Month: March 2026

Asking for Wisdom — James 1:5–8

James 1:5 (NIV)
“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.”

James speaks plainly to believers who are facing difficulty and uncertainty. In those moments, what they most need is wisdom. But James quickly adds an important condition. The request must come with faith. The person who asks while doubting is described as unstable, like a wave driven and tossed by the wind. The issue is not whether questions arise in our minds, it is whether we actually trust God’s promises enough to rely on them.

That tension is familiar. It is easy to pray for wisdom and guidance while simultaneously building our own backup plan in case God does not come through. In that sense, we may believe that God can help, but we do not fully expect Him to. Faith is something deeper than that. It is not merely believing a chair could hold our weight. Faith is actually sitting in it and trusting that it will hold, with no backup plan.

This passage exposes a common struggle. When uncertainty appears, many of us respond with frenetic energy—trying to force solutions, control outcomes, or manufacture clarity through sheer effort. Initiative can be good, but sometimes it becomes a substitute for trusting God. We move so quickly that we never truly wait for His wisdom.

James calls for a steadier posture. Ask God for wisdom. Expect Him to give it. And resist the urge to solve everything ourselves before He has the chance to act. The challenge is not passivity, but trust—the kind that believes God will do what He has promised.

Embracing the Suck — James 1:2–4

James 1:4 (NIV)
“Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

James opens his letter with a statement that can feel almost counterintuitive, “Consider it pure joy when you face trials.” The idea is not that suffering itself is enjoyable. Few people naturally feel joy when life becomes difficult. Instead, the joy comes from understanding what the difficulty produces.

This reminds me of coaching martial arts. Often times, we will do something that is not fun. It is an exercise that pushes boundaries and produces pain. In times like these, I often call out an old military training adage, “Embrace the suck.” We do this because we know that pushing our bodies to the limits makes our bodies stronger, better. It builds the muscles that we will need to be better martial artists.

Faith works much the same way. If the goal of the Christian life were simply comfort, then trials would make no sense. But there is something deeper. God is forming endurance, shaping character, and building a faith that can stand under pressure. The growth is slow and sometimes uncomfortable, but it produces a maturity that would not exist otherwise.

When life becomes demanding, it can feel like the ground has shifted. Situations arise that require more patience, more trust, and more endurance than expected. In those moments, James’ instruction is not to pretend the struggle is pleasant. Instead, it is to recognize that God is using it. The work of perseverance is not finished yet.

The challenge, then, is to endure—to keep trusting God while the process unfolds. Strength grows through resistance. And as difficult as the trials may feel, God is using them to shape a faith that is stronger, steadier, and more complete.

Faith — Hebrews 11:1–6

Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.”

Hebrews 11 speaks directly to a people who deeply revered their spiritual ancestors. The heroes of Israel’s story were not remembered merely for what they accomplished, but for how they trusted God when outcomes were uncertain. This passage reframes those familiar stories through a single lens, faith. Creation itself is understood not through observation or proof, but through trust in God’s word. Even figures like Enoch (briefly mentioned in Genesis) are held up as examples of a life oriented around pleasing God through faith.

The section builds toward a clear and unsettling conclusion, that faith is not optional. It is essential. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. That statement strips away the idea that effort, notoriety, morality, or religious activity alone are sufficient.

Faith, then, is not abstract belief at all. In the book of James, we read that faith isn’t about believing that God exists, even demons believe that. It is confident trust in him act for the good of those who seek him, even when there is no visible evidence that He is doing so.

That truth presses uncomfortably close. It is one thing to believe God can provide; it is another to trust Him when provision is unseen and the safety net is gone. Faith often feels strongest when consequences are minimal. But Scripture describes faith as dependence without guarantees. It is trusting God not only for outcomes, but also for timing and method. Real faith loosens its grip on control.

Hebrews 11 invites a recalibration. Faith is not about dictating how God must come through; it is about trusting that He will not abandon us when we need Him most. Like a muscle, faith grows through use, especially when it is costly. The call of this passage is simple but demanding. We should trust God fully, even when you cannot see how He is working, and believe that He is faithful to those who seek Him.