Today I'm Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. Are you or a friend living in a world where it's gone from bad to worse? When that happens, it can feel like you're staring at a 100-foot wave. Where do you go when it seems like all hope is lost? How do you keep going with the waves of discouragement threaten to overwhelm you?
That's today. Stay with me. We've all been there, that suffocating moment when discouragement wraps around our soul like a vice. We've prayed, we've tried, we've pushed forward with everything we've got, and yet the darkness only deepens. Today, on Living on the Edge, Chip Ingram reminds us that our hopelessness, our despair, is Satan's most effective tool for neutralizing Christians.
In his message called The Art of Survival in an Age of Chaos, Chip gets brutally honest about his own struggle and the temptation to quit. Then from the ancient wisdom of James, he unveils God's three-part battle plan to slay the dragon of despair. And just after our study, Chip describes an exciting opportunity to double your support of Living on the Edge through the MACH program that's active right now. It's the best time to leverage your year-end giving. But first, let's open our hearts to the breakthrough God may have in store for those who are losing heart.
Well, welcome to part three of our series, The Art of Survival. And boy, don't we need to survive and even thrive in these kind of days. This is part three. It's all from James chapter one. And as I begin, I want to tell you an apocryphal story.
This is not a true story, it was made up, but it has a very powerful point. The legend goes that Satan went into the market and he was having a big sale of all of his tools, tools he used to blind unbelievers, but even more importantly, he had some tools to render Christians, especially leaders, people really walking with God, just to absolutely ruin their faith. And so he had a broad spectrum of multiple tools and he had a price tag on each one of them. And all the junior demons were invited to come and buy these different tools to help them as they would persuade and deceive Christians and unbelievers alike. There was one very, very small box that had an astronomical price.
I mean, it was so high that all the demons said, Well, it's such a small little box. What could be in that little box that's worth that much? And Satan said, um What's in that box? is discouragement. because it's more useful to me than all the others.
He said, I pry open men's heart and I get inside of them. and I can get near to them with this tool like no other. It's badly worn because I use it almost all the time. but since few people know it really belongs to me, I deceive them. I discourage them.
And I get them to give up. or to give in. and render them powerless in this fight against the enemy. the King, the Lord Jesus Christ. And so, in fact, discouragement, I think, is the number one destroyer, especially at times like this.
that undermine us. And that might sound like an exaggeration. Unless you're one of those people that's really been discouraged. Um That's felt like giving up, giving in. I can't do this anymore.
As I was praying about it early this morning and thinking of my time to get to talk with you. I thought of one of the seasons very much like now where You know, the things that held me up, there were health issues, and then there were ministry issues, and there were financial issues, and there were family issues. And I felt like it was a time in my life where I was seeking and praying. pursuing God like never before. And it just was getting worse and worse and worse.
And I actually, it was about 10 years ago, and I dug this journal out this morning. I wrote, for 20 months I have clung to a passage and a promise in Psalm 25. The journey has been characterized by pain, injustice betrayal The stripping of the old? New insights into my pride. Into ministry metrics that don't focus so much on the number of people that do this or that.
but leading into new processes and strategies and focus and energy. that really have to do with life change. while at the same time experiencing absolute desperate dependency. We're broke personally and as a ministry. We have no office.
No staff to speak of, no clear direction for teaching, a future that is uncertain and unknown, and we're forced to live simply by faith. and the clear conviction and pain that we must move forward to helping Christians live like Christians. with what we have, which is little, with where we are, which is difficult, and with God who brought us here. I had been tempted many times to give up, I have felt deeply, deeply discouraged. and I've battled feelings of hopelessness in the midst of this journey.
That was 10 years ago. And as I look back now at what God did, I realize that He had to work deeply in me. before he was going to work significantly through me. I had to learn what we've learned in part one and part two about, you know, considering it all joy when nothing feels or looks joyful. I had to come to the point where I said, Lord, I don't know what to do.
I don't have any money. I don't have direction. difficulties at every turn. I need your wisdom. And he gave it.
