Ignore those Elephants

Temptation shows up like an elephant in the room - loud, impossible to ignore, and somehow it gets bigger the more we stare at it. Today we sit with James 1:1-11 and let Scripture challenge our instincts.

James tells scattered believers to treat trials as joy, not because pain is pleasant, but because tested faith produces perseverance and spiritual maturity. That idea is tough, practical, and deeply relevant for anyone trying to live out Christianity in a world that can feel skeptical or even hostile.

We also talk about what it means to be double minded, why doubt makes us unstable, and how to respond when the “room is dark” and you cannot tell whether something is a trap or a real opportunity.

James gives us a simple instruction with huge impact: ask God for wisdom.

Through prayer, God turns on the lights, shapes discernment, and helps us make decisions that leave fewer regrets and fewer scars.

The closing section tackles wealth, humility, and false security. Wealth is not the point, the error of relying on wealth is. When we rely on our resources more than we rely on God, we stop reaching upward and outward. Whether you feel low, lonely, pressured, or comfortable, the way toward a steady, joy filled life is the same: focus on Jesus, listen to the Holy Spirit, and keep walking in faith.

What’s one area where you need wisdom right now?

If this encouraged you, subscribe, share it with a friend who’s in a trial, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

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James 1:1-11  -  King James Version
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting.

2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.

8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

9 Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted:

10 But the rich, in that he is made low: because as the flower of the grass he shall pass away.

11 For the sun is no sooner risen with a burning heat, but it withereth the grass, and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth: so also shall the rich man fade away in his ways.

Transcript

Welcome And Purpose

SPEAKER_00 0:06

Welcome to the Christ Quarter. Thank you for taking a quarter of an hour out of this day to enjoy the presence of Christ and the words of Christ. Let's read a section of Scripture, discuss what it means, and also how it applies to our lives. I hope that God will speak to you through my words and more importantly through his scriptures, and we'll bring you closer to Him. I am blessed and thankful to have this time to speak with you, and I thank you so much for being with me here today. Today's scripture selection is James chapter 1, verses 1 through 11. The King James Version reads as follows James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. Knowing this that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering, for he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways. Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted, but the rich in that he is made low, because as the flowers of the grass he shall pass away. For the sun is no sooner risen with the burning heat, but it withereth, the grass and the flower thereof falleth, and the grace of the fashion of it perisheth. So also shall the rich man fade away in his ways. Then I V says it this way James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes scattered among the nations, greetings. Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work, so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double minded and unstable in all they do. Believers in humble circumstances are to take pride in their high position, but the rich should take pride in their humiliation, since they will pass away like a wildflower. 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. Let us pray. Lord, we thank you for this day. We thank you for the freedom and the ability to discuss your word and enjoy your presence. Help us to understand your word and your will for our daily lives more fully. We ask that you bless this discussion of your word, that it will speak to someone who needs to hear from you. We ask that you use these words to bring someone closer to you, and that you will touch their lives to love others through action in your name. That each of us will do something to show love to their neighbor in action as well as in word. That each of us will do our best to represent you to the world. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. The verses for today are encouraging. In our scripture today, James is speaking to those formerly of the Jewish community who have accepted Jesus. They are scattered throughout the area and likely do not have the strong support system that many of us enjoy today. I imagine James' letter is a much needed and much appreciated encouragement. I would also say that it is a much needed and appreciated encouragement to us today. These early Christians did not have access to the Bible as we do today and did not have the many support systems we have available today. But we still find ourselves in similar situations. Many Christians feel scattered, lost, and ostracized. Many of us are afraid to even acknowledge our Christianity to our friends for fear of being rejected. I personally know of Christians who have publicly spoken out against Christianity to cement their position in their group of non-Christian friends. This is all too common, but it is understandable that a weak, wavering Christian would bend to the harsh winds of the world and deny their own faith. Where is an old rooster when you need one? Today's scripture points out that we Christians will be tested and we will be tried, but that this is a good thing. So let's get right to it. In today's scripture, James wastes no time and gets right to what I consider to be his main point. Be happy when you're tempted. Of course, to be really happy about it, we have to not give in to the temptation. The first reaction to any temptation should be a confident and patient smile. James refers to patience in verse 3, and this type of patience is, in my words, a confidence and knowing that this temptation or trial is not going to interrupt your peace or your joy. A confidence that you are growing in your faith and growing in your ability to focus on God, especially during times of temptation and during trial. Many times we are tempted to focus on the issue before us. That difficult manager, the talkative coworker, the gossipy church friend, our unpaid bills, whatever, whatever they may be. But all these things become bigger and bigger the more we focus on them. Like the elephant in the room, it stays in the forefront of our mind and will not budge as long as we keep glancing over at it and worrying about it. But when we switch our preoccupation and our focus over to Jesus and remind ourselves that he is bigger and stronger than that elephant, we can move on and move past it. The devil may send a bigger, stronger, even louder elephant next time. But an elephant is just an elephant. They're all basically the same, and they are all small momentary bumps in the road that remind us that we are on the road that leads us home to Jesus and that we're going to stay on it. But what if the room is dark? What if we know that there's something there in front of us, but we just don't know what it is? Is it a trap leading to all kinds of new elephants? Or is it an opportunity to do God's will and to grow in our faith? We know that traps are not labeled as traps, and in fact are usually dressed up as wonderful things. They present themselves as financial opportunities, as amazing new people, and unexpected job opportunity, and so on. But are they real? Are they true? In verse 5, James tells us to ask God for wisdom. Go to God in prayer, and he will turn on the lights. He will show us what to do or not to do. It won't necessarily be as easy as that, of course. I have moved towards a hot stove before while ignoring God's whispers of warning. I think the more we ignore that voice, the quieter it gets. God does not force us. So as his voice got softer and fainter, and that warmth got sweeter, I moved closer and closer to that stove, and sure enough, I got burnt. I have the scars to remind me. But now I make an effort to not only hear God's voice, but to seek it. We should always go to God in prayer, asking for wisdom before making any significant decision. We'll have better lives and we'll carry fewer scars. The last part of today's text refers to brothers of low degree and the rich. Does the Bible say that rich people cannot go to heaven? No. Does the Bible say that being rich makes it more difficult to go to heaven? I believe it does, for one major reason. The more money and material wealth we have, the more self-sufficient we feel, and we are less likely to look beyond ourselves or our material wealth for help. James refers here to the person of low degree as a brother. He does not refer to the rich person as a brother. This seems to show that the person of low degree is a fellow Christian, while the rich person is not. This is the more important status. In my opinion, the rich person here is one who is using his wealth to oppress others. For this person to lose his wealth and become one of those he had formerly oppressed would not only force him to look to others for help, but he would look for help among the brothers of low degree who would probably point him towards Christ. For this person to lose his wealth but gain his soul would certainly be reason to celebrate. Wealthy or poor, high or low, the way to a happy, peaceful, joy-filled life is to focus on God, listen to the Holy Spirit, and follow Jesus. That concludes our scripture discussion for today. Thank you for spending this time with me talking about, learning about, and enjoying Christ. It is my hope that God has used my words to touch you today and has brought you closer to Him. Please contact me if you wish to have further information about Christ. Let us pray. Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.