"STRESS IS PROFITABLE"

Text: “But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; and the rich man is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with a scorching wind and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so too the rich man in the midst of his pursuits will fade away. Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” (James 1:9-12) [NASB]

Open:

What one thing in your life have you done that you would say was very profitable?

Explore:

     God’s intentions for His tests are good. Some of the hardest questions you and I will ever have to answer is “Why do bad things happen to good people?” and “Why do good things happen to bad people?” Don’t think that we’re the first ones to ask this question. We know that even David asked that question. In Psalm 73:3-5 [NLT] he wrote, “For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness. They seem to live such painless lives; their bodies are so healthy and strong. They don’t have troubles like other people; they’re not plagued with problems like everyone else.” Even Jeremiah wrestled with this. In Jeremiah 12:1 he wrote, “Lord, you always give me justice when I bring a case before you. So let me bring you this complaint: Why are the wicked so prosperous? Why are evil people so happy?” So, don’t be so arrogant to think you are the first one to come up with that question.

     Have you ever found yourself wondering what's the answer? Jesus’ answer to us is the same that He gave to His disciples when they walked past a man who was born blind. John 9:1-3 says, “As Jesus was walking along, he saw a man who had been blind from birth. “Rabbi,” his disciples asked him, “why was this man born blind? Was it because of his own sins or his parents’ sins?” “It was not because of his sins or his parents’ sins,” Jesus answered. “This happened so the power of God could be seen in him.” Jesus told them that this man had been blind from the time of his birth for a reason. He had to endure the tests of a physical handicap and the stresses it brings his entire life for one reason―to glorify God. God intended good for the tests, stress and trials of that man’s life. Just like He intends good for all the tests, stress and trials of your life.

     So, understanding that God’s intentions for His tests are good, James sets out to tell us a little bit about the nature of God’s testing. He shows us the pattern for God’s testing in James 1:9-11. Sometimes God tests by exalting the humble. We don’t normally think of that as testing do we? But it’s the first one test James lists here in (v. 9). God can test us with poverty as well as prosperity. Amen, let me get in line for the test of prosperity. That’s the one I want to volunteer for. Is it really? You can define prosperity a lot of different ways, but the one that comes to mind first is by money―big money. Here is a story of as woman who was exalted. Evelyn Adams won the New Jersey lottery―not just once, but twice, in 1985 and 1986. She went from average middle-class to multi-millionaire overnight. Now she’s in debt up to her eyeballs and lives in a trailer. This story is an example of God testing the humble by exalting them. But money is just one way God tests the humble. Have you ever seen someone get promoted and overnight change the way they treat people? Or see someone move into the “gated community” and act differently? How do you react to the blessings God gives you? When you’re given the test of prosperity? God can test you with prosperity. He can exalt the humble in order to test them. But He can also humble the exalted look at James 1:10-11. This is the kind of test we won’t volunteer to get in line for. This is the kind of test that we see as a tragedy or a trial. When someone loses a house. When they lose their job. When they lose a child. It’s the kind of test that people respond to by shaking their fist at God. They say things like, “God, how could you let this happen.” How do you react when these high stress tragedies strike? When you’re given the test of humility? God can exalt the humble and He can humble the exalted. That is His pattern for testing.

     I said that His intention for testing and stress is good and profitable. So if His intention for testing is good and profitable, then He must have a goal in mind and for a reason. God’s good intention for testing is found in (v. 12). God doesn’t test you with prosperity in order to trip you up and make you fail. He intends for you to pass the test of prosperity successfully. If He tests you with prosperity, He intends for you to be a good steward of what He gives you. He wants you to reject ill-gotten gain. He means for you to use all other gain according to His will and purpose. But remember, God doesn’t test you with humility just to be mean, add more stress and make you fail. He intends for you to pass the test of humility with flying colors. If He tests you with humility, He intends for you to look to Him in faith. He intends you to look to Him in contentment like Paul did. He intends for you to show His strength through the weakness of your humility. Whether God tests you through prosperity or through humility, His intention is the same. He intends for you to pass the test. And when you pass it, like (v. 12) says, you are truly blessed. You’re blessed with an eternal reward and a present reward. Your eternal reward is the crown of life. Your present reward is the hope of God’s promise. The security that comes from knowing you’re in the will of God. That you’re pleasing Him with your obedience. If you don't have security and are living a constant stress filled life maybe you have not trusted Christ with it. Stress and lack of security comes from one of two things. It can be that you’re not really saved. Or it can be that you’re not living like it by passing the tests God places before you. Either way, you need to take care of that today. Trust in Jesus as your Lord and Savior or if He is your Savior, begin to treat Him like your Lord. Pass the tests He places before you. That’s what He wants you to do. Stress and trials can be profitable!


