My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various
trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces
patience.
James 1:2-3
When trails come our first instinct (our fleshly instinct) isn't
patience, it isn't "quiet steady perseverance". When trials
come our first instinct is to get annoyed to get angry
and complain that there is an inconvenience in our life.
This reaction is an action that generally speaking happens
because we realize we are not "in control". This truth of not
being in control is not something our sinful fleshly old man likes,
it is however, like I said, absolutely true that we are not in control.
It is important that we realize this fact, it is God Almighty who is in control
and trials will come but we must remain patient in our faith,
we must give our worries and trouble to God.. move forward
in our trusting that all things work out for His glory and absolute goodness.
It is not about "being in control" you must lose all
thought of being "in control" for if you don't surrender all
you are to God, if you try to "Control" where and what you will do
and how you will deal with trials that come;
patience will be nothing but a mountain you can't get around.
Patience and the ability to face trials comes only through Faith
in God and giving up the "control" that your flesh wants.
But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect
and complete, lacking nothing. 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.
James 1:4-5
Ask God to do a work in you, to grant you the wisdom
to KNOW that trials and tribulations only make us stronger
in our faith. Ask Him to give you the wisdom to KNOW
that reliance on self is not noble, it is stubborn ignorance to
rely on your self to pull through, trying by your own might to
pull through trials doesn't produce a strong person of faith,
it produces a man who thinks he is strong and doesn't need
God. You radically every moment need God..the very breath
of life is a gift from God, trials and tribulations should remind
you of this and in doing such result in patience in faith.
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.
For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything
from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all
his ways.
James 1:6-8
Faith and doubting don't go together at all. If you ask the Lord
for wisdom and patience to get through a trial, but deep down
you are thinking "pshh..I doubt even He can help me"
don't expect the wisdom or patience to come. It's complete
asinine to say "I have faith in Christ" and then doubt His
guidance.
Remember Peter walking on water to go to Christ?
Peter had FAITH that if it was truly Christ out there standing
in the water that Christ;
1. wouldn't put Peter in a dangerous situation
2. could cause Peter to walk on water to Him.
Peter put his trust and faith in Christ and went out onto the water
and walked! but as soon as he saw the wind kick up... what entered
his mind? DOUBT…which thus caused him to sink and Jesus to
say:
"You of little faith, why did you doubt?"
Matthew 14:22-31
and in Matthew 21:21 what does Jesus tell His disciples not to do?
DOUBT…
So Jesus answered and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you,
if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what
was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, 'be
removed and be cast into the sea,' it will be done.
Matthew 21:21
Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, but the rich in
his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away.
For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.
James 1:9-11
Let the lowly, the humble, the meek.. glory in being lifted up
by God
Though the LORD is on high, yet He regards the lowly; But
the proud he knows from afar.
Psalms 138:6
and brothers let the rich, not just meaning "the wealthy" but those
who are strong…those who are wise, those who are proud, let them
glory in humiliation. Let them glory in being MADE humble because if they don't…if they trust in their riches and their own
power it is meaningless because it will only fade away, life after
all is short for all of us and we all will soon fade and pass away.
This goes hand and hand with Jesus Christ's parable of
not choosing the best seat at the wedding feast, and saying
at the end of the parable;
"For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who
humbles himself will be exalted."
Luke 14:11
Blessed is the man who endures temptation;
for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life
which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.
James 1:12
As I talked about last blog, who are those who love Him?
"Those who keep His commandments"(John 14:15) those who flee from immorality.
Those who surrender the flesh.. take their cross and follow Christ,
they don't follow the world and it's selfishness but Christ and His selflessness.
Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by God";
for God cannot be tempted by evil,
nor does He Himself tempt anyone.
But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived,
it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
James 1:13-15
We are not tempted by God, we are tempted by our very own nature (by our flesh) which our very nature is to SIN. We are tempted, which in itself is not the sin, sin comes in when we let
it fester, when we start looking to our flesh and we desire
our natural ways. When we let sin have it's way it is because
deep down we are saying God isn't good enough, we want God
and we still at the same time want to live to our flesh, which
is not POSSIBLE! If you want God then you get all of Him!
and He changes your desires, He changes you! no longer should
self even be important, in fact Christ demands that you surrender
SELF! Do not be deceived there is no half truth, there is no half faith there is no half way in half way out..One foot in the world
and one foot in the grave…NO! throw your whole self in that grave
and die to self! Christ is what now lives through you.(Galatians 2:20)
