This Is Why He’s My Rock!

James 1:16-18

“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17 (NIV)

This is what I want to think about.  I like the good stuff that comes from God.  But I do understand that I have to have the bad stuff to know the good stuff. 

This verse is stuck in the middle of a couple of topics in James.  I know it’s related to the previous chunk about temptation, but I wanted to set it apart for a crucial element in this sentence: 

“...who does not change like the shifting shadows.” 

I am a small, miniscule, tiny, tiny little human being who deals with other tiny little human beings here on earth.  There is absolutely no way I can even begin to comprehend the magnitude of God.  He created our entire universe, and possibly other universes beyond that.  He gave light to the sun, set the stars in the sky, and placed us on this earth, giving us everything we need.

But I only have my tiny little human understanding.  I do believe that God is bigger than everything, that he can do anything, and that he infinitely loves and forgives me.   Yet my human brain wants to relate him to something in order to make him more tangible.  The problem here is that the only thing I have to which to relate him is other tiny little humans. 

Tiny little humans who change with the wind.  Tiny little humans who lie, cheat, steal.  Who abandon, abuse, betray, deceive.  Who, without fail, never fail to let me down.

This is why it can be so hard sometimes simply to trust God.  It is not an easy task by any stretch of the imagination.  I’ve got all my human-inflicted wounds, my people trust issues, my expectations to be let down.  All of this wants to carry over to God and it is a daily task to work beyond that.  I must remind myself that my heavenly Father is not my earthly father.  My Friend among the stars is not like unreliable friends I’ve had here on earth.  My Eternal Love is not at all like the romances I’ve experienced on this planet.

I pray that this is something I never forget, and that it is a task which will become less and less work over time.  Because I know God.  I just have to stop trying to assign human characteristics to God in an attempt to understand him. 

Amen!  :D

Put the Corndogs Down!

James 1:12-15

Temptation.  Yet another theme that shows up all over the bible.  Being human, temptation is a daily struggle.  Even if it’s little things, temptation shows up everywhere, sometimes in the least likely of places.  It’s a tricky component of human nature. 

Tempt: to entice or allure to do something often regarded as unwise, wrong, or immoral (dictionary.com – italics mine).  In other words, to persuade one to do something that goes against the will of God.

I am very familiar with temptation – especially where it connects to my lack of impulse control.  There was one particular grocery shopping trip where a box of fifty mini corndogs jumped in and out of my cart at least four times.  I lost the battle and it came home with me (and I am primarily a vegetarian).  This may be a small, silly example which doesn’t adversely affect my life in any big way, but I still gave into temptation.  

For any of us who are addicts of any sort, temptation plays a huge role in how we live our lives.  Due to the nature of our physiological and psychological addiction, when we get that urge to use, to drink, to gamble, etc, it can be next to impossible to resist.  Somehow the car ends up in the dealer’s driveway.  “Well, I’m already here.  I might as well go in.”  Walking by a bar, “Oh, one drink won’t hurt.  At the most I’ll have two and then I’ll leave.”  I think plenty of folks other than myself know where both of those situations will lead.

What I find interesting about this passage is that James is clear that it is not God who tempts us.  “God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else.  Temptation comes from our own desires which entice us and drag us away.” James 1:13b, 14 (NLT)

What about Job?  God allows Satan to wreak havoc upon Job’s life to tempt him to curse God, but God himself in no way tempts Job.   What about Jesus in the desert with the devil?  In Matthew 4:1, Mark 1:12 and Luke 4:1, the Holy Spirit leads Jesus into the desert.  Yet the devil, not the Holy Spirit is the source of the temptation.  God doesn’t do the tempting, the enemy does.  James says temptation to give in comes from us. 

While another entity may be the source of that which tempts me, what causes me to succumb to temptation is within my human nature.  I give in whether it is due to my brain chemistry, my seeking of approval or attention, my desire to do something other than what I am doing...  The list goes on. 

The good thing in all of this is that I am reassured that God will never allow my desires and temptations to be more than I can handle.  “God is faithful.  He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand.  When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so you can endure.” 1 Cor 10:13 (NLT)  He will always provide a way out, I just have to pay attention.  And the best way I can keep myself equipped to see the way out is to have my nose in the Good Book and recognize things which are in accordance with God’s will instead of my own. 

Amen!  :D

p.s. While looking over various topics of temptation, an image of Peter from Family Guy showed up in the search results.  Of course I had to look.  Rev Peep: Resisting Temptation

I Already Planned to Sell My Couch, Now I Need to Have a Yard Sale!

James 1:9-11, 5:1-3

“Prosperity is as short-lived as a wildflower, so don’t ever count on it.”  James 1:10b (MSG) 

Growing up in the countryside of the Midwestern US, there always was an abundance of wildflowers growing in the fields and pastures.  While James refers to the wildflower withering in the sun, I think of winters, cold snaps, early and late freezes as ways I saw wildflowers die.  They came and went with the changing of the seasons and their lives were at the mercy of the weather.

A common misconception about verses like these is that the bible tells us money is bad.  But what it actually says is that the love of money is not good.  “For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.”  1 Timothy 6:10 (NIV)  It is not riches or wealth themselves that are bad.  But how important they are to me can make way for harsh judgment.

In the story of the young rich man (Matt 19:16-23; Mark 10:17-23), Jesus tells the man, “Go sell all your possessions... Then come follow me.”  Matt 19:21 (MSG)  It wasn’t that he couldn’t get to heaven while rich, but that his possessions were too important to him.   He was unable to let go of earthly things and follow Jesus because his stuff was more valuable to him than Jesus.   God doesn’t mind if I have money or possessions, he just doesn’t want my focus to be on things of this world.  If I am focused on making money or acquiring stuff, then my focus is not on God.

