Category Archives: Trial

Good Gifts – James on Trials #7

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My son LOVES ketchup.  He has a shirt that says “I put ketchup on my ketchup”.  He really does.  Sometimes at dinner he will get ketchup for whatever meat or potato we have there and then stop eating the meat or potato and just eat the ketchup with his spoon.  We consider it a thick tomato soup.  I like ketchup.  Drew LOVES it.  He loves it so much that when he gets a smiley face on his conduct in Pre K3 my assistant gives him Chick-Fil-A ketchup packets.  He gets so excited about it.  Everyday after he gets his conduct grade, and it’s good, he goes to Jill and gets his ketchup packet.  On another note, I think Jill really likes ketchup too if she has so much in her desk.

Drew loves getting the gift of ketchup, to him it is a good and perfect gift.  It’s delicious.  This is also the way that we are supposed to view our trials.

[16] Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. [17] Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
(James 1:16-17 ESV)

The trials that we face: sickness, job issues, family issues, financial problems, school hurts, relationship messes, etc.  All of those trials are from God.  All of those trials that strike us are from God and meant for our good and they should be viewed as gifts.  Why are they gifts?  They make us stronger.  They make us look like Jesus.  They draw us closer to God.  The mold us into His character more and more.  They make us steadfast.  Steadfast IS what God is.  I love the end of verse 17.

with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change (James 1.17b)

God doesn’t change.  He doesn’t move from who He is or His intentions for you.  He doesn’t become a different guy from one day to the next or one hour to the next or one year to the next.  He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13.8).

The 2 Laws

I have two laws, (I explain them in great detail here), they help me cope with everyday life:

  1. People are ALWAYS stupid.  You know this is true.  If you doubt it just remember the last time someone pulled out in front of you in traffic, or maybe the last time YOU pulled out in front of someone in traffic.
  2. GOD NEVER CHANGES.  He is totally and completely consistent in all He does.  He does good things, even when they SEEM like bad things, they are good.
I don’t know what trial you find yourself in as a believer in Jesus.  I don’t know what is covering you up, breaking you down or making you cry.  I don’t know what it is, BUT rest assured that it is coming down from a GOOD God who means it for your good and His glory.
  • Trust Him in the middle of it.
  • See how it is molding you to look like Jesus.
  • Draw close to God through it.
Christ is all,
Jason

God, Why? – James on Trials #6

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Ever ask that question? I know that I have. I know I did about 5 minutes ago.

I’m asking for wisdom like we talked about in the fourth installment of this blog. But more than that I want to understand the big picture. I want to get that thing that is going on here that I don’t understand now. God, What is the chief end of trials? What is the purpose?

Ok, a Quick Recap:

  1. Trials make us steadfast (James on Trials #2)
  2. Trials make us look like Jesus (James on Trials #3)

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE

James 1:12 ESV

[12] Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

This verse promises a few more things to the one remaining steadfast under trial.

1. Happiness – There is a lot of talk that Christians are supposed to have joy and not be happy. Christians aren’t happy people, they are joyful people. I say that is half right. Christians are supposed to be joyful, absolutely. There is a deep abiding sense that God cares for them so when things are bad we have that to get us through and give us joy. BUT (and that is a big but) Christians who remain steadfast are also “blessed”. That word is hard to understand in our modern vernacular. Let me tell you how Greeks understood it though…HAPPY! It’s one of the the Greek words for Happy. One things that trials are supposed to make you is HAPPY. I know that is crazy. Don’t worry you don’t have to be a lunatic and act happy in the middle of the trial. God promises that the person who remains steadfast DURING the trial will be happy. When you come out on the other side, having endured well. You will be happy.

2. Crown of life- Today football players compete for the Lombardi Trophy, hockey players compete for the Stanley Cup, and golfers compete for the Green Jacket (kind of an odd competition for a really ugly sport coat). Back when the New Testament was being written athletes competed for laurel wreaths or crowns. What James is saying here is that coming through tests and trials leads to victory. It leads to…the crown of life. He’s bringing us back to the fact that these temporal trials have eternal consequences. Maximus from the movie Gladiator has it right: “what we do here, echoes for eternity”. At the end of our days, when we have been steadfast in trials here, we receive eternal life. Believers in the Jesus of the Bible will gain eternal life, but between belief and eternal life there will be trials. Remain steadfast and receive the prize. Remember Hebrews 11.6 “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”

3. You are loved – God promises eternal life to those who trust in His son, to those who love Him. Follow this train though.

