The ART of Survival - A Resource to Ask for, Part 1

When you feel like there's no hope, when you feel like there's nowhere to turn, where there's no answers, no explanations, and that you can't hang in there even one more day, what do you do? Where's God? Where's the answers when you feel stuck, paralyzed by fear?

Where do you go? That's today on Living on the Edge. Stay with me. Welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. Living on the Edge features the Bible teaching of Chip Ingram, helping Christians live like Christians. Chip's in a series called The Art of Survival, with a reminder today that difficult circumstances are nothing new. Believers have faced tough times through the centuries. On this program, Chip gives us a perspective on fearful times that provides more than just guidance. He's going to tell us about a resource God offers that makes all the difference when adversity presses in.

Now, if you have a Bible, open it now to James Chapter 1, and let's get started. Welcome to Part 2 of The Art of Survival. You know, we're living in a global pandemic with huge implications, economic, emotional, financial. Churches are shut down.

Businesses are shut down. It's not just difficult. For many, it's devastating. And what we want to ask and answer is, God, where are you? When you don't feel like there's hope, when you need to know what to do, and how do you hang in there when it feels like you just can't?

What do you do? That's the art of survival. And God has an answer. The early church was birthed in a time just like we're experiencing. And God gave a word to Jesus' half-brother James. And we're going to talk about that in just a minute.

But as we talk about when you're stuck, and when it's difficult, and when you literally don't know what to do, sometimes a micro story gives sort of a macro understanding. I want to tell you about a man that I got to know very, very well. We became very close friends. When I met him, he was in a wheelchair. He was very strong and muscular. And I would learn a little bit later that he was a world champion Olympic gold medalist in the wheelchair on the basketball team. He was a gold medalist in the Paralympics on the marathon. He was a fabulous athlete. And we got to know each other, and then I heard his story. Jerry was a phenomenal athlete who had a future in football.

I mean, millions of dollars in his future. Absolute unbelievable. He was walking downtown with his girlfriend, and on a downtown street, two guys came out of a bar, and they were fighting, and one of them pulled out a knife. And Jerry instinctively stepped in to try and break up the fight to save one of them.

It looked very, very bad. And as he pulled them apart and got them away, he said, all I heard was a too loud bang, bang, and then searing pain as two bullets lodged in his back. Jerry was paralyzed from that moment forward. And as I talked to Jerry, I thought if anyone, anyone sort of would have a right to say, why me? I tried to save someone's life.

I'm trying to do what is good, and I get two bullets in the back. And I mean, his career was one of those that would be fame, millions and millions of dollars. He was the star that everyone wanted to play on their team, and he's devastated.

It's gone. When Jerry first had this situation, I would call him a nominally Christian. He believed in God, did not have a close or personal relationship with God, and his whole world was falling apart, and he confessed to me over and over and over, I just said, why? Why me, God?

Why? I don't understand. And then he went to rehab, and he watched two sets of people. And he said, I watch people whose lives crumbled. All they did is ask why, and they wallowed in self-pity, and their focus was inward. They made little progress, and their lives were a disaster. And he said, then there were a few people, just a very, very few people that weren't asking why. They were asking, what do I need to do in this situation to get better?

What can I control? How do I make it through today? And where can there be hope? Because as of right now, my life is devastated. And I learned some things from Jerry that I want to share with you, and God shared some things with me that were a great help as Jerry became a great friend, and God really transformed his life.

James chapter one, here's the principle, don't ask why, ask what. Survivors, people that make it through the most devastating personal times or even global times, ask three questions. Question number one, what can I control? Answer, my attitude. Question number two, what must I do to make it through today? Answer, endure.

Remember, hupo meno. I mean, don't give up, don't give in, hang on to the promises of God. And third, what hope do I have for tomorrow?

Answer, an all-powerful, all-knowing, sovereign God who is good, promises to take the very worst that you experience in this life and turn it for your best and will either allow you to experience that in this life or in the one to come with him in heaven. Jerry stopped asking why, and he started asking what. And as he did, he began to focus on I'm going to consider this an opportunity. I'm going to consider that maybe God has a plan for me, and he'll use me in ways that are not about fame or fortune or money, but he allowed this to happen.

He didn't cause it. And Jerry went into training, and Jerry became a world-class athlete again, but this time in a wheelchair and won gold medals. He traveled all over the world, all over the United States.

