Lessons in James: When The Answer Is "No"

God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. James 1:12

The crown of life-- what a treasure to look forward to! I've talked before on the blog about the rewards that God promises to those who love him and obey him faithfully throughout their lives. And there is certainly a great wealth of heavenly treasures that followers of Christ can joyfully anticipate as we wait to meet Jesus face to face. But the process of getting there won't be a bed of roses. No pain, no gain, right?

In fact, Jesus promised us:

Here on earth you WILL have many trials and sorrows...

But, thankfully, in the same breath, He also reminds us:

But take heart, because I have overcome the world! John 16:33

I doubt it's any great surprise to most of us that trials will come and (usually) go. We're all pretty accustomed to aches and pains, whether physical, mental, emotional, financial, or otherwise-- some much worse than others. We know what it is to suffer for a time. But I want to speak, today, to those of you who are facing the trial that will not end. Because sometimes, despite all faith, all prayer, all attempts to trust... that miraculous healing, that needed money, that answer from above simply does not come!

We serve a God who is able to heal, despite what the doctors say; is able to provide, despite an economy that predicts otherwise; is able to offer the perfect words of wisdom when no one else knows what to say.

AND YET, He reserves the right to simply say "no."

For those of you that have heard "no" far more times than you would like, take heart today! Know that if you are honestly seeking and obeying God's will for your life and are faithfully trusting in his provision, your plight is not a form of punishment or a product of sin. Sometimes, God simply calls us to carry a heavy cross, and sometimes for a very long time, perhaps even our entire earthly lives.

In my ongoing struggles with anxiety and depression, which I have talked about here before, I find myself believing sometimes that if my faith were just a little bit stronger, if my prayers were a little more frequent, then maybe I would be able to push past these feelings of panic and fear and, through the power of the Holy Spirit, simply overcome them and live a "normal" life in spite of them. And while that thought sounds great coming from an inspirational coffee mug, the truth is that sometimes, God just doesn't work that way. Sometimes, the life he has called me to live is just different from what others practice and seem to expect of me as well (at least in my head anyway).

And the thing I'm learning to accept is that that's OK! That maybe there isn't anything "wrong" with me. Maybe this is simply the trial that God has called me to, and that maybe, in fact, quite possibly, he has no intention of removing it any time soon, if ever, this side of heaven.

And in that acceptance, I am also learning to believe that despite my "failure", as a result of these struggles, to do the things, sometimes, that other Christians seem to do so easily, I am not a disappointment to my Father. I am not less of a Christian. And, while I certainly lack the grace and patience at times that God requires, I have pressed on in faith and trust, and will one day receive that crown of life!

So, sufferer, whoever you are, whatever your pain, know that you are not "broken" either; you are not being punished-- you are a treasure to your Maker (who made you exactly as you are), and you have a great treasure waiting for you, too!

I'll leave you with these precious words by Charles H. Spurgeon, which my husband so graciously passed along to me yesterday:

"You Little-Faiths, you Despondencies, you Much-Afraids, you Feeble-Minds, you that sigh more than  you sing, you that would but cannot, you that have a great heart for holiness, but feel beaten back in your struggles, the Lord shall give you his love, his grace, his favor, as surely as he gives it to those who can do great things in his name."

Lessons in James: The Ultimate "Expert" Advice

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you! James 1:5

If we need wisdom?! When don't we? Under normal circumstances, there are any number of situations in our lives that require thoughtful decision-making, some more difficult and long-lasting than others. And in today's world, with an economy that is threatening to fall apart at any moment, a government that seems to have long ago run off the rails, schools and offices that seem to be growing increasingly more dangerous for us and our children and a growing epidemic of apathy in the greater church, we are left with some very grave and weighty decisions to make about how we will live in light of these dangers.

Where will we work? Will we even be able to work? Should we both go to work and put the kids in day care? Can we "afford" for mom to stay home?

What should we do with the money we do have? Do we invest it? Where do we invest it? Do we hide it under a mattress? Should we just spend it?

Where should our kids go to school? Should they go to school, or should we try to homeschool?

The list goes on and on and changes with each and every unique family and individual. The questions are endless. But where do we go for answers?

Can we really go to the Bible? I mean, maybe for very general guidelines on how to behave, how to be a "nice" person, how to "make God happy". . . but certainly not for practical, relevant advice on how to answer these modern questions; the Bible is so archaic! Certainly, God can't expect us to use it today when it comes to making choices about our lives!