  • We love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4.19)
  • We love Him and get the crown of life
  • We get the crown of life because we ENDURE TRIALS STEADFASTLY

So, what does it mean when you are face with trials of various kinds? What does it mean when you are pinched and squeezed over and over again or when you suffer horrible, unspeakable tragedy? I want to say this carefully, and not flippantly, so we are going one word at a time.

Trials

Demonstrate

God’s

Love

For

You

Let that sink in. Your trial is there because God loves you as you are, but is not content to leave you like that. He wants you better. He wants you stronger. He wants you to look more like His Son. Meditate on that for a while. Consider your trials as God’s love to you, He is more concerned with your character then He is with your comfort.

Christ is all,

Jason

Poor is the New Rich – James on Trials #5

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Poor is the new rich.

You didn’t know that?

I bet some people out there struggling to pay their bills are thinking “great, tell my mortgage, electric, and credit card companies that”. That’s not exactly what I’m talking about. Let’s jump back into James 1.9-11.

[9] Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, [10] and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. [11] For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.

2 SPECIFIC TRIALS
1. Poverty

Everyone understands that poverty can be trial. Everyone gets that not having enough money is a trial. Not enough money for the bills, or a lost job, mortgage foreclosure, etc. Just writing that list is stressful and gets me a little worked up. God says that the poor should boast or be happy because they are exalted.  That doesn’t seem to fit reality does it?  The poor are not exalted in society.  They are belittled, thought poorly of, or talked down to.  This doesn’t make sense in our world system.  Which means it must be pointing to a different world, a different reality, an eternal perspective.

2. Wealth

I’m sure a lot of people who are poor are wishing they had the trial of wealth.  Life must be so hard as a multi-million dollar athlete, high-rolling lawyer, venture capitalist or successful business owner.  Well, I think that it is.  Why?  They’ve got money they don’t have to worry about anything…WRONG.  Now, instead of not having enough money, they have to protect their money or they have to get more money and the REAL danger in the spiritual realm goes a little deeper.  The REAL danger is that you begin to depend on it.  You begin to depend on your money and wealth to overcome your obstacles and you rely on yourself, rather than your Creator, Sustainer, Savior.

THE POINT

Whether you have a lot or a little.  Whether you have much or what feels like not enough.  I think God is pointing to something different in the differing trials of wealth and poverty.  I think He is saying, your identity is not in money (whether your account has a lot of commas and zeros or a decimal place and all zeros).  Your identity is not in this world.  Your identity is beyond this place.  Your position is not a tax bracket or level in your 401(k), 403(b), or IRA.  It isn’t a number in a saving account or real estate that you own.  Your identity is drawn from a different place.

[17] Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
(2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV)

According to this verse the old has passed away.  You know what that “old” is in this situation?  Financial status.  Whether poor or rich God is challenging us to understand that this place is not our home.  This place, this earth is not a destination, but just part of a greater journey.  We need to realize that our financial status is a trial that God has allowed.

So when faced with poverty or wealth we:

  • consider it pure joy (1.2) – totally counterintuitive, but how we MUST think. (James on Trials - Part 1)
  • because this financial trial is making us steadfast (1.3) – steadfast, Christ-likeness is what we are going after, not ease. (James on Trials - Part 2)
  • let steadfastness have it’s COMPLETE effect so we can be mature (1.4) – God is molding us in this to look like Jesus, if you don’t get it’s full effect then don’t be surprised if it comes back around again and again.  (James on Trials - Part 3)
  • if you don’t get the financial trial (which no one will get completely), you ask God for wisdom in it (1.5) – He always delivers.  (James on Trials - Part 4)
  • ask BELIEVING that God will give the wisdom we desperately need (1.6-8) – ask correctly, don’t God.

Hope this is helpful!