     But what happens so often is, when we’re given a tough test, what do we do? We want to blame God and shake our fist at Him accusing Him of being mean or unfair. But why do we do that? We do that because we’ve failed the test He’s placed before us. And when we’ve failed the test, we’ve done exactly what our enemy the devil wants us to do and we've missed out, we have failed to profit from the stress we're going through.

Get it: Read: Psalm 73:3-5 and Jeremiah 12:1 Have you ever found yourself wondering what the answer is? How do you react to the blessings God gives you?

When someone loses a house, loses their job, or loses a child, that’s the kind of test where people respond by shaking their fist at God. They say things like, “How could you let this happen, God?” How would you react if these “high stress” tragedies were to strike you? How do you respond when you’re given the test of humility?

Apply: What test/stress are you facing right now that God could be using to profit you?

"STRESS IS PURPOSEFUL"

Text: “... knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:3-8)

Open: How many times did you have to take your driver’s test before you got your first license?

Read the Back Ground Comments that I excerpted from my “Life Application Study Bible” in preparation to answering the questions below. Enjoy this weeks “Refresco”!

(v. 4) We can’t really know the depth of our character until we see how we react under pressure. It’s easy to be kind to others when everything is going well, but can we still be kind when others are treating us unfairly? God wants to make us mature and complete, not to keep us from all pain.  Instead of complaining about our stress and our struggles, we should see them as opportunities for growth. Thank God for promising to be with us in rough times. Ask Him to help you solve your problems and face your stress and to give you the strength to endure them. Then be patient. God will not leave you alone with your problems; He will stay close and help understand how you can profit from them and grow close to Him at the same time.

(v. 5) By wisdom, James is talking not only about knowledge, but about the ability to make wise decisions in difficult circumstances and to understand how God is using them in us. The wisdom that we need has three distinct characteristics: (1) It’s practical. The wisdom God relates to life even during the most trying times. It’s not a wisdom isolated from suffering, stress and trials. this wisdom is the tool by which trails are overcome. An intelligent person may have profound ideas, but a wise person puts profound ideas into action. (2) It’s divine. God’s wisdom goes beyond common sense. Common sense does not lead us to choose joy in the middle of trials. This wisdom begins with respect for God, leads to living by God’s direction, and results in the  ability to tell right from wrong. It is a wisdom that James describes at length in chapter 3. (3) It is Christlike. Asking for wisdom is ultimately asking to be like Christ. The Bible identifies Christ as the “wisdom of God”. (1 Cor. 1:24; 2:1-7)

(v. 6) To “believe and not doubt” means not only believing in the existence of God, but also believing in His loving care. It includes relying on God’s direction, and results in the ability to tell right from wrong. It includes relying on God and expecting that He will hear and answer when we pray. We must put away our critical attitude when we come to Him. God does not grant every thoughtless or selfish request. We must have confidence that God will align our desires with His purposes.

(v. 6) A mind that waivers is not completely convinced that God’s way is best. It treats God’s Word like any human advice, and it retains the option to disobey. It vacillates between allegiance to subjective feelings, the world’s ideas, and God’s commands. If your faith is new, weak, or struggling, remember that you can trust God. Then be loyal to Him. To stabilize your wavering or doubtful mind, commit yourself wholeheartedly to God.  
    
(v. 6-8) If you have ever seen the constant rolling of huge waves at sea, you know how restless they are - subject to the forces of wind, gravity, and tide. Doubt leaves a person as unsettled at the restless waves. If you want to stop being tossed about, rely on God to show you what is best for you. Ask Him for wisdom to understand what you can profit from the stress you are facing. Trust that God will answer your prayer. Then your decisions will be sure and solid.

Explore:
What is your attitude towards taking test? Read (v.3), what is your attitude towards this test? Why? What task of project have you accomplished that required great perseverance?

