective of God in the situation and is operating out of that basis and not human emotion and frustration.
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v. 4 Let sticking power have it’s full play; let it do a thorough work;
let it do it’s full job, because as it does a complete work in you
something is going on in the process…
We become MATURE/Perfectly/wholly developed with no defects
and lacking in nothing!
In other words – there is a process at work here!
4 points to unpack to help in a trial...
1) Have the right goal
These early fathers of the faith had a goal in life which I have found challenging!
Shooting for the right goal...
The point of life is not to have everything go perfectly, but to be filled with fruits of righteousness (Phillipians 1:11) and to be sincere, to be without offence & to be to the glory and praise of God...this is it!
2) Tests and Trials of life are the terrain we cross to reach this goal
James, through growing up around Jesus and becoming a devoted follower of His
Teachings and living example, he had realised that through the things we face
in life there is a process at play,
Godly Character cannot be bought by credit card or downloaded from the internet – it comes through the testing’s and trials we encounter in life! And there are no short cuts!
Through trials our level of sticking power and love for God is tested and measured (even exposed!) An honor contest between God and Satan in the incident of Job and Abraham – God’s confidence that his men will not turn against him, no matter the pressure. And true character is developed and brought to maturity.
Sticking Power is the stuff that produces true men and woman of God!
Hebrews 6:12 – Through Faith and Patience we inherit the promises of God.
Faith sees those things that are not to be realised in reality
But
Patience is the thing that shapes Jesus like character in us along the way of seeing faiths result
God is not just interested in the quick fix of an instant materialistic high consumer lifestyle – He is interested in the kind of people we are becoming!
He knows that we are shaped by the wait!
Example: Read Debs Paterson’s article for yourself that illustrates James point
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/health_medical/story.jsp?story=566409
3) We need God’s perspective - Ask for Wisdom (v5)
James is saying ‘if from where you are standing you cannot quite see life as I have described it, then ask God for wisdom.’ The web of circumstances and set backs sure don’t seem to add up to this being a stepping stone to maturity. James therefore prescribes the need for us to gain a Godly wisdom that through the pain, disappointment and challenges can see that all of life is serving to the greater purpose of God.
Joseph’s responses and choices to his catalogue of seeming set backs illustrates the point in question so aptly.
Wisdom – the ability to apply the higher truth of God and His ways to the challenges of life.
But what if you cannot see God’s goodness in the middle?
- Go to the Word
- Be real with God, express your feelings if disappointment and anguish are in you – pour it out like Hannah (1 Samuel 1)
- And as you empty out, God is going to fill you with His wisdom, His understanding, the knowledge of His Fathers heart towards you and His purpose through it all. He will bring His word of faith into your inner being.
Wisdom is getting hold of God’s higher truth.
This is a tough process…but develops a matured and toughened faith that knows God in a deeper and dearer way.
4) Need for Faith (v6) – a Trust that God is not playing games with us – will give wisdom.
But what needs to arise out of the ashes of tribulation or trials is a resounding faith that will believe God and keep on believing in His goodness, in God’s capability to bring forth life, to bring healing – no matter how negative and opposite our circumstances - through FAITH and PATIENCE we shall inherit the promises.
Application and small group questions:
1) What strikes you from these opening verses of James?
2) What did James mean by ‘Trials’
3) What is a trial for you right now?
Is there anything causing you pressure on at the moment?
What kind of terrain are we about to travel over?
(e.g. Work/Marriage/New life at University)
4) Have you got a personal illustration of a situation where you have asked God for wisdom in a challenging situation and you grew through the experience? How did God’s wisdom come to you?
5) What is God is saying to each of you in your cell about the situations your fellow group members are going through?
6) How can you stand with each other to encourage each other in sticking it out and seeing the issue through to a point of victory?
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