Then consider the ever-changing economy, stock market fluctuation, massive amounts of individual and national debt, depressions, recessions...  In the blink of an eye I can require major surgery that costs many thousands of dollars.  I can lose everything I own in a fire or flood.  Even if I had money, I couldn’t count on it always being there.

The only thing that is sure and constant in my life is God.  I can’t count on worldly prosperity, but I can count on God.  Keeping my focus on him and living according to his will I will be more fulfilled and spiritually prosperous than if I am trying to figure out how to get more money, get more stuff, get more, get more, get more.

So I will enjoy the wildflowers while they are here, but not mourn them when they are gone.  Because I know that while they come and go with the changing of the seasons, God who gives them life will always be by my side.  And I can count on that.

Amen!  :D

Why Can't I Just Flip a Switch?

James 1:5-8

“If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father.  He loves to help. ... Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought.” James 1:5a, 6a (MSG)

So many times I have asked for help, yet not really expected to receive it.  Did I know God could do it?  Sure did!  Did I think he’d do it for me?  Sure didn’t.

I believed in the power of God.  I believed in the power of prayer.  And for a short time, I even believed it could work in my life.  But then my world fell to pieces again, and I feared that believing God would do anything for me would only set me up to be let down.  While I had experienced plenty of good things in my life, mostly what I felt was pain, disappointment, and abandonment.

So in my darkest hours, I couldn’t find the light.  In great desperation, all I could pray was, “God, help me,” but I didn’t really believe he would.  Because if I really believed he would and then he didn’t, there truly would be no hope left at all.  Better to ask and not expect to receive than to ask, believe, and be left in the dark anyway. 

“But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt.” James 1:6a (NIV) 

Doubt.  Defined as: 1) to be uncertain about; consider questionable or unlikely; hesitate to believe; 2) to distrust; 3) Archaic. to fear; be apprehensive about.  (Dictionary.com)

Uncertainty, hesitation, fear...  Distrust.  Having doubts about God is the number one way to prove I do not trust him.  I do not trust that he will provide.  I do not trust that he will catch me if I fall.  I do not trust that he will ever pull me out of my darkness into his light.  I couldn’t believe because to believe was to have hope, and to have hope meant opening myself up to the possibility of being hurt.  And I hurt enough as it was.

The thing is, truly trusting God and believing he will do all of those things listed above, even in the midst of trying times, takes the weight of the world off of my shoulders.  God will do what I cannot do, and there is a lot that I cannot do.  Surrendering to him and his will for my life, spending a great deal of time in prayer, meditation, and the Good Book makes life a lot less difficult to live, even when it still brings pain.

So I’ll keep earnestly believing.  I will keep trusting, I will continue to lift my hands high, and I will walk in his light.

“If you walk in darkness, you don’t know where you’re going.  As you have the light, believe in the light.  Then the light will be within you, and shining through your lives.  You’ll be children of light.”  John 12:35b, 36 (MSG)

Amen!  :D

Thanks, But I Wanted a Pony

James 1:1-4

The book of James is a great book in the bible.  God called me to read it again last night and I've decided to meditate on James over the next few days.  The more time I spend with the Good Book, the more the Good Stuff sticks.  I like it when it sticks, so I'm going to take this particular Good Stuff bit by bit.  For better digestion, take smaller bites.  :)

James, acting as a leader, is writing to Jesus' followers who have moved away from Jerusalem and are in different parts of the early world.  Unlike Paul, he isn't simply writing to one group of people, rather addressing Christ's followers as a whole.  

In reading the bible, just about any chunk of it seems to contain a lesson on going through trials.  James is no different.  He starts out strong, "Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides." James 1:2 (MSG)  A gift?  Really?  NLT says, "...consider it an opportunity for great joy."  Not just joy, but great joy.  

"Because you know the testing of your faith develops perseverance." James 1:3 (NIV)  Now James sounds like Paul, "...we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance..." Rom 5:3 (NIV)  When I had my business I was known practically to snarl the words, "Perseverance is the key!!!" near the end of a grueling day or during a particularly difficult project.  I obviously didn't believe it, as I was overworked, overwhelmed, and spiritually undernourished. 

While going through any difficult time, I knew I had to stick it out, but I could not make myself be happy about persevering.  My spiritual hat was pulled down way too low for me to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  My hard work always paid off - job well done, happy clients...  But I hated constantly being stressed and under pressure.  Job-wise or otherwise, I never wanted to stay in my trials. 

But, "Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:4 (NIV) 

If all I am focused on is making it through a tough time, I am missing the point.  I'm stumbling through an obstacle course, twisting ankles and getting bruises because my eyes are on the finish line, not the obstacles, and most importantly, not on God.  Maturity develops as I patiently examine each obstacle, look to God for help, then step out in faith, trusting that he'll catch me if I fall.

Now, I am glad to have "an opportunity for great joy" these days.  I am focused on my obstacle: I got laid off.  I need to find a job.  The economy isn't the best right now and there aren't many jobs out there.  But I am also focused on God: "I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13 (NIV)  God will provide.  So I am thankful, and it is a gift because it allows me to lean on God, to strengthen my faith and to grow spiritually in a way that I could not if I never were tested. 

When Paul writes of one of his trials, he says, "Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.  But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in [your] weakness." 2 Cor 12:8-9 (NIV)

Amen!  :D