James: Finding Purpose in our Pain

From the Heart! - Everywhere we look, people are making claims about life and how we can make ours better. Everyone from celebrities, to sports heroes, to social media newcomers, all claiming to know the secret to the good life. And with a national election coming up, the politicians are all telling us that if we will just vote for them, our lives will be so much better! But talk is cheap. Way too often we find out the promises that sounded so good, were empty and hollow. People frequently say one thing, but then go out and do something completely different. 

Sadly, we’re sometimes guilty of this as Christians. We make important claims like: Jesus is the only answer! / God is good, all the time! But then we seem to deny those very same claims by the way we live our lives. The author of the Book of James takes a very different approach when it comes to the things that give our lives meaning and purpose. He doesn’t offer us any short cuts or easy three step methods for success. Instead, he deals with the realities of life in this world in a way that points us back to the counter-cultural message of Christianity. And in the process, he doesn’t hold any punches: There are no shortcuts to spiritual maturity. The path often takes us through seasons of pain and suffering. Thankfully, after challenging us toward maturity, James records a power promise from our Lord: “God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation.” This promise means we can trust that Jesus will finish His perfect work in our lives! 

In His Service,

Pastor Steve