Christ is all,

Jason

P.S. if you think you are poor consider the graphic below…

UA-26684642-1

 

James on Trials #4

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I have a 3 year old son.  His name is Drew.  Everyday at his preschool he gets a conduct “grade”.  This “grade” is either a happy face or a sad face.  Based on Drew’s conduct he gets treats or no treats.  The main treat we employ is….ICE CREAM.  That’s enough to get anybody to obey their teachers.  When Drew does well he gets ice cream that night.  We started using this workable tactic after we had multiple sad faces stemming from talking when the teacher talks, being disruptive, and my personal favorite…standing on the lunch tables and singing.  Allie and I disciplined, but we needed some positive incentive as well.

I remember the first night when we started this he said sheepishly, “daddy, can I have ice cream?”

I said, “what did you get on your conduct grade?”

He said very cautiously, “a happy face”

I said, “what do you get with a happy face?”

He said carefully, “ice cream?”

I said, “RIGHT ON BUDDY! Let’s go get it.”

CUTE, WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH TRIALS?

That little story has to do with our next few verses, James 1:5-8.

[5] If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

If you are having trouble understanding your trial, if you are lacking wisdom as to what is going on in the middle of it or what you are supposed to be gaining as a result of it.  The next verse tells you what to do.  ASK for wisdom in it.  God gives it.  He promised it.  Just like I had promised Drew ice cream if he got a happy face, God promises to give you wisdom in your trial.  One thing my wife, Allie, and I try to do is always keep our promises to our children.  This makes us careful to only promise things that we can deliver.  God promises wisdom for us in trial and He can and will deliver that.

He doesn’t promise ease.

He doesn’t promise YOUR resolution to the situation.

He doesn’t promise a pretty bow on the end of it.

He promises wisdom.  Wisdom as to how to handle the trial so that steadfastness can have it’s full effect.  Wisdom as to how to endure it well.  Wisdom as to why we are going through it and what we are to gain from it.  He promises wisdom if you ask.  AND if you ask a certain way…

THE RIGHT WAY TO ASK

As a married man I learned early that my tone matters.  I can say the same words or phrase to my wife, but the tone makes all the difference.  If I ask for Allie to wash something for me and say it quickly and curtly the reaction I will get is not going to be a good one.  Maybe my white boxers will come back pink…BUT if I ask kindly, lovingly, recognizing how much she has to do in her day normally and how this could put her out then she responds much better.  There is a right way to ask for things from my wife and there is a right way to ask for things from God.  Here’s how we are supposed to ask:

[6] But let him ask in faith, with no doubting,
(James 1:6 ESV)

ASK…BELIEVING that God CAN and WILL give you the wisdom you desperately need in the middle of the trial.  It isn’t a casual request.  It is an intense, blood earnest request asking God for wisdom in trial.  Asking Him to make it clear.  Asking Him for the wisdom and ability to persevere.

WHY DOES GOD WANT US ASKING LIKE THAT?

[6] But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. [7] For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; [8] he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
(James 1:6-8 ESV)

He doesn’t want His people being unstable or easily moved.  He wants His people steadfast.  He wants them steadfast in trial and He wants them steadfast in where they go for help.  He wants them rock-solid steadfast in knowing that He is good and that He gives good things to His children.  He wants His children single-minded on Him, not questioning, not seeking out other answers.  He wants His people stably focused with heartfelt reliance on Him.

BRINGING IT TOGETHER

1.  God is going to put His children through trial.  It’s going to happen, that’s just the way it is.  Determine to be joyful in it.  Determine to do it.  Let’s face it your way of dealing with trials really isn’t working, is it?  To review this go check out the First Day of this blog series.

2.  That trial is going to reveal what you are really relying on and begin to make you steadfast.  To catch this idea go beach to the Second Day.

3.  That trial is going to make you mature.  Christian maturity is looking like Jesus Christ and God is not content with His people loosely resembling His Son.  To think through this idea again go check out the Third Day.

Finally, know that God isn’t making you go through the trial by yourself.  he is walking with you EVERY step of the way.  He wants to provide you with wisdom.  he wants you to understand the point…you have to ask.  You have to believe.  You have to be single-minded and gritty in understanding what is going on.

Christ is all,

Jason

P.S. I’ll be writing again next week.