And now what I want to ask you is, where are you at? How are you doing with discouragement? And what discourages you? You know, the definition of discouragement is to deprive courage, hope, or confidence. It's the lack of courage.
Courage is that thing that wells up inside of you that says, the circumstances don't matter, the opposition doesn't matter. I'm going to press forward. I'm going to follow Christ. I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. No matter what happens.
Discouragement is when you lose heart. Discouragement is that feeling when you say, It's not worth it. Nothing will ever change. I can't go on. I'm powerless.
It's that Feeling that just screams, just quit, just give it up. Just compromise. Take a shortcut.
So let me ask you before we begin the teaching time here and get into how to slay the dragon of discouragement. I want to ask you, where are you at? in terms of what discourages you. What person? What circumstance?
What's going on in your life or in your thoughts? Where are you in your life right now that you would say, I mean very specifically, This is discouraging me. These are the thoughts that are coming into my mind that make me want to say, God, I just can't do this anymore. I give up. What is going on?
I want you to get it down very specific and very clearly because God's going to take His word today and He's going to speak to that very specific discouragement in your life. and in mine. Discouragement is the number one destroyer. of God's plans for our lives. Just before we receive God's highest and best, Many of us throw in the towel.
You know, I've had some times and I've counseled so many hundreds of people right before there's a breakthrough in their marriage where it gets resolved, where they learn to forgive, and where they love, so many quit. And separate or get a divorce. Right before there's a huge answer to prayer, whether it's finances or an open door in ministry, just before that happens so often, Many give up. And they quit. You know, just before God is at work.
And, you know, the habit, the addiction, the struggle that. It has just been a stronghold in your life. God is working, working, working, working. And just before He answers and delivers.
So many people give up. And what I want to say to you is we're going to learn how to slay the dragon of discouragement. And God is going to give us a plan. He's going to answer, how do you survive? When you're tired, when you've tried, when you've worked, when you've prayed, when you're exhausted, and everything in you says, I just can't take it anymore.
God says, I have an answer for you. He has an answer for me. and he has a plan. And the plan begins with an attitude. It all begins with our attitude.
God's will in adversity is this attitude, joyful endurance. Consider it all joy, my brethren. when you encounter various trials, knowing that testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result that you might be perfect or mature, lacking in nothing. And then the second thing he gives us is a resource.
In the midst of not knowing what to do, in the midst of not having answers and battling discouragement, he says: here's a resource: God's promise and the process. is supernatural wisdom. He's going to give you insight into the best possible ends by the best possible means for the most possible people for the longest possible time. He says in verse 5, Let him ask of God who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. condition but let him or her ask in faith without any doubting.
for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord being double-minded. unstable. in all his ways. We'll hear more from Chip Ingram's message in just a moment.
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From his series called The Art of Survival in an Age of Chaos, Chippingram is teaching from James chapter 1. God tells you and me in the midst of our discouragement, He will show you what to do and how to do it to get through your greatest challenges. And then the third thing in God's plan isn't just an attitude. And it's not just a resource of supernatural wisdom. He's going to say, I'm going to give you a truth.
A theology, if you will, about life and about circumstances and about the future. And when you get this clarity, this truth, It is the thing that will allow you to slay the dragon of discouragement. He writes, But let the humble brother in his humble circumstances, glory in his high position, and let the rich man glory in his humiliation. Why? Because, like flowering grass, he will pass away, speaking of the rich man.
For the sun rises with the scorching wind. and withers the grass, and its flower falls off, and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed.
So too. The rich man in the midst of his pursuits. will fade away. And then he gives this Admonition. This hope, this reward, Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial.
For once he has been tested and is approved. He will receive the crown of life. which the Lord promised to those who love him. God's prescription, His truth. to persevere.
to not give up. is this. a divine perspective. There is a truth. There's a theology about life.
Here's life. God says, I want to give you a lens to look at life and your circumstances. I want you to see things through the kingdom lens. In the practical lens, rich people, powerful people, people with position, with homes, with money, with security, they're the ones that have it made. He's going to say no in God's kingdom lens.
