CHANGING FOCUS
Opening Prayer
Lord of life, I am grateful that there is no challenge I face today that you cannot empathize with and help me through.
Read JAMES 1:1-11
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations:
Greetings.
Trials and Temptations
2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.
9 Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. 10 But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. 11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business.
Footnotes
- James 1:2 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in verses 16 and 19; and in 2:1, 5, 14; 3:10, 12; 4:11; 5:7, 9, 10, 12, 19.
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
‘Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith’ (Hebrews 12:1, 2). How has fixing your eyes on Jesus helped you during times of trial?Long distance running isn’t easy. It requires months of training to build physical endurance and mental determination to keep going through the pain, adverse weather, and rough terrain.
Perseverance, James tells us, builds character, and brings us to maturity (v. 4). James grabs our attention by challenging us to consider it pure joy to face trials in our lives (v. 2). Why? Because through the experience of hardship and struggle, our faith can grow and mature. Learning to trust God in all circumstances builds perseverance, a quality that was perfectly ascribed to Jesus who ‘For the joy that was set before him he endured the cross’ (Hebrews 12:2).
Our faith can seem like a long-distance run. It can be exhilarating, but just as the runner develops perseverance for those long, painful, and lonely stretches, so through times of suffering, we develop confidence in a faithful God. Like a young child who has learned absolute trust in their parents, we can ask for all we need when times get tough, knowing that God will never abandon us. This changes our focus on life. Trials may not be welcome, but we can choose to approach hardship with hope, in the knowledge that through them, God will change us.
Apply
Are you ready to change your focus, choosing to trust God in all circumstances for this long-distance journey of faith?
Closing prayer
Mighty God, thank you that you are trustworthy, always ready to give me what I need to follow you.
Book and Author Intros
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