Wisdom in Trials
Text: Mark 15:42-16:8
Core Idea: Wisdom is the ability to perceive the purpose of God and carry out the will of God in the midst of our trials. James tells us that if we lack this wisdom, we should ask God because He is generous and eager to provide. Then let’s ask Him for this wisdom so that our trials make us, not break us.
INTRODUCTION
Last Sunday, we started a new sermon series on the book of James – and I shared that this book was written to the Jewish Christians who were unexpectedly scattered due to great and violent persecution. So, James wrote this book to care for them and instruct them as to how they ought to live in their challenging circumstances – but the way he began his letter surprised all of us. He said in verse 2, “Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds.” To clarify, this wasn’t a call to enjoy our trials as if we’re happy to suffer. This wasn’t a call to hide our sorrows and grief as we pretend to be happy. No, this was a call to consider, regard, perceive our trials as pure joy knowing that God is testing our faith, producing perseverance, and making us more like Christ through our trials.
Now, let’s be honest – this is not easy. This may make sense in our heads but sometimes, we can’t control what goes on in our hearts. We may want to consider our trials as pure joy because we know that God won’t waste our trials, but we can’t help but feel confused, devastated, and discouraged when trials do come. Friends, does this describe you today? You want to but you don’t know how. If so, I’m so thankful that you’re here today because this Word is for you. James will tell us that God will give us the wisdom to navigate through our trials so that we’re not lost. Then with that in mind, let’s open our Bibles to James 1:5-8. Let me read this for us.
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.
Amen. This is the Word of God for you today.
Let me share three things from this passage:
· THE DEFINITION OF WISDOM
· THE SOURCE OF WISDOM
· THE CONDITION OF WISDOM
1) THE DEFINITION OF WISDOM
Verse 5, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God.” If you read this passage on its own, you may think that James is referring to wisdom in general. But considering the context of the passage, James is actually saying this: “I understand that it’s not easy to consider your trials pure joy. Then if you’re having a difficult time embracing this truth, if you’re tempted to think differently from this, ask God for wisdom because it’s wisdom that will help you perceive the divine purpose of your trials and enable you to persevere through them. Wisdom is what you desperately need in the storms of life because it will keep you from being blown and tossed by the wind.” When we walk through trials, we don’t know all that’s going on, we don’t see our situation from every angle, and we often lack experience in what to do. But wisdom will help us make sense of this truth by giving us the perspective of God. Then what is wisdom? What is it that we lack? Simply put, wisdom is applied knowledge. It’s not just possessing head knowledge but being able to properly and effectively live out the truth. Wisdom is the truth that shapes your life. No wonder the Bible teaches that a fool is someone who knows the truth but does nothing about it – their lives remain unchanged (Prov. 26:11).
Now, the Bible teaches us that there are two types of wisdom – the wisdom of the world and the wisdom of God. We’ll talk more about this in Chapter 3 – so, we won’t go into details here. But what I want to point out is that the wisdom of the world doesn’t prepare or equip us to face trials. It doesn’t offer ways for people to deal with suffering because it’s founded on assumptions that actually make suffering unbearable for people. Let me explain by giving you two examples. The first assumption is that the advancement of science and technology should reduce the trials in our lives. And to some degree, this is true. We have the medical knowledge to help people in ways that no one in our history thought possible. We’re more connected than ever before. We have access to endless information with just a click of a mouse. Our lives are safer, better, and more convenient because of it. But at the same time, trials and suffering haven’t stopped – in fact, it’s just gotten worse. For example, technology has changed the way wars are fought. Technology can connect people, but it can also break relationships. Technology creates addictions, depression, and isolation. Technology is destroying the earth (ex. global warming). And despite all the medicine in the world and all the technology in the world, our death rate still remains to be one death per person – and that will never change. All this to say, no matter how much we advance in science and technology, we will never be able to bring an end to our pain and suffering – trials will continue. This assumption simply leaves us discouraged and crushed.
The second assumption is that good things happen to good people and bad things happen to bad people – and since many perceive themselves as relatively good, they believe that they all deserve a good life. Now, this assumption is proven false if we just look at the world around us. Sure, good things do happen to good people and bad things do happen to bad people, but bad things also happen to good people and good things do happen to bad people. In other words, there’s no evidence to defend this point – absolutely none. There’s no pattern that fits this belief. Then those who are trying to be good for the purpose of reducing their trials will only be left devastated. This assumption simply leaves us frustrated and confused.
The wisdom of the world doesn’t prepare or equip us to face trials because it actually doesn’t know what to do with trials. So, it simply offers people a method or a technique to avoid trials, minimize trials, or remove trials from our lives. It offers how-to books to help us do that better – “seven ways of avoiding suffering.” And if we’re still experiencing trials, it’ll say that we’re not trying hard enough, or it’ll offer us another seven ways to do it. The wisdom of the world can’t make people more competent to deal with suffering – but the wisdom of God can.