James on Trial #3

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So you’ve got trials, I’ve got trials, we’ve all got trials.  We talked about that in the first post in this series.  If you haven’t read it, go back and read it and make your list and start trying to force yourself to think counterintuitively.    Then we asked why do we have those trials.  We saw that those trials do somethings in us yesterday.  If you didn’t read that one go back and check it out, we’ll wait for you.  Those trials show us what we are currently depending on and then make us steadfast.  So let’s finish off what trials do for us.

[2] Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, [3] for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
[4] And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

(James 1:2-4 ESV)

 

The steadfastness that we gain by testing makes us mature.

That steadfastness that we gain by digging our heals in and enduring through a trial does something in us.  That steadfastness makes us more mature.  It gives us more insight into the next trial.  Let’s say it like this: The trials that we endure are meant to make us mature.  They are meant to help us navigate further trials and strengthen our faith in God.  That is provided…you “let steadfastness have its full effect”.  

You see I think there is a way that we can endure a trial, but not learn the lesson that God has for us in it, in essence not letting steadfastness have it’s full effect on us.  This MIGHT be why some of us have to endure the same trial over and over and over again.  We aren’t learning all that God has for us in that trial.  We aren’t letting it mold us in all the ways that it needs to.  When I think about this concept I think about tin foil, weird, huh?

I always struggle putting tin foil on food to go in the refrigerator.  Yes, I graduated from college.  I still struggle with getting the tin foil on the food properly.  It is usually because I don’t mold the tin foil properly to the plate or the food that I’m putting it on.  I do it quick and don’t crumple the corners enough, or lock it down tight enough, or roll up the edges firm enough.  In some way or another I just don’t put the stupid thing on well.  I don’t let it mold properly to the plate or food.

This is essentially what God is doing in your trial.  He is trying to mold you just the right way, He’s trying to get you to look EXACTLY the way He wants you to look.  He doesn’t want you to look “good enough” or kind of like what He wants.  Romans 8.29 is helpful here to understand God’s exact plan in this molding process:

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. [bold emphasis is mine]

God’s plan for you in trial is that you become mature and the ultimate measure of Christian maturity is you looking like…CHRIST.  God is taking His tin foil (you) and molding it around the image of His Son, so that you will look like Jesus more and more.  Each trial exists for that reason.  Each trial comes into your life to make you look like that.

I struggle with this all the time.  I struggled with this today already.  A small trial came up and I did not respond correctly.  I did not learn and grow enough from the last one that was similar and now I have digging, apologizing, and work to do to overcome my sinful reaction.  I’m not perfect in this at all.  I’m growing in this too…CONSTANTLY.  But I know that these trials (small and big) exist to make me look like someone who I want to desperately want to resemble.  These trials exist to mold me, shape me, and make me look like Jesus.  They exist to make me mature.  It’s not just true for me, it’s true for you.

Action Step: Take your list of trials and think through it and see if there are some items on the list that just seem to be repeating.  Think through them and see if there are little or big things that just seem to keep happening over and over.  If there are, maybe you aren’t letting steadfastness have its full effect.  Pray and think through how that can happen.

Christ is all,

Jason

James on Trials #2

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Trials hit.  They happen.  Someone stole your identity, your friend has cancer, your spouse left his towel on the ground again…  We have trials.  We all know that.  Did you make your list?  Do you know what trials you are currently experiencing?  If you haven’t, go do it before you read the rest of this blog.

So you’ve got your list.  You know what is in front of you that seems trying.  Maybe you’ve even determined to consider those things as joy.  You are taking the mental step to make yourself do what seems wholly unnatural to you.

WHY ALREADY?

Now you are asking why we are supposed to consider trials as pure joy.  Well let’s go on just a little further in James.

[2] Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, [3] for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 

(James 1:2-3 ESV)

There are a couple of benefits to Christians viewing  their trials this way.  We’ll do one today and the other tomorrow.

1.  The testing of our faith makes us steadfast.

Trials are essentially tests of our faith.  I can remember my physics class in high school.  It was a hard class, but made significantly easier because of graphing calculators, that are essentially legal means of cheating on tests.  You could plug anything into them and get the answer.  We had some REALLY smart kids in our class who even wrote programs for certain Physics equations (Yes, I realize I am being extremely nerdy, but there is a point, hold on).  These calculators were awesome.  I remember our teacher, Dr. Sharrar would get upset at us by how much we relied upon the calculators.  He always threatened that he would give us a test and we wouldn’t be able to use our high-powered graphing calculators.  Well, he kept his promise and when that test came and we weren’t allowed to use those graphing calculators we really found out that we weren’t relying on our knowledge of Physics, but on our TI-82s.

