Truth be told, this is actually my second Sunday Chapel Time study that covers this section of James 1. However, I think this is the better study of the two (in my humble opinion), so it gets to be posted first. But first: a little background information.
Introduction to James
The author is traditionally thought to be James, Jesus’s half-brother, rather than one of the two apostles of the same name. James was the leader of the Messianic mother church in Jerusalem. Unlike Paul, Peter, and several other writers in the New Testament, James didn’t write this letter towards any one church. He wrote this epistle more as a sermon and less like a letter, giving advice and wisdom on how to practically live your life as a Christian.
His teachings were heavily influenced by Jesus’s teachings (especially from the Sermon on the Mount) and the book of Proverbs from the Old Testament. James taught and believed that one’s faith in Christ should be visible not only through words but also through action. Believing in Jesus without changing your lifestyle is an incomplete faith.
God is Generous
Now let’s get started. Read James 1:5-8 on your own or in a group, and think about question one.
- Have you ever thought of God as generous? What do you think it means to be generous?
Verse 5 says that God gives to us generously and ungrudgingly. When we think about generosity, we should have an image of abundance. A reality where there is enough of whatever we need. That’s what God’s generosity looks like. God gives generously so that there is always enough to go around. (Check out the BibleProject‘s video on God’s generosity here.)
Here in verse 5, it’s talking about wisdom specifically, but God doesn’t want to hold anything good back from us. He wants to give us enough—more than enough—of every good thing.
Now let’s think practically. Verses 2-4 talk about how the testing of our faith produces endurance. During times of trials and hardships, it’s hard to imagine how it could possibly be a good thing. James says that we need to ask for wisdom in these cases. This wisdom helps us understand that these trials are actually opportunities to rely on God, to grow and mature in our faith, and to receive God’s generous gifts.
And what are God’s generous gifts? Here, we see that God gives wisdom to those who ask for it. That’s a gift. And with this wisdom, we realize that the trials we face are also gifts. If our life was easy, we’d never look to God for help. We’d never have a relationship with our generous Creator.
Some people think God limits people and withholds things from us. We think, “Does God really have enough for everyone?” But the reality is, God wants to give us every good thing. He really does! God loves you and longs to give generously and ungrudgingly. But there are two things that keep us from receiving His good gifts. First, we ask for the wrong things. But even more than that, we doubt that God will actually give us what we ask for, or we doubt that He’ll give enough.
Doubters are Double-Minded and Unstable
Let’s consider question two now.
2. Have you ever doubted something, or someone? How do you feel when you have doubts?
Doubt is something that’s plagued all of us at some point in our lives. When we doubt something, we feel unsure. We don’t really know what we should believe. We’re unstable. I don’t know about you, but I actually really hate having doubts about something. It’s like the worst case of buyer’s remorse…before I even commit to the purchase! I want certainty when I do something. And I think almost everyone wants to have a reasonable amount of certainty in their life.
Verse 6 says that “a doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind.” What kind of image does that bring to mind? It’s unstable, chaotic, and at times, maybe even violent. And to be “driven by the wind”…that means that outside circumstances drive your decisions. A doubter doesn’t actually make their own decisions. Their life is driven by their circumstances, which change all the time. There’s no consistency in their life.
If you’ve ever doubted something or someone, you know this feeling. You feel trapped by your situation, and are afraid to commit to any one path. You lack conviction. Your personal stance on the issue is weak, so you get rocked easily by external factors. There’s no root.
According to verses 7-8, doubters shouldn’t expect anything from God, even if they ask. It sounds harsh, but there’s a good reason for this. Doubters are “double-minded and unstable.” When they ask God for something, they’re not fully committed to God’s help. They’ll drop it and try something else at the slightest sign of turbulence. They don’t fully trust God. They doubt that He’ll actually help. Why should God reward such an unstable faith? God generously gives, but we must completely trust God with our life. We need to be convicted about God—believing that God wants to and will hear us and help us. God gives fully to us when we give ourselves fully to Him.
Living a Life of Conviction
This brings us to question three. If we don’t fully commit to something, we miss out on enjoying the full benefits of that thing. For example, if I don’t give my all when training in a sport, I’m never going to reach my full potential. We can’t reap the full benefits if we don’t fully invest. You get what you put in. Likewise, if we aren’t convicted or committed to God, we miss out on living a life full of God’s generous gifts.
3. In what areas of your life do you lack conviction? How could your life change if you seek and trust God completely, without doubting?
I’d like to give you some perspective. Understandably, it’s sometimes difficult to not doubt things. Trusting people or committing to something is hard, especially since the things in this world aren’t permanent. People are sometimes unreliable, and situations are always changing. That’s how our world is.
But these verses challenge us to seek God completely—to trust Him with everything. We’re being challenged to ask God for wisdom, as well as His other good gifts, with full confidence. We need to 100% believe that God gives generously to all who ask—that it’s enough. No doubting allowed.
Unlike Us, God is Unchanging
What makes God different from the other parts of our life? Well, God doesn’t change. People can be unreliable, and our world is always changing. But God isn’t like that. He’s consistent and stable. God has no hidden motive for helping us. He simply wants to have a committed relationship with us. God loves us and wants to give His good gifts to us. And God has the power to provide all that we need or desire. We just have to ask, and trust that God is more than enough.
God is fully committed to us—always has been. He only asks that we do the same towards Him.