Let me explain by giving you two examples of what the wisdom of God says. First, it says that trials and troubles will always be with us because the world we live in is broken and sinful. Trials are inevitable but when Christ comes back to redeem us, it promises that all trials will end once and for all. Jesus said in John 16:22, “Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy.” And Revelation 21:4 says, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.” In other words, the wisdom of God brings hope in our trials – and this hope will enable us to stand firm in the midst of our trials because this future promise becomes the source of strength for today. Just as your trip to your dream location in two weeks can give you the strength to push through a hard day at work today, this promise that all trials will come to an end will give us a reason to stand firm and not give up. Second, the Bible also tells us that Jesus promises to be in the fire with us (Dan. 3:25). Jesus said in Matthew 28:20, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” And God also said in Isaiah 43:1-2, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” In other words, the wisdom of God brings comfort in our trials – and knowing that we’re not alone, this comfort will give us the courage to get up and fight again.
All this to say, the wisdom of God is the ability to look at life from God’s perspective and live in such a way that will honor God in the midst of our trials. No wonder James believes that this is absolutely essential to our trials. We need this wisdom because only by this wisdom can one perceive the purpose of trials, respond appropriately to trials, and ultimately benefit from trials. This wisdom enables us to make sense of life when life doesn’t seem to make sense. Then don’t you want this kind of wisdom? James tells us that we can have it – and here’s how.
2) THE SOURCE OF WISDOM
Let’s read verse 5 again, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God.” James directs us to the source of all wisdom and the priority of prayer in the midst of our trials. Since trials exhaust our strength, since trials leave us empty, they ought to drive us to God who is infinite in power and strength. By the way, this is another gracious purpose of God for our trials – that God will use them to re-introduce prayer back into our lives. Actually, this is something that I experienced not too long ago. When we started this church in September 2021, my second son was born in the same month. And the transition as you can imagine wasn’t easy. It was physically taxing as I wasn’t getting enough sleep. It was emotionally overwhelming as I felt utterly inadequate as a husband, as a father, and as a pastor. I felt scared. I felt pressured. I felt incompetent. I felt alone. I felt like running away. And I remember praying to God, “Why did You allow all these things to happen at once? Why couldn’t You delay the transition of the church or delay the birth? Is it because You want me to fall so that I learn humility? I mean, what is it? I just don’t understand.” But in hindsight, I realized that God was using my circumstances to drive me to pray. Honestly, if it wasn’t for these trials, I don’t know if I would’ve spent so much time praying – I think I would’ve kept myself busy doing a lot of things at the expense of prayer. But because there were so many things outside of my control and because I felt so helpless and hopeless, I had no choice but to pray. I didn’t understand why then but now I see that this was God’s gracious purpose in allowing these two very important transitions to take place at the same time. Brothers and sisters, is your trial leading you to prayer? Or is your trial creating a greater distance between you and God? We must remember that trials remind us of our weaknesses, but prayer reminds us of the greatness and the graciousness of God. Then I invite you to pray today. If you don’t know what to say, it’s okay to remain silent in prayer – maybe He’s inviting you to just listen. If you want to ask questions, do that. If you want to complain, do that. Just don’t delay because James teaches us that when we ask, He will give us wisdom for our trials.
Verse 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.” Now, how can James make this kind of massive promise? Just pause for a moment and consider how mind-blowing this is. James says, “In your trials, if you ask God for wisdom which you so desperately need, it will be given to you.” There’s no hint of doubt in his words. Then how can he be so sure? Because this promise is informed by knowing who God is. James is able to make this kind of promise because of the generosity of God – because he knows that God is unbelievably generous in the way He gives. Actually, this verse literally says, “Ask the giving God.” In other words, it’s the nature of God to give – He delights in giving. He is the giving God. Alec Motyer writes, “This is how the giving God gives – with a selfless, total concern for us and with an exclusive preoccupation as if he had nothing else to do but to give and give again.” Just imagine the disposition of God toward His people who are making this request. His back is not turned against us. He’s not glaring at us with suspicion. He’s not standing there with His arms crossed – waiting for us to prove our worth. No, He is directly facing us – leaning toward us to listen better. He is looking at us with compassion and eagerness – like a parent who is ready to do anything and everything to comfort and help a hurting child. He’s giving us undivided attention as if He had nothing else to do. In fact, He’s not just standing there but He’s running toward us with His arms wide open – wanting to embrace us and protect us. This is our God.
And He promises that He will give generously to all. He shows no favoritism – which means that this wisdom is not limited to a favored few. It’s not limited to those who are mature in their faith or the most gifted. No, He gives generously to all who need it which includes ordinary Christians like you and me. But that’s not all. James tells us that God gives without finding fault. In other words, He doesn’t say, “Did you fail again? Are you ever going to learn your lesson? How long do we have to do this? How much more do I have to give before you get it?” No, He gives generously to all without hesitation, without question because this God loves to meet our needs. So, if you’re a Christian, let me ask you, “Are you praying for wisdom today?” If not, why not? Why aren’t we praying for wisdom? What are we praying for instead? Our God finds pleasure in providing what’s most needed for our trials. Then let’s approach Him with confidence today. He will generously and eagerly give us His wisdom.
3) THE CONDITION OF WISDOM
Verses 6-7, “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. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.” James established that there’s no question about the generosity and the sincerity of God in providing us with the wisdom we need to face trials. Now, he informs us that our request for wisdom must be sincere as well. Our request for wisdom must be made in faith.