Actually, the opposite is true. Those who have little actually have a high position. And then he's going to explain why. Let me take a moment and just explain this passage. And then from it, I want to give you three very specific principles that will allow you.
to hang in there when things get tough. He says, let the brother of humble circumstance, this word is socioeconomic. He's not talking about, you know, like character or humility. He's saying, you know, basically let someone who doesn't have very much money glory. And the word means to boast or take joy or rejoice and say, wow, look what I have.
So in your high position. And I don't know about you, but I have studied the Bible for a number of years. And I remember reading and studying the entire book of James. And for years, honestly, getting to Verses 9 through 12. Especially 9 through 11 in chapter 1, and we do this, don't we?
Who study the Bible, especially some of us who teach it, and just scratching my head. And thinking I don't get this. What's with this little section about poor people having a high position and rich people having a low position and then this promise of reward. We'll follow along. It's super insightful.
One of the things I've learned about studying the Bible: if there's something in a passage that at first doesn't seem to make any sense, Chances are it's very profound. And this is one of those passages.
So he says, to those of us that don't have very much, or for those of you that don't have very much, I'm thinking, you know, maybe you've lost your job. Maybe you've lost your business. Maybe you're in a country right now that things are very, very difficult. I mean, super challenging, like you don't have food. I mean, he says to those who have little to boast and rejoice in your high position.
And what he is doing is saying, I want to give you a perspective from heaven about looking at life through this lens of faith. Here's his point. He's going to say, when we don't have anything, Our high position is we're automatically dependent. We automatically turn to God. We automatically pray.
When I read this from my journal 10 years ago, When I said I was broke, I wasn't exaggerating. No money. I have had seasons where I have Sat in the car with my family. We had no money, we had no food, and we bowed our head and said, Lord, you said that you would promise. It was literally after a church service.
And we literally had nothing. And as we prayed, and while we were praying, toward the end, we heard a knock. It was the first time I went to this church. We had just moved to that city to prepare for ministry. and someone we didn't know that apparently sat behind us and saw a young family knocked on the window.
We rolled down the window and they said, Excuse me, do you all have plans for lunch? We would love to bring you to our home for lunch. You see, we didn't pray in the car because we were being spiritual. We didn't pray in the car because we thought, oh, this is important. Let's be good Christians.
We prayed in the car because we had no money and nothing to eat. And I had three kids in the back seat. What he's saying is As hard as it is to face, When we are low socioeconomically, we are rich in faith. because we are prepositioned. to be dependent, to trust God, and to seek Him.
And then he says to those who are rich, The idea of New Testament being rich is I have enough for today, enough for tomorrow, and I may have even savings for the future. In other words, the person who basically has their own security. Many in America listening to this and many around the world that are watching and listening to this would say to themselves, by biblical standards, I may not think of myself as rich, but I'm rich. I'm not worried about can I eat tomorrow or do I have a roof over my head. And he says, to those who are rich, we should glory.
Now my season has changed. I need to glory in my low position. I need to realize that spiritually I'm at a very big disadvantage. Because money is powerful. And money can provide false security.
And money can create idols. And money can create expectations. And money can get us thinking that we can live our life our way without God. And so he says, we have to willfully choose. I need to get up and say, Lord, I need you.
I choose to depend on you. Because the fact of the matter is If I didn't pray today, I have enough money in the bank to eat for this week and next week and probably next month. I don't have to pray. And so it says rich people are in a A more challenging spiritual situation, and then he gives this reason: for the sun rises with a scorching wind, and it withers the grass, the flower falls off. In other words, life is temporary.
Life is transitory. Life is a vapor. Life is a breath. And so what he's saying to us Is that you can't trust in these things because of the nature, the transitory nature of life? They fade away.
And then he says, blessed, and this word is an inner quality of happiness not dependent on circumstances, is the one who perseveres.
Now, are you ready for this? If you have your Bible, circle that word persevere. and then go up at the top of chapter one. Remember where it says? Let endurance, it's the same word.
Hupo Meno. Blessed is the man. Blessed is the woman who Person under pressure, under stress, under discouragement, under spiritual opposition, under difficult circumstances, under finances that you don't know what you're going to do, but you refuse to give up. You refuse, I'm going to trust. He says, As you endure and persevere under trial, and it's the exact same word as in the earlier part.
