JAMES 1:12-18 CHOOSING NOT TO DOUBT

12 Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created.

To love is to make a choice, and choices have consequences. We were created to love God; therefore, from the beginning humankind has been presented with daily choices. In the garden God placed a prohibition on the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, not to tempt Adam but to give him a choice (Genesis 2:16-17). Each day he had to make decisions based on the good to be attained and the evil to be avoided. Thus we are tested by God, but all temptation comes from within. It is our willfulness and doubt about God (Genesis 3:1-6) that tempt us to choose to disobey. Our fallen, sinful nature is the true source of our temptations.

Two year old children are great examples of this. The child is quietly playing in the front yard. As the child is playing he begins to drift away from the house. At that point the parent sets a boundary of the sidewalk which the child must not cross. We adults know that this prohibition is for the good (safety) of the child. However, invariably the child will go over to the sidewalk, and often while looking back at the parent, take a step beyond it. The unspoken question is, “You don’t really mean that, do you?” I doubt if any of us would describe the action of the parent as a temptation.

God is the ultimate source of all good, because that is his nature. Even the testing that we face each day is there as an aid for our growth in our love relationship with God. Remember that God’s purpose for the Church, the corporate whole and the individual members, is to announce and demonstrate his direction and purpose to the world. As an apple tree must produce apples, the Church is to demonstrate God’s nature to the world. We are only fruitful when we choose God, rather than our own way in all our daily choices.

My Father, allow me not to fall into any temptation today. Enable me to face the testing that will surely come my way this day with the faith that will direct my choice to the fulfillment of your loving will for me. May my life be a witness to your nature as I live each day. Amen.