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9 Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. 10 But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower. 11 For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business. 12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. ~ James 1:9-12
Today, we continue in our study of the book of James. As you know, the name James derives from Jacob which means deceiver. Like you and me, before James came to faith in the Lord Jesus, he lived a life of deception. And, like Jacob, it wasn't until he came to faith in the Lord Jesus as God that he began to live a life being defined by the God of the Bible.
Our faith defines us. Of course, it isn't just our faith, it is the object of our faith that ultimately defines us. When the object of our faith is the One who created us, He defines us. But, none of us are perfectly defined by God because we are known to place our faith in other things on a given day.
In v.9 of today's passage we read, "Believers in humble circumstances ought to take pride in their high position."
James wrote this letter to Jewish Christians who had been scattered throughout the ancient world because of persecution. They had lost their homes, properties, and lands. And, consequently, many of them became poor because of this. James encourages these believers to see their trials through the eyes of the God of the Bible. Though evil people had mistreated them, God was using their trials to develop their dependency upon Him.
The humble believer in this passage is the one who is going through a trial and is being defined by the God of the Bible. One can be in a low position in life and yet can be proud because he is NOT being defined by God. The one in "high position" is of the one who is learning to draw nearer to God through his trials. And, the word "pride" communicates the idea of exaltation. This isn't the type of pride that God abhors. This word brings with it the idea of being encouraged by the privilege of his relationship with God and his subsequent ability to see his trials from God's vantage point. He may be hungry, but he has the Bread of Life. He maybe thirsty, but he has the Water of Life. He may be poor, but he has eternal riches. He may be cast aside by men, but he has been received by God. He may have no home here on this earth, but he has a glorious home in the life to come.
Humility enables us to see our lives as they really are. It is pride that obscures our vision, making us think we can make a go at this life without our Creator. The circumstances of our lives have an incredible impact on the outcome of our lives on a given day. And, that which frames up our approach to our daily lives is of utmost importance.
Our pain and suffering is increasingly useful to us if it increases our dependency upon God. God uses suffering to refine, to strengthen, and to keep us from trusting in the lesser things of this life. Suffering allows the life of Christ to be manifest to, in and through our lives. Suffering drains us of our human resources, and, as a result, it makes it possible for us to gain the wisdom of the One who embraced the punishment for our sin.
Suffering teaches us that the greatest good is not the absence of pain, but the presence of spiritual maturity. Suffering is an inevitable part of the struggle with our fallen natures and the sin that is in this world. In addition, suffering is part of the struggle for the advancement of the kingdom of God in and through our lives. It is often, on the heels of suffering that we are best positioned to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.
God desires truth in our innermost being, and the primary way He achieves this is through our suffering which is always coupled with a greater amount of His grace. Suffering teaches us to give thanks in times of sorrow, and to appreciate the times when we do not suffer.
In v.10 of today's passage we read, "But the rich should take pride in their humiliation—since they will pass away like a wild flower."
Many rich people worry that they may lose their riches. In this verse, God admonishes the rich to rejoice if they were to lose everything, because they should not place trust in their possessions or in their lofty position. The rich man should rejoice when he’s humbled, because it is most often that humility is honed in the difficult moments of our lives. After all, it was pride that inaugurated sin.
Faith does an incredible thing for us; it positions us to embrace the gift of humility. Humility is precious because a great man is always willing to be little. In humilities world, the poor man forgets all his earthly poverty and the rich man forgets all his earthly riches. And, the two realize they are equal in Christ. True humility accepts the poor and the rich. Either way, don’t attach yourself too tightly to what you have, and don’t live your life trying to get what you can’t. This is the lesson of humility. It was Thomas Merton who once said, "Pride makes us artificial and humility makes us real." Pride causes us to chase the mirage, whereas, humility gives legs to our pursuit of greatness.
To emphasize how anything in this life is temporary, James, in v.10, gives an illustration: "...since they will pass away like a wild flower." James is referencing the temporal of this life. If we do not lose it here, we will surely lose it when you leave.
In v.11 of today's passage we read, "For the sun rises with scorching heat and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will fade away even while they go about their business."
There are some flowers that bloom and disappear. And, the sooner we accept that God is in the process of humbling us, the more we will be defined by Him. And, the more we are defined by Him, the less dependent we will be on the things of this world.
In v.12 of today's text we read, "Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him."
This sounds like we earn our salvation. We must not make that mistake. You see, the forgiveness of our sin could only be merited by the Lord Jesus Christ. All trials have two great purposes: they make us better acquainted with the Lord Jesus and they make us less acquainted with the things of this world. Pain and suffering is evidence of God's love. And, the more we have His wisdom, the more we will see this truth. His is a love of which He never repents, a love which He never withdraws. His is a love which compels Him to refine us. Whatever then comes to pass in our lives is the result of His loving will. All of our pain and suffering will always be useful to Him in bringing about His will for our lives. Our trials are not by chance, nor are they accidental. Our pain and suffering are the providential accomplishments of this loving God who is granting to us a greater degree of intimacy Him, now.
