Throughout the Bible are people who turned defeat into victory and trial into triumph. Instead of being victims, they became victors. James tells us that we can have this same experience today. No matter what the trials may be on the outside (James 1:1–12) or the temptations on the inside (James 1:13–27), through faith in Christ we can experience victory. The result of this victory is spiritual maturity.
If we are going to turn trials into triumphs, there are four essentials to victory: a joyful attitude (v. 2), an understanding mind (v. 3), a surrendered will (v. 4, 9-11), and a heart that wants to believe (v. 5-8)
God’s goal for our lives is maturity. If we resist Him, then He chastens us into submission. But if we submit to Him, then He will accomplish His work. He is not satisfied with a halfway job. God wants a perfect work; He wants a finished product that is mature and complete.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways. 9 Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, 10 and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away. 11 For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits. (ESV)
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- God’s gift of wisdom allows us to understand how God is involved in life’s daily events
- Faith alone opens the door to God’s limitless treasury of wisdom. We must be diligent as we seek Him (Heb 11:6)
- Whether poor or rich, we must find our joy in our spiritual privileges as children of God.
CLOSER LOOK
Verse 5: Verses 5-8 outline our resources for facing trials and explain how to get them. Christians need wisdom and faith as they encounter trials. We are encouraged to pray for wisdom and to pray with faith. To those who feel confused and frustrated by the high goal of “not lacking anything,” James wrote, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God.” Assistance is readily available from God “who gives generously.” To those who lack wisdom, this valuable resource is available for anyone willing to ask. James assumed his readers would feel the need for wisdom, not just knowledge. God will not only provide wisdom but will do so generously, not grudgingly.
The wisdom God gives is not necessarily information on how to get out of trouble but rather insight on how to learn from one’s difficulties (Prov 29:15). It is not more information about how to avoid times of testing but is a new perspective on trials. The wisdom of God begins with a genuine reverence for the Almighty (“the fear of the Lord” in Ps 111:10; Prov 9:10) and a steadfast confidence that God controls all circumstances, guiding them to His good purposes (Rom 8:28). The wisdom word mentioned here is sophia (σοφία) which means “the capacity to understand and function accordingly,” with a specific application to transcendent wisdom.[1] It is a wisdom that God imparts to those who are close to God. It allows for good judgment in the face of human and specifically Christian demands.
The people to whom James wrote had problems with their praying (James 4:1–3; 5:13–18). When we are going through God-ordained difficulties, what should we pray about? James gives the answer: ask God for wisdom. Why do we need wisdom when we are going through trials? Why not ask for strength, or grace, or even deliverance? For this reason: we need wisdom so we will not waste the opportunities God is giving us to mature. Wisdom helps us understand how to use these circumstances for our good and God’s glory.
Verses 6–8: However, God’s provision has some prerequisites. To receive God’s wisdom in trials, the believer must be wise in asking. First, the believer must ask in faith. They must believe and not doubt (diakrinomenos, the word for “doubt,” suggests vacillating, wavering, and being uncertain) that God will grant them godly wisdom.[2] The believer is warned to not come to God like a wave of the sea, driven (or blown; a horizontal motion) and tossed (vertical motion) by the wind.
God is not pleased with a double-minded (literally, “two-souled,” dipsychos; cf. 4:8)[3] person who is unstable in all they do. If one part of a person is set on God and the other is set on this world (Matt 6:24), there will be constant conflict within. The answer from God depends on assurance in God.
Quick Aside on verses 5-8:
Four facts about God encourage us to ask for this wisdom. First, God is a giving God. It is natural for God to give to those who ask. Second, God gives generously to all. He has no favorite recipients of His gifts, but gives to all classes, races, and types of people. Third, God gave without finding fault. God does not give in such a way as to humiliate us and be disappointed in us (reproach – v. 5). He does not chastise us for our failures or hold our unworthiness against us. He is always ready to add new blessings to old ones without finding fault in us for our many shortcomings. Fourth and finally, God promises to answer those who come seeking wisdom. A request according to His will receives his answer (1 John 5:14–15).
This kind of wisdom helps us understand how our troubles fit in with God’s plan. It assures us that God has not forsaken us, even though the devil tells us He has. God’s gift of wisdom allows us to understand how God is involved in life’s daily events. Instead of serving as a hindrance, trials present an opportunity to become wise. Though it may not be easy and could be quite difficult.
Verses 9–11: Additionally, one who asks for wisdom needs to evidence hope. James offers two examples of trials (vv. 2-8): one is of a “lowly brother” and the other is about a “rich man.” Probably “lowly” means poor or low social status (instead of a servant, lacking hope, or humble status),[4] in contrast to the other man who is rich. Whatever their social or economic position, the believer must see eternal advantages. The Christian in humble circumstances can be glad in their high standing spiritually, and the one who is rich can be glad for their human frailty (knowing that he has “eternal glory” in Christ, 2 Cor. 4:17).[5] Social prominence passes away, wealth withers away like a flower in the hot sun, and fame will fade. Hope in the eternal God is evidence of believing faith. The poor believer is to “boast” or “glory” (“count it all joy” in verse 2) in the fact that God has exalted them by allowing them to experience difficult circumstances, for these will only perfect their character and faith (v. 4). The rich believer can also glory when a trial brings them low because it teaches them that life is short and that their “pursuits,” that is, their business, will “fade away.” The rich person should always trust the Lord, not themselves or their money.
God uses trials to wean us away from childish things; but if we do not surrender to Him, we will become even more immature. In James 1:9–11, James applies this principle to two different kinds of Christians: the poor and the rich. It is not your material resources that take you through the testings of life; it is your spiritual resources
[1] Strong’s 4678. See BDAG.
[2] J. Ronald Blue, “James,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 821.
[3] J. Ronald Blue, “James,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 821. Strong’s 1374. Meaning of two minds. BDAG – “being uncertain about the truth of someth., doubting, hesitating.”
[4] Strong’s 5011. ταπεινός (tapeinos). gentle, meek, mild, implying low social standing. BDAG – “being of low social status or to relative inability to cope, lowly, undistinguished, of no account”
[5] J. Ronald Blue, “James,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 821.