Get it:
According to James, what should a Christians’ attitude be when facing trials? How often is this your attitude in your own difficult stressful times? Why is enduring important? What reward/profit comes with enduring in the faith?

Apply:
What does it mean to be “mature and complete” (v. 4)? Who do you know that you think could be described this way? What characteristics do you see in this persons life? Are there any that you could emulate or apply in your life? What is a trial you have faced in your life? What helped you through it? In what area of your life do you need wisdom from God right now? What has kept you from asking for it?

Quoted from “Life Application Bible”

STRESS IS PARADOXICAL

Text: “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4) [NASB]

Open: What brings you the greatest joy? Why? What do joy and trials have in common?

Back Ground Comments:
James says we should “consider it all joy” … when we face trials of many kinds.” Count it what? Joy? How much joy? All Joy! Could this be a misprint? Most of us consider various kinds of stressful trials to be a taste of hell itself, not all joy. We generally count it all joy when we avoid trials and stressful situations. We hear about someone else's trials and breathe a prayer of joyful thanks that we are not faced with the same problem.

Talk about a paradox! James' admonition seems diametrically opposed to the way we could naturally look at difficulties. His advice certainly seems strange on the surface. Most of us would say, “Count is all joy when you escape trails of various kinds.

What is a paradox? It's a seemingly absurd or self-contradictory statement or proposition that when investigated or explained may prove to be well founded or true. “Count it all joy ...”

We would consider it joy when we escape those kinds of trials. But here James is telling the believer that, paradoxically, he should count it all joy when he falls into various stressful ordeals. Our reactions to it and not our actions are often the issue. Jesus preached the whole Sermon on the Mount to show us the importance of our reactions as necessarily opposed to our actions. He said when stressful circumstances and situations arise, such as someone slapping us on the cheek, that it is the reaction that matters most. He said when some stressful circumstance comes our way as when someone steals our coat then it is our reaction that matters most. Yes, stress is paradoxical. We can “count it all joy when we fall into various trials.”

The Greek word that is translated here in (James 1:2) instructing us to “count it” all joy, means to “think ahead, to think forward.” It is in the aorist tense (in Greek, an unqualified past tense of a verb without reference to duration or completion of the action.) which indicates that the joy that we read about here comes from the trial. James is not saying the trial is joy. He is not advocating some type of sadomasochism here.

Job was thinking ahead when he said, “But He knows the way I take; When He has tried me, I shall come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10) [NASB] Job did not consider losing his health a joy. But he looked forward to the joy that would follow his trial.

Joseph also counted it all joy – he thought ahead. When revealing his identity to his brothers after so many years of hurt he said, “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.” (Genesis 50:20) [NASB] Did Joseph count it all joy to be in prison? Of course not. But he knew God's hand was in his circumstances and he was thinking ahead.

And what about Jesus our Lord? Jesus looked beyond his suffering. (Hebrews 12:2) says that is was “ … for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Did Jesus count Calvary a joy? Of course not! But thinking ahead, He thought past Calvary and therefore He bore up under the stress of the cross. Do you get the point?

Explore:
Can you, like Job or Joseph or Jesus, think ahead in the midst of your circumstances and situation? Have you considered it joy to be in the midst of a stressful situation? James is not saying that we have joy in the midst of our trials, but that we have joy in what lies ahead. It seems paradoxical, but James is saying, “There can be joy in the outcome.” God works in us during our stresses, circumstances and situations. We need forward thinking in order to deal with our stress, circumstances and situations properly.


Get it:
Define joy in your own words. How does the Bible define joy? Look up: (Psalm  4:7, 5:11, 16:11, 19:5, 20:5, 21:6, 27:6 and the list goes on in Psalms)

Apply:
Have you ever thought, “How can God use my stress, current situation and circumstance in my life? How can I count it all joy?” God uses those things to test our character, purify our motives, refocus our faith, to check our heart and often to cause us to work on broken relationships. Go back and review the list. Which one does God most frequently work in you? What counsel would you give someone going through the same thing?

Quoted from “High Calling-High Anxiety by OS Hawkins

"STRESS IS PROBLEMATIC - Part 2"

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds ...” (James 1:2) & “... for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:20) [NIV]

Open: How would you define stress?

