Codes for Christian Living
Stress is Profitable
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. Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when 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
It has been said that a Christian is like a tea bag: he is not worth much until he has been through some hot water. And hot water—stressful trials—can be profitable to the believer. James illustrated this fact with his descriptions of the person with poverty, the person with plenty, and the person with pressure. Trials have a way of bringing all of us to the same level of need. They knock on the door of the little frame home with iron bars on the windows in the transitional neighborhood as well as on the door of the multimillion- dollar waterfront home behind the big iron gates.
Take the person with poverty. James said, “Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation.” James described here a person who is low on the socioeconomic level, relatively poor, and powerless. While the world might think little of him, God thinks much of him. Here is one of the mysteries of God’s economy: the last shall be first, and the low shall be made high in God’s sight. James encouraged this believing person to take pride in his high position. As a follower of Christ, he is of great worth to God and can rejoice in the spiritual things he can never lose. Jim Elliot, the missionary martyred by the Auca Indians, left us these words in his diary: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” The apostle Paul reminded us that “our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20).
James then turned his attention to the person with plenty. A beautiful thing about the church is that it is made up of all people. The early church was blessed with men of wealth such as Joseph of Arimathea, Nicodemus, and Barnabas. People blessed with material possessions may take pride in them, but Christians know that earthly treasures will one day rust, rot, or be devoured by moths. Poverty and plenty are temporary. No matter how much you have, someone else has more; no matter how little you have, someone else has less. Neither poverty nor plenty make for happiness in the Christian life. As Jesus taught, “One’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses” (Luke 12:15). Those with plenty as well as those with poverty should rejoice in the spiritual things they cannot lose.
Stress is a menace of modern man. It is predictable: it is a question of when, not if, and it’s not going away. It is problematic: left ignored, it can be physically, emotionally, and spiritually destructive. It is paradoxical: we can count it joy knowing that the outcome will be for our good and His glory. It is purposeful: the stress we now feel is there for a God- allowed purpose. It is often a time of testing, of stripping our-selves of false priorities. And it is profitable. Just think ahead: we win in the end.
Content drawn from The James Code: 52 Scripture Principles for Putting Your Faith into Action.