When trials arise in the life of a believer in Jesus they show us what we are relying upon.  They also have an effect on us.  They make us STEADFAST.  I understand the idea of steadfast best when I think of a goal-line stance football.  

The offense wants into the end zone.  The defense wants to keep them out.  The offense is trying everything they can to get in.  The defense is trying everything they can to keep them out.  The quarterback calls hike and the defensive linemen dig their feet into the ground and push back.  They do it until the whistle blows.  They repel the attack.  They grow as defensive players by digging in and enduring the trial.

The idea is that you trust God, let’s test that to see how much you trust God in any given circumstance.  And God will put trials in your life to see who it is you are relying upon AND to make you stronger for the next trial coming (there will be more, that’s just the way it is).

BRINGING IT TOGETHER

So we count it as PURE JOY when we meet trials of various kinds because it is showing us where we are lacking in our faith in God AND it makes us stronger for the next trial.  There is another couple of things that trials produce, but this is probably enough for today.

Think through that list you made and see how you have reacted.  Have you relied upon God in the trial or have you relied upon your own intelligence, ability, manipulation, or planning?  Have you viewed it as a way to make your faith stronger or as unfair attack?  Tough questions, I know, but they are worthwhile.

Christ is all,
Jason

P.S. go make your list and think through it.  It will be worth it.

James on Trials #1

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Ever have anything happen to you that just doesn’t make sense?  I mean, you’re a good person, you do good things, but then this thing just seemingly drops out of the sky and messes up everything (like you delete an entire blog that you spent 45 minutes writing).  You didn’t see it coming and it doesn’t make sense why God would allow it to happen to you.

Do you know what that is?

My friend… you… are…. experiencing… a….TRIAL!

The simple facts of life are that you will have rough times.  Bad things do happen.  Bad things do happen to good people.  If you haven’t had anything like that happen to you, just wait 3.5 seconds and something will come.  So what are we supposed to do when it comes to this thing called a trial?  How are we supposed to handle them?

An ancient writer, James, who was the pastor of the world’s first mega-church wrote about this very issue about 2000 years ago.  Apparently, this is an issue that’s been going on for people and specifically Christians for at least 2000 years.

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds” 
(James 1.2) 

That doesn’t seem right, does it?  James says to “count it all joy” or another translation says “consider it pure joy when you meet trials of various kinds”.  So, was James crazy?  Possibly…It definitely seems counter-intuitive doesn’t it?  Be joyful, be happy, GET EXCITED when you meet rough times in your life.

I can see James saying this to his wife after their baby blows out a diaper or when they don’t have enough money to make rent or when out of nowhere James’ mom, Mary, comes to live with them.  And I can see her reaction: “count it all joy on the couch honey”.

This seems nuts.  It is counterintuitive.  It doesn’t make sense, but then again my way of handling trials doesn’t really get me anywhere.  Maybe you are like me and when a trial comes up you:

  1. Get down
  2. Get depressed
  3. Ask why
  4. Wallow in a little self-pity
  5. Then try to numb it with some TV, movie, or reading some mindless blog (maybe this one)

Does any of that help?  Do I really get anywhere doing that?  No, maybe I forget about it for a while, but that thing is still there any I still have to deal with it.

What if we tried something TOTALLY different?  What if we did what James said?  What if we determined to count it as pure joy when we meet trials?  What do you think would happen?

We’ll talk about that tomorrow…But until then why don’t you think up those things in your life that are trying circumstances, it shouldn’t take long.  It’s the reason you are overeating, Facebooking your life away, or holding up away from the world.  What is it in your life that is a trial?

Write it down and do an experiment with me…  Consider that trial as pure joy.  We’ll talk about the why tomorrow, but take the first step and determine to see it as something that could produce joy.  What do you have to lose?

Christ is all,
Jason

P.S. Seriously, go make your list.