Back Ground Comments:

In the coming weeks we will have a list prepared for you to take home and apply. But, first let's look at three physical solutions and one practical solution that we can implement right away.

We see in the life of Elijah (1 Kings 18 & 19) … Four Simple Solutions To Stress:

     1. Eat  healthy. “All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” He looked around, and there by his head was a cake of bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank ...” (vs. 5 & 6a) I have to confess to you that I have gained 5 of the 130 pounds that I have lost. I continue to work out, and am even enjoying working on the yard these days. But, my eating discipline has wavered. So, back to keeping a diary, counting my calories and choosing my food wisely.
     Vice Admiral Richard H. Carmona who was sworn in as the 17th Surgeon General of the United States Public Health Service on August 5, 2002, stated: “... people should not lose sight of the nation's biggest health threat: being overweight.” “... the fastest growing cause of illness and death in America today is being overweight or obese.” He noted that 300,000 die annually of health complications stemming directly from being overweight. Accordingly to the attorney general's office, two out of three Americans are overweight or obese, a 50% increase from a decade ago.
     Surgeon General Carmona asserted, “We are a treatment oriented society. We wait for people to get sick, and then we spend top dollar to make them healthy again.”
     In a USA Today article: It was reported that being overweight raises the risk of heart disease, diabetes and arthritis. There is also evidence that overweight and obese men and women have a higher risk of cancer of the esophagus, colon, liver, pancreas and kidneys. Eugenia Calle of the American Cancer Society stated, “We are at the same point now with obesity that we were with smoking in the mid-60's. We made smoking cessation a national priority as a society then, and we need to make maintaining a healthy weight a national priority now.” “Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) [NLT]
     The problem lies not simply with the quantity of food we eat but with the quality of food that we eat.

     2. Move! “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:11) [NIV]
     According to the Mayo Clinic walking is a gentle, low-impact exercise that can ease you into a higher level of fitness and health. Walking is one of your body's most natural forms of exercise. It's safe, simple, doesn't require practice, and the health benefits are many. Walking can help you:

• Lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol)

• Raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the "good" cholesterol)

• Lower your blood pressure

• Reduce your risk of or manage type 2 diabetes

• Manage your weight

• Improve your mood

• Stay strong and fit

• Have time for prayer and focus for the day

     3. Rest properly. “He ate and drank and then lay down again.” (v. 6b)
     This is some of the greatest advice Elijah can give us today. “I find that I experience less fatigue and frustration when I take care of myself. I have more energy to commit both to my ministry and to my wife. Sensible eating, along with regular exercise, has given me the energy I need to complete the tasks ahead of me. I know that God is my strength, but taking steps to handle stress appropriately helps sustain me to do what I have been called to. One of the very first things we need to do to overcome stress in our lives is to eat a properly balanced diet, exercise  and get plenty of rest.
     The solution is not only physical but it's also personal.

     4. Face your stress. Don’t ignore it, face it.

Explore: What are some problems that stress can cause in our life?

Get it: What do you think were the sources for stress in Elijah’s life? What do you think were the symptoms of stress in Elijah’s life?

Apply: What can you do to begin to lighten your stress?

Quoted from”Life Application Bible”, and Serendipity Bible

"STRESS IS PROBLEMATIC"

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds ...” (James 1:2) [NIV] & (1 Kings 19)

Open:

What was your favorite “hideout” as a kid? Why?

Back Ground Comments:

You will want to take a moment to read (1 Kings 18-19) to get familiar with the whole story. Meanwhile here is a short summary of what has taken place.
   
The kings of Israel and Judah, both good and evil, had prophets sent by God to advise, confront, and aid them. King David had a faithful friend in God’s prophet Nathan; Ahab could have had an equally faithful friend in Elijah. But while David listened to Nathan and was willing to repent of his sins, Ahab saw Elijah as his enemy. Why? Because Elijah always brought bad news to Ahab and Ahab refused to acknowledge that it was his own constant disobedience to God and persistent idol worship, not Elijah’s prophecies, that brought the evil on his nation. He blamed Elijah for bringing the prophecies of judgment, rather than taking his advice and changing his evil ways.
   
