HOW TO OVERCOME YOUR TROUBLES.

James 1:9-11

INTRODUCTION

a. I have pointed out that I will be preaching from the book of James this whole month.

So that we know the content of the book of James and how we can make our lives

better as Christians. Open your Bible to James 1:9-11

b. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without

reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he

who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that

man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded

man, unstable in all his ways. Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, but the

rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away.  For no

sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls,

and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his

pursuits.

c. After discussing trouble and how life wants to bully us. James makes known that

problems successfully met makes us better people. James turns his attention to how

to overcome the troubles of life.

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DISCUSSION

I. ASK FOR WISDOM

a. James overcoming troubles of this life requires wisdom and as such we must ask

for wisdom. Look at verse 5, “If any of you lacks wisdom [wisdom to do what, to

overcome the troubles of this life], let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally

and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” James is not asking us to ask

for knowledge. You can know the word of God from cover to cover that is

important but James telling us to ask for wisdom. What we have read from the

word of God, what we have studied from the word of God and what we have

known from the word of God. How do we apply them in situations.

b. In 1 Kings 3, we read of Solomon taking up the throne of his father David. God

appeared to Solomon in a dream asking him to ask for something so that He will

do for them. “Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king instead of

my father David, but I am a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in.

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And Your servant is in the midst of Your people whom You have chosen, a great

people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. 9 Therefore give to Your

servant an understanding heart to judge Your people, that I may discern between

good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?” 1Kings 3:7-9

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 c. God was greatly pleased with Solomon asking for wisdom. And we see the

wisdom in things that he made. When it comes to prayer, we normally ask

material things. Prosperous work, good marriage, sickness. However, James is

admonishing us to add requesting for wisdom in our prayers.

II. LET YOUR FAITH WORKS

a. From verse 6-8, James began tell those of us reading that let your faith works.

One of the things that draw us back in our walk with God is doubt. Look at James

1:6, “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave

of the sea driven and tossed by the wind”. A man coming to God in praying and

doubting, James says he is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.

James is telling us one of the reasons why prayers remain unanswered. James

said, “For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;

he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” V7-8. (A lady was listening

to a preacher. And the preacher was quoting Bible and explaining the Bible. After

the church service, the lady approached the preacher and said – I really like the

preaching. You are very brilliant; you must be a double-minded man the Bible

talks about.)

b. A double-minded man is not a brilliant man, but rather some who is indecisive.

James calls such a man as unstable. The picture is like a drunkard who is

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 staggering. However, that is mostly our state before God in the face of adversity.

When things are not going well in our life, we begin to doubt not even whether

God can do your problem but whether he exist. In Judge 6, the Israel have gone

through severe oppression under the Midianites, one day, Gideon was threshed

wheat in the winepress in Ophrah and an angel appeared to Gideon and assured

him that God will deliver the Israelites. In Judge 6:13, Gideon said to the angel,

“O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happen to us?”

c. In Mark 9, a man brought his son who is epileptic to the disciples of Jesus but

they could not heal him and he therefore brought him to Jesus. Jesus said, “If you

can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” Mark 9:23. The Bible

said in verse 24, “Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with

tears, Lord, I believe, help my unbelief.”

III. DO NOT DEPEND ON WRONG THINGS

a. From verse 9 to 11, James turns his attention to what sometimes cause our

sorrows dependant on the wrong things. In James’ day and our day, one of the

most common problems is money. You have too little you have problem, you

have too much of it you have problem. In James’ day, there was nothing like

middle income earner we have today. Either you are very poor or you are very

rich.

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 b. The poor have a trial of body- they are exhausted; a trial of mind- they cannot

afford education. A trial of heart- it may be hard to give; A trial of temper-

patience often wears thin. The rich have their problems: distraction from the

really important things in life, special cares and responsibility. They have the

problem of feeling self-sufficient. James is telling us that let not the poor depend

on his poverty and the rich on his riches. In Proverbs 30:8-9, Agur prayed to God,

“Remove falsehood and lies far from me; Give me neither poverty nor riches-

Feed me with the food allotted to me; lest I be full and deny you and say, who is

the LORD? Or lest I be poor and steal, and profane the name of my God.”

c. James is telling whatever your financial situation is you can still be happy. In

Philippians 4:11, Paul told the Philippians, “Not that I speak in regard to need, for

I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content. I know how to be abased,

and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to

be full and to be hungry, both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to

suffer need.”

CONCLUSION

a. James discusses how to handle troubles; By asking for wisdom and doing it in faith.

And not depending on wrong things.

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