Stopping the reign of negative circumstances

I think many believers are shocked when they begin to read the letter of James. It starts with encouragement that sounds like an oxymoron. James tells us to rejoice when the circumstances aren’t going well! There’s no natural desire to be celebrating difficulties even if it builds up the perseverance.

What if we don’t understand it well?

My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptations, knowing that the trying of your faith develops patience. (James 1:2–3, MEV, emphasis mine)

The words “temptations” and “tryings” (two different Greek words) are being used interchangeably in order to explain the concept which in English would be understood as trial or test. Although the word “temptation” describes a draw to do a certain thing, in Greek it also means “testing”. The next verse gives us a second approach to understand it as “trying of our faith”.

What usually happens?

Let’s say you believe this principle:

You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13, ESV)

Because you’re not a hearer only, but the doer of the word, you apply this truth which clearly promises that those who seek God will find Him. You start spending time with God in your secret place. It all goes well, you start experiencing Him teaching you and revealing more of who you are.

Then all of a sudden you lose a desire to be with God, the time you seek Him seems to be empty and pointless. Why continue? It’s so dull and empty. Is there something wrong?

No! Nothing is wrong. That’s a trial of your faith! While the truth stays valid, your feelings and natural wisdom start to evaluate your actions and the fruit of them. It’s also a temptation because it leads you away from the presence of God and the promises that He gave. It tries to prove to you that what you believe is not true even though it’s written in the Word of God.

You have to remember this: if it’s true, it stays true. God never changes.

James encourages us to persevere in faith when a force trying to leads us away from the path. This can be understood as negative circumstances that you didn’t hope for or didn’t have an expectation for. They appear opposing your faith. The trial doesn’t oppose your actions but what you believe in your heart. It’s after the truth as the birds were after the seed that fell along the path (Mark 4:4).

Single-mindedness

James points at the importance to have a single focus.

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. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. (James 1:6–8, ESV)

A double-minded person who is unstable in all his ways is not receiving what God has for them. It’s not that God doesn’t give but it’s that person doesn’t receive. One moment he thinks that what God said is true, another moment he changes his mind.

If you have two opinions on a matter, actually you have no opinion at all.

There came a point in my life when I got tired of questioning what I believe as true. I decided no to allow my thoughts, doubts, or a lack of fruit to determine the reality of what God said. I asked Jesus to point out if I do something wrong instead of me spending weeks analyzing if it’s true or not. That set me free and gave me a sharper focus.

A single-minded person might look having a narrow view on life, but if Jesus was open to every idea without being rooted and grounded on the truth, we wouldn’t have heard about Him. The fact that nothing was able to shake His “stubbornness” He remained steadfast till the end and achieved what He came for.

Final thoughts

We can rejoice because the truth is immovable. The circumstances that don’t seem to be going the way we want, shouldn’t make us wave in doubts. We are called to stand firm in the faith of the Gospel.

There is always going to be a reason to doubt, a reason to back off of the truth and get discouraged. The heroes of faith (referring to Hebrews chapter 11) are called like that because they didn’t lose heart, but received what God had promised them. They had every reason to give up but they didn’t and the results were well worth the effort.

The negative circumstances are natural occurrences in our lives. They are trials of our faith. Don’t think they prove that you believe a lie. Let God speak and direct you if you do. Don’t try to rationalize and have every answer to every question you might have.

God loves and cares for you. Period. It’s the truth that changes not. If God had changed His mind about you, He wouldn’t have hung Jesus on the cross. It’s too late now and there are no regrets in God’s heart. It’s a done deal which is our stable rock to stand on!

Because of that, we (believers in what Jesus has done for us) can be sure and secure in the truth of His love and redemption through the cross. Opposition against this truth will arise and will knock off those who haven’t established themselves in the fact. However, those that stood the ground rejoicing and did not waver will receive the crown of life as a reward.

Subscribe to my newsletter.