Ahab was trapped by his own choices, and he was unwilling to take the right action. As king, he was responsible to God and his prophet Elijah, but he was married to an evil woman who drew him into idol worship. He was a childish man who brooded for days if unable to get his own way. He took his evil wife’s advice, listened only to the “prophets” who gave good news, and surrounded himself with people who encouraged him to do whatever he wanted. But the value of advice cannot be judged by the number of people for or against it. Ahab consistently chose to follow the majority opinion of those who surrounded him, and that led to his death.
   
It may seem nice to have someone encourage us to do whatever we want because advice that goes against our wishes is difficult to to accept. However, our decisions must be based on the quality of the advice, not its attractiveness or the majority opinion of our peers. God encourages us to get advise from wise counselors, but how can we test the advice we receive? Advise that agrees with the principles in God’s Word is reliable. We must always separate advice from our own desires, the majority opinion, or whatever seems best in our limited perspective, and with it against God’s commands. He will never lead us to do what he has forbidden in his Word - even in principle. Unlike Ahab, we should trust godly counselors and have the courage to stand against those who would have us do otherwise.
   
King Ahab, influenced by his wife Jezebel, had led Israel into idolatry. (Idolatry is giving worship to anything other than the one true God. Idolatry is the spiritual worship of an idol. Many idolaters literally serve idols. In ancient Egypt statues of gods were regularly clothed and fed ...) Just before this scene, the power of God had come upon Elijah in amazing ways: (1) in a contest with the prophets of Baal, (Baal was the most prominent Canaanite deity. As the fertility god of the Canaanite pantheon (roster of gods), Baal’s sphere of influence included agriculture, animal husbandry, and human sexuality. The word “Baal” occurs in the Old Testament in combination with other terms, such as place names (Baal-peor, Hosea 9:10; Baal-hermon, Judges 3:3), or with other adjuncts as in Baal-berith (Baal of the covenant, 8:33). Baal worship became prominent in the northern kingdom of Israel during the days of King Ahab (ninth century BC) when he married Jezebel of Tyre, a city in Phoenicia (1 Kings 16:29-33; 18:19-40). Elijah demonstrated the Lord’s superiority over Baal - resulting in the execution of the false prophets: (2) after a long drought God sent rain in response to Elijah’s prayer; and (3) the Lord empowered Elijah to outrun Ahab’s chariot.
   
Sunday’s message will focus not so much on Ahab and Jezebel but on Elijah and the stress that was brought on by doing the right thing. In the later part of the passage we find him forgetting the victory God had just given him, fearful of Jezebel, fatigued after out running Ahab’s chariot and feeling like a failure. All these were real sources of the stress he experienced.

Explore:

Why did Elijah run to the desert and pray to die?

Get it:

What did Elijah need the most?
What was God saying to Elijah through the gentle whisper?

Apply:

When you experience stress or a let down, what helps you recover?
What message is there in this story for you?
What do you need the most right now?
Has your life taken a discouraging turn lately or are you stressed out about anything?
Does God seem to care at all in your struggle? How can you be helped?
Has God ever asked you “What are you doing here”? What was your answer?

Quoted from”Life Application Bible”, and Serendipity Bible

"STRESS IS PREDICTABLE"

1James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings. 2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:1-4)

“The temptations/trials in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted/tried, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” (1 Corinthians 10:13) [NLT]

Open:

What is the most stressful situation you have ever been in? What made it so stressful?

Back Ground Comments:

Every once in a while someone comes into my office and says to me, “I have a real hard time with a specific passage in the New Testament.” Then they reference James 1:2, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds ...” Then they follow it up with this question, “What am I supposed to do with this text in the Bible that tells me to be filled with joy over the tragedies and stresses it brings into my life?” They look at me square in the eyes and say, “I just lost my job.” Or, “I just lost my mother to a battle with cancer, and to be honest with you, I’m pretty far from being joyful about it!”

Some people try to set me up by asking a leading question. They say, something like this, “Ruben, do you really think God wants me to be genuinely honest?” If I say, “Generally yes,” they get a look in their eyes that says to me, “I’ve got you now!”

They say, “We have a huge desire to have a baby and just this week we found out that we are not able to.” Or, my brother got killed this past week in a drive by shooting.” Or, “My husband has been having an affair for the past three months and has decided to leave us for the other woman.” And then they tell me of their sorrow. Genuine, real, deep sorrow.