Now, I want to be very careful here because I want to make sure that you don’t misunderstand the nature of doubt that James is referencing here. James is not saying that our prayer for wisdom will be answered only if it’s flawlessly prayed without any trace of doubt or uncertainty. James is not requiring perfect faith in prayer. Then what is he saying? Well, if we turn to verse 8, we learn more about this doubtful person that James talks about, “Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.” The word “double-minded” in Greek literally says, “double-souled.” It’s like this person has two souls, two minds, and two hearts. Then James is not talking about intellectual doubt – the wrestling that we often go through in our minds, “Will God really answer? What if He doesn’t answer? What if He’s displeased with me? What if He withholds from giving me the wisdom I need?” No, he’s not criticizing these kinds of questions. But he’s talking about divided loyalty – a person who desires two things at the same time. This person prays for one thing but desires something else. “Lord, I need Your wisdom.” But when God responds, “Persevere through this season; break this relationship because it’s wrong; forgive this person even if she’s not remorseful; serve this person even if he doesn’t deserve your kindness; give even if it hurts you,” you say, “No thank You. Is there another way? In fact, I want it done my way and I’d like You to bless it.” You pray for one thing, but you reject God’s wisdom because it’s not what you want to hear – you just want God to say what you want Him to say. That is what it means to be double-minded. It’s like Augustine’s famous prayer: “Lord, make me pure, but not yet.”
And James tells us that a person who prays like this shouldn’t expect to receive anything from the Lord but expect to be unstable in all they do because the thing that they live for, the thing that they desire, if it’s not God, will ultimately disappoint and crush them. Let me explain. Let’s say that you’re living for a person in your life – and this person has become more important than God. In one sense, this person has become your god. Then what happens when you lose that relationship? You become godless at that moment – your anchor is gone. There’s nothing to hold you down. No wonder James describes this person as being blown and tossed by the wind and the wave of the sea – there’s no stability in this person’s life. Of course, you can replace this person with anything in life (career, wealth, health, reputation, power, or approval) and the result will be the same – if you make anything of this world the anchor of your life, it will always fail you. But the Bible tells us that if you make God your anchor, you will never be moved because He will never leave you or forsake you. You will always be secure. Even if the storms of life come, they will never be able to shake us. Friends, I want to suggest something today. Maybe the instability of your life has nothing to do with the distance of God – how far you think He is from you. Maybe it has everything to do with the disloyalty of your heart. Maybe God is exposing you to the idols of your heart because He wants to draw you back into His presence. Then maybe it’s time to bow before the Lord and say, “I want to be loyal. I want to love You more than I love myself.” But let’s be honest – despite our desires, we continue to waver in our hearts. We continue to find ourselves wanting to serve God but also serve ourselves. We want God’s will to be done but we also want our will to be done, our plans to be honored, our ambitions to be satisfied. We are divided in our loyalties. Then does this mean that God will never give us His wisdom we so desperately need in our trials?
Well, the Bible tells us that God made a way for us. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:30, “Christ Jesus… has become for us wisdom from God.” God has given us wisdom in a person – and His name is Jesus. When we enter into a personal relationship with Jesus which has been made possible through His death and resurrection, we can be sure that we will never be separated from Him – we will always have this wisdom with us. Paul says in 2 Timothy 2:13, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful for He cannot disown Himself.” In other words, we’ve been so intimately united with Christ that He sees us as part of Himself – which is why even when we are faithless, disloyal, He will never let go of us because He will always remain faithful, loyal to us. Brothers and sisters, true wisdom is not ultimately gained by books or life experience – it’s ours to embrace through a relationship with Christ. And this is why if you’re a Christian, the promise in verse 5 is yes and amen through Jesus Christ – if you ask God, He will always, generously give you the wisdom you need to perceive your trials as joy and persevere through them in faith. And if you’re not a Christian, this wisdom can be yours when you choose to turn from your double-mindedness and turn to Christ, who is the wisdom personified.
I’ve shared this quote last week but let me share it again – Pastor Tim Keller said, “The stakes are high here. Suffering will either leave you a much better person or a much worse one than you were before. Trials and troubles in life, which are inevitable, will either make you or break you. But either way, you will not remain the same.” So, given that the stakes are so high, given that trials will either make us or break us, how kind is the Lord to give us this promise? How generous of God to promise us wisdom so that our trials don’t make us bitter but better? How caring is He in the midst of our trials? So, do you find yourself in the midst of a painful and perplexing trial today? Is your impulse to continually ask, “Why”? Then ask God for His wisdom. He’s generous. It will be given to you.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1) What is wisdom? Why is wisdom essential in facing our trials?
2) List some ways in which wisdom can help us strengthen our faith in the midst of our painful circumstances and unanswered questions. (If you want, share your personal experiences as examples.)
3) If someone no longer has an interest in being a Christian due to a trial, how would you counsel that person?
4) Spend some time sharing about the trials and suffering that you’re going through right now. Then pray for wisdom knowing that God is generous to give to all who ask.