WHOSE FAULT IS IT? (4 OF 14)
Scripture: James 1:12-19
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Whose Fault Is It? (4 of 14)
Series: James
Robert Dawson
James 1:12-19
Comedian Jack Handy, in his book Fuzzy Memories, shares this story. Growing up there was a bully who demanded his lunch money every day at school. Because the bully was so much bigger than Jack he always gave him his money.
One day he decided to fight back. Jack started taking karate lessons, but the instructor wanted $5.00 a lesson. That was a lot of money and the lessons were demanding. I decided it was cheaper and easier to simply pay the bully so I gave up karate.
Unfortunately that is the attitude many of us as believers have when we face life's many and various trials. It is easier to give up than press on. It is easier to bow out than persevere. It is easier to pull up short than endure to the end.
When we do that we not only short-circuit God's primary program for bringing us to maturity we open ourselves up to much more serious problems.
- When we respond wrongly to trails we not only fail to grow, mature, deepen our desire for God, our appreciation of Scripture and earn heavenly rewards we become fertile ground for the seeds of sin - anger - rebellion and bitterness to grow and find root.
- Trials can lead and are intended to lead to blessing and maturity; BUT trials do not have some inherit power on their own to accomplish this.
- It is dependent on our response to God while we are in the midst of them.
- We all know people - too many people - who have stopped walking with God under the pressure of trial - tragedy and adversity - as the cliché says, 'rather than becoming better they become bitter.'
This is the opposite side of the coin for every trial that comes our way. Trials can be tests or temptations.
- I don't think it is helpful to try and distinguish between external trials or internal trials. What is an external trial (something outside of us - circumstances and situations) always has a way of ultimately becoming and internal trial (a struggle withi ...
Series: James
Robert Dawson
James 1:12-19
Comedian Jack Handy, in his book Fuzzy Memories, shares this story. Growing up there was a bully who demanded his lunch money every day at school. Because the bully was so much bigger than Jack he always gave him his money.
One day he decided to fight back. Jack started taking karate lessons, but the instructor wanted $5.00 a lesson. That was a lot of money and the lessons were demanding. I decided it was cheaper and easier to simply pay the bully so I gave up karate.
Unfortunately that is the attitude many of us as believers have when we face life's many and various trials. It is easier to give up than press on. It is easier to bow out than persevere. It is easier to pull up short than endure to the end.
When we do that we not only short-circuit God's primary program for bringing us to maturity we open ourselves up to much more serious problems.
- When we respond wrongly to trails we not only fail to grow, mature, deepen our desire for God, our appreciation of Scripture and earn heavenly rewards we become fertile ground for the seeds of sin - anger - rebellion and bitterness to grow and find root.
- Trials can lead and are intended to lead to blessing and maturity; BUT trials do not have some inherit power on their own to accomplish this.
- It is dependent on our response to God while we are in the midst of them.
- We all know people - too many people - who have stopped walking with God under the pressure of trial - tragedy and adversity - as the cliché says, 'rather than becoming better they become bitter.'
This is the opposite side of the coin for every trial that comes our way. Trials can be tests or temptations.
- I don't think it is helpful to try and distinguish between external trials or internal trials. What is an external trial (something outside of us - circumstances and situations) always has a way of ultimately becoming and internal trial (a struggle withi ...
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