Then comes the bomb: “Does this section of the Bible really say that I should be joyful about this suffering? How does this passage of the Bible fit in with what I am facing in my life?

What I have discovered over the years is that these people are usually not looking for a biblical sparring partner. Rather, they are looking for real, deep, and lasting answers to the aching in their hearts. They want to know what god has to say to them in the middles of their pain and stress. If there is any joy or peace to be found in the middle of the storm and stress they are experiencing, they want to know about it.
    

Explore:

Describe a difficult or painful experience when your heart hungered to find meaning, peace, and even joy in the middle of the crisis and stress.

Get it:

How can trials, stress and difficult times develop perseverance in a follower of Christ? Have you experienced this in your own life?

Apply:

James says that perseverance will lead to maturity and completion. See (v. 3). How has God been growing perseverance in your life in the past year? How have you matured as a follower of Christ through this time of perseverance?

Quoted from”Life Application Bible”,  Illumina, Serendipity Bible and “Live Wisely" by Bill Hybels

"THE STRESS FACTOR"

"James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings. Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:1-4) [NIV]

"Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:13-14) [KJV]

Open: What causes you the most stress in life? What do you typically do when stressed out?

Back Ground Comments:
It is important to note to who James addresses his letter to. It was to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad. “James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations ...” (James 1:1) He was writing to these early Christians who were, in his words, “scattered among the nations.” The Greek word is diaspora. We get our word “disperse or dispersion” from this word. It's a picture of someone scattering seed. Or in our time, using a walk behind seed spreader. Beginning with the death of Stephen in Acts 8, the Christians in Jerusalem were scattered through the known Roman world. Persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem and the Bible tells us that “... all except the apostles were scattered throughout the world ...” (Acts 8:1).

As we look at this dispersion today, we quickly see that God permitted this test on the Jerusalem church for a purpose. If they had not been scattered throughout the world, the Gospel would not have spread. The result of this diaspora was that in one single generation the Gospel spread all throughout the known world.

James was writing this letter to those Christian Jews who were scattered outside of Palestine. He was writing to those who had been dispersed. He was writing to those who had to leave their homes and their jobs and their properties. However, this is not just a letter to Christian Jews outside of Palestine in the 1st century world. There is a real sense in which all Christians are in the diaspora. We are living in exile from our eternal, heavenly home. So you see, this letter is a letter from God to each of us. Behind the hand of James is the very hand of God Himself penning these words for “ ... no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.” (2 Peter 1:20-21) [NLT]

James is writing to Christians who are facing all kinds of “trials” - stresses. He was teaching them, and us, how to deal with stress and pressure that life brings. He is writing to those of us who are dealing with or will deal with it. Yet, at the same time he is writing to those who are wrestling with how to live out what they believe in a stressful world. As we continue our series for the next five weeks you will notice that James is extremely practical and at times critical in his encouragement for each of us to find margin in our life.

I want you to take a moment and think about the people who were the first readers of this letter. There were women who were at their wit's end. They had been uprooted from their homes, their “nests.” They found themselves struggling to keep the home together even though they were hundreds of miles away. He was writing to children who were trying to deal with new surroundings and uncertain futures, living now in a completely different culture. He was writing to men and women who were literally hanging by a thread and who were under tremendous pressure and intense stress. It's as if these words were written directly to those of us who take our High calling serious and are experiencing high anxiety.

One of the greatest secrets of life, one which I am in the process of learning, is the ability to react properly under stress and pressure. As the verses of James 1 unfold in the weeks to come, we will see that James is addressing the issues which are not simply applicable to a 1st century world but just as valid for a 21st century world. I pray that in the next five weeks you will find a word from God for your heart and life.

Explore: Many say that stress can be predictable, problematic, paradoxical, purposeful and profitable. How is this true? Look at each one of these 5 “P” words and give an answer for each.

Get it: Stress mainly comes into our life because, one, we bring it upon ourselves, two, the Lord uses it to redirect us and three, because we’re living as Christians ought to live. Why do you most frequently experience it?

Apply: How can you turn your stress into something profitable?

Quoted from”Life Application Bible”, Illumina, Serendipity Bible and “High Calling, High Anxiety" by O.S. Hawkins