Blessed is the man. who and with these external trials once you've been approved notice The word here is for a test. It says once you pass the test. You know what passing the test is? It's being faithful to your calling.
It's not giving up. It's not giving in. It's not caving into temptation. It's not compromising. It's not saying the ministry is not worth it.
It's saying I'm gonna hang in there in this difficult marriage. I'm gonna hang in there in this ministry. I'm gonna hang in there with this difficult situation with my boss or a supervisor. I'm going to hang in there in this difficulty. Because I'm called by God to be faithful to Him, I refuse in the power of the Holy Spirit to give in.
Or to give up. And it says, once you've been approved, you'll receive the crown of life. And this is great. Grammatically, this is the crown. namely life.
It's, yes, we're going to get crowns and there's going to be rewards for believers, but the emphasis here is the crown, namely life, this abundance. When you persevere and do not allow discouragement to sabotage your life, There is a quality of life. There's an intimacy with Jesus. There's a power. There's a faith.
There's a courage. There is a life experience that other people don't get. He says you're going to receive the crown of life not just now. but with future reward as well, which the Lord has promised notice to who? To those who love him.
To those who say Lord, my loyalty. My loyalty is to you. It is hard. It is difficult. It is painful.
Goodbye. Chip Ingram is our Bible teacher, and this is Living on the Edge. Our study in James chapter 1 will continue, and we'll hear from Chip again in just a moment, so please stand by. First, it's exciting to share that Living on the Edge is the recipient of a major match opportunity. This was made possible through visionary friends who want to inspire other Christians to respond with their support of Living on the Edge.
What this means is that every dollar you're able to give on or before December 31st is automatically multiplied by two until we reach the goal. And we'll use these collective resources to train, encourage, and equip pastors, not only here in your hometown, but all across the country as well. Look, we're all concerned about the country we love. These are stretching days, but our hope for America resides not in political influence, but in the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. By God's design, the local church is the training ground for believers.
And right now we're especially focused on coming alongside your pastor and countless others like him. Chip? You may not realize it, or maybe you do, but pastors all across America are under enormous pressure. Pressure to soften the truth, to avoid controversial passages, to make everyone feel comfortable. They're exhausted from the tension of speaking God's word with clarity and conviction, and then keeping their churches from splitting apart.
I have to tell you, because they talk to me personally, I'm really questioning whether I can keep doing this any longer. I'm thinking about quitting. And here's what I want you to know. Living on the Edge has become a lifeline for these pastors. Not because I have all the answers, but because I'm a fellow pastor who understands the weight they carry.
When you give to Living on the Edge, you're putting backbone into these pastors who are tempted to bend the knee. You're helping them find the courage to open God's Word and teach it with conviction. Three decades of ministry, millions of lives touched, and we're just getting started. Right now, generous partners are matching every dollar you give. America's future depends on pastors who'll stand firm.
Who will speak the truth in love, and your gift toward this match helps make that possible. Thanks so much. You can respond to Chip right now by going to livingontheedge.org. On our mobile app, just click on the heart icon and follow the simple instructions. Or you can call right now, 888-333-6003.
Together, let's make an impact by giving generously to the match that's active today and through December 31st. Because of the match, every dollar you give is automatically doubled in size, having twice the impact. To send your donation in the mail, write to LivingOnTheEdge, PO Box 3007, Atlanta, Georgia, 30024. Chip will conclude our teaching series on Monday's program. It's called The Art of Survival in an Age of Chaos.
Did you know that he's written a book by this title? As Christians, we're called to be overcomers. The Bible promises victory, not victims. But how do we take the high road when life is hard? You'll discover the answer in Chip's book, The Art of Survival.
It's the perfect choice for your personal devotions or to use in your small group Bible study. Call 888-333-6003 or visit livingontheedge.org. I'm Dave Druy. Join us again Monday when Chip Ingram concludes his series called The Art of Survival in an Age of Chaos, right here on Living on the Edge. Mm.