And yet, God is eternal! He is the Alpha and the Omega! Before time began, He was! And he has written the future! The Bible, the document itself, may be very "old" as we understand it, but our God is ALIVE, his Word is the LIVING word, and he is very much attuned to our complicated "modern" problems. All we have to do is ASK him!

BUT! And here's the lesson for today: We need to make sure that in our asking, we approach God with the heart and attitude that He requires:

But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do. James 1:6-8 (emphasis added)

What does it look like to be divided between God and the world?

It looks like picking up the phone to call my mom, my best friend, three other friends and the girl I just met to ask their opinions or "vent" before consulting the One who made me on the matter.

It looks like picking up my iPhone to Google "wise investment strategies for 2013" rather than consulting the One who provides every penny I possess.

It looks like perusing the bookstore for "expert" authors, the internet for "expert" speakers and even the church for "successful" Christian models in hopes of gleaning "wisdom" from their experienced minds rather than running to Scripture and to prayer for an answer to my query.

It looks like praying and studying God's word first, only to grow impatient when an answer does not come as quickly as I'd like or one comes that I'm not excited about, and then seeking "counsel" from people who I know will tell me what I want to hear.

We are not guaranteed a lot of things in this life, even by God. As a Christian, we are guaranteed our salvation when we put our trust in him, but beyond that, he does not promise health, wealth, prosperity or even physical safety. But there are some things that he promises to give us, if we obey him and if we ASK for it! Wisdom is one of those things!

Ask Him, beloved, and he WILL answer. It may not be according to your timeline. It may not be the answer you were hoping for. But if you come to him and humble yourself at his feet, he WILL give you the wisdom you desire and need. And this expert advice will never fail you!

Lessons in James: Power in the Pain

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. James 1:2-4

"WHEN troubles come..." Lesson: troubles WILL come! They cannot be avoided.

BUT...

Each and every one of those troubles, trials and temptations contain within them the "opportunity for great joy!"  Lesson: The pain in our lives carries with it the potential for great joy. I emphasize potential and opportunity because God does not promise that we will find joy in each of our trials; he only offers the hope that joy is there waiting for us if we are willing to take it! The way we react to our circumstances will determine whether the experience is a joyful one or an excruciating one. The choice is ours!

When my kids scream and yell, when everyone is sick, when parenting with patience seems like an impossible task, when my own struggles with anxiety and depression seem to black out any chance at joy I could ever have again, I MUST remind myself of this warning and this promise. I have to honestly ask myself, "Am I trying desperately to avoid 'trouble' in my life and reacting with anger and bitterness when it comes anyway? Am I missing the fact that God may be giving me these trials for a purpose? What opportunities am I missing when I clam up and attempt to just shut my eyes and 'make it through' with clenched teeth and white knuckles, rather than opening up and allowing God to work in the midst of the pain? Have I asked God to give me joy through it, not in spite of it, but because of it!?"

And not only are we offered JOY, but we have a great opportunity for GROWTH through the struggles in our life, growth that is necessary in order for us to become "perfect and complete" as Jesus is perfect and complete!

What it really comes down to is, how much do I really want to be transformed into the image of Christ? How badly do I want to be like him? To please him? Do I want it badly enough to honestly say, "Whatever it takes, Lord!"? Or do I only really want to grow as much as my comfort will allow?

The Christian walk is an Olympic marathon! It takes great endurance, great focus, and honestly, great pain in order to be done right and done well! But, oh, it is a pain with a purpose, loved ones! Don't run from these precious opportunities in your life! Opportunities for JOY and for GROWTH, that ultimately fill your life with POWER, the power of a great and mighty God who KNOWS what it is to hurt as you hurt.

Take comfort in that truth, beloved, and keep your eyes fixed on the day when we will all finally be "complete, needing nothing!"

Coming Soon: Lessons in James

It's been a while since I've blogged. Probably a bit too long of a while. I've missed it, and have tried to come back a few times, but just have not felt like the Lord was really trying to speak through me. There are a lot of reasons to choose to write a blog, but I pray that mine would never be just for the sake of blogging. I never want to write just to write. I choose to write when there is a specific message that I feel God is asking me to communicate, even if I am the only one that reads it and learns from it. I simply want my words to have purpose, not earthly, selfish purpose, but eternal purpose and significance. And that is exactly what I believe this next little "series", if you want to call it that, will have!

I have been reading through the book of James, not with the aid of a study guide, but simply using Anne Graham Lotz's "3 Question" method, and the truths God has been giving me through this honest reading of his Word have been life-changing!

I hope to soon share some of those lightbulb truths with you!