A Living Faith That Overcomes the Temptation of Disgust
This part 3 of a 5-part series. For previous posts, click the following: part 1; part 2.
I went almost ten years without a correct diagnosis regarding what exact muscle disease I had. Honestly, the muscle disease itself wasn’t the hardest trial. The hardest trials were the effects of the muscle disease: not being wanted when skin was in the game, whether that meant finding a job or a wife or any number of other things I could no longer do, everyday things that others take for granted. (Praise God for my job and my wife and my children and all his other provisions I can now look back on!) These “unfair” realities brought with them temptations, three of which are common, categorized by James in the following verses:
- Disgust: Why me? I don’t understand… Should I or should I not rest in God and His wisdom by faith when I don’t understand? (James 1:5–8)
- Discouragement: Look at my circumstances… I am so lowly compared to others… (James 1:9–12)
- Doubting God: What are you doing to me? Are you a good God? (James 1:13–18)
Responding with an attitude of joy as you face overwhelming trials will only be possible by a correct perspective of your faith in God. And that means living out that faith to overcome these temptations.
Let’s look out how to live out this command while overcoming the temptation of disgust.
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God”: In this context, what would the believers have lacked wisdom about? Contrary to some readings of the book of James, these verses aren’t random disconnected verses. James continues his theme on trials (most obvious in 1:12ff.). The believers lacked wisdom on how to rightly respond in faith to their trials. They were tempted to be double-minded in their faith because of their trials. As believers we need to ask God for wisdom—not to understand why we are experiencing the particularities of a trial. We need wisdom for how to rightly respond in faith. And Job tells us where that wisdom can be found: in fearing the Lord (Job 28:28).
“That giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him”: God promises to give wisdom generously without rebuke if we will go to Him. This is not a promise that He will explain why we are undergoing the trial or all the ins and outs of the trial. It is a promise that He wants to help us respond in wisdom, in the fear of the Lord, in obedience to His commands. He will help us persevere in our faith, to purify our faith, and to perfect us in our faith. It is a promise to give us the wisdom needed for a stable, living faith proved under testing.
“A double-minded man”: This person is not sure about responding to the trial with consistent faith that lives out God’s commands according to the wisdom He generously provides for how to respond well. This person looks at how things are playing out and decides that faith in God and His wisdom isn’t working and isn’t worth it. He is disgusted at how unfair it is that such a thing has happened to him. Why me? I don’t deserve this. This person is thinking about turning his or her back on God and His wisdom when he doesn’t find immediate relief as a result of some measure of spiritual effort (as if he could earn his way out of the trial). Where will this person end up? Is he or she a true believer? We may not be sure until the stability of that person’s faith returns or not from the chaotic storm of indecision.
How can you live out a faith that delights in God? The antidote to disgust is turning to God in prayer and to His Word for wisdom on what it would look like to live in the fear of the Lord, in obedience in the face of your trials. In the next post we’ll look at how to overcome the next temptation.
Kevin Collins has served as a junior high youth leader in Michigan, a missionary in Singapore, a Christian School teacher in Utah, and a Bible writer for the BJU Press. He currently works for American Church Group of South Carolina.
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