He then went in and became a marathoner where he won the gold medal in the marathon in a wheelchair, 26.2 miles. You would meet Jerry, and he shared his testimony of how the supernatural power of the Spirit of God inside of his life in the midst of the most devastating thing actually changed his life to the point where I remember having a very private conversation. He said, Chip, if I could do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing. Do I like sitting in this chair?

No. He said, but I thought money and fame and prosperity were my ticket to the life that's really life. And he said, you know, I was famous, and I had a big future. He said, but I've experienced an intimacy with Jesus Christ, a peace and a joy and a power, and God has used my life all around the world to change people's lives. Because I wasn't a victim, I was a survivor, because he gave me hope. He gave me the grace to endure when I didn't think I could, and it changed me from a nominal, I kind of believe in God, to a dedicated follower of Jesus. And then he used my difficulty to share the love of Christ with other people whose lives will be different forever and ever.

Now here's what I want you to know. Jerry got stuck. I didn't share that part of the story. You know, when you hear a story like Jerry's, it sounds almost like a fairy tale. This happened.

He made a few great choices. If I told you the long version, I would tell you about when he was in rehab and was depressed, I mean clinically depressed, when he wallowed in self-pity, when he was ready to give up, when he didn't care. Jerry got stuck. Here's what I want you to know. When things are happening the way they are in our life, you don't have a job, maybe someone close to you has died to the virus, maybe the ministry is completely shut down because the churches are closed, maybe you can't travel from country to country, maybe your mental health, you are depressed, you are discouraged, maybe your marriage wasn't going well and now it's a train wreck, it's a mess, maybe one of your kids has been impacted, maybe you have no idea where you're going to get food tomorrow, you don't have any money, or the business that you built has evaporated. I don't know where you're at, but I know many of you, you're stuck. And you're saying, I want to consider it all, Joy. I want to allow God to test me and I want this endurance to make me mature and complete. I want a story like Jerry's, but I'm stuck. I can't get there.

I'm trying hard, but am I just supposed to pretend that I have Joy? God understands and He knows that we get stuck. And in verses 5 through 8 of chapter 1, He's now going to shift. And early on He said, don't ask why, ask what. And He told us that the key is first your attitude. Now He's going to tell you that you need a resource. And it's a resource more valuable than money. It's a resource even more valuable than a friend, as important as that is. There's a resource that He wants to give you that when you get stuck, when you don't know what to do in your circumstance, you don't know what to do in your relationship, you don't know what to do in terms of your geography.

He says, I have a resource that will show you exactly what to do and I promise to give it to you 100% of the time. Follow along as I read. Remember, let endurance have its perfect result that you might be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Look at verse 5.

But, and by the way, in the Greek text, this is the strongest word used for a contrast. I mean it's, but if any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God who gives to all men generously and without reproach and it will be given to him. But let him 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 person or that man or woman expect that they will receive anything from the Lord, being double minded, unstable in all your ways. And in this little passage, he's going to teach you and he's going to teach me, what do you do when you're stuck in your pain?

What do you do when you're stuck in this virus? What do you do when emotional, financial, relational issues are flirting around and you want to follow God and you literally don't know how? Here's what I want you to know. Number one is that God understands when we get stuck. God wants to help you when you're stuck. God gives you a condition that if you will fulfill this condition, he promises he'll show you exactly what to do. And now let's break this down to understand God's offer of supernatural wisdom. That's the resource. By the way, wisdom here isn't being smart.

It's not intellectual. This is the Hebrew sense of wisdom. Hebrew wisdom means the skill and the ability to know what to do, when to do and how to do it in the midst of any situation or relationship. God's wisdom literally from the Old Testament and James is writing as a Jew to these Jewish Christians, he's saying God has a design for life and he wants to bring about the best possible ends by the best possible means for the most possible people for the longest possible time.

And there is a way, there's a way to think, there's a way to do decisions, there's a way to do relationships, there's wisdom, there's this skill that God wants to give to those who ask. And so what he's promising to this early group who find themselves, I believe in Jesus the Messiah. Fifteen years ago he was raised from the dead.

He showed himself to over 500 witnesses. They believe their lives have been transformed. They've seen miracles and now the world is falling apart. And they say God, what do we do? He says consider it all joy.

But we're stuck, now what do we do? He says ask God for wisdom and he'll give it. But I want you to know this, he says you have a responsibility.

This isn't about trying hard, figuring out your own way. He says let him ask, it's a command. And the idea of this word is let him ask for a gift in prayer. This is a word for prayer that's not just I'm praying or Lord help me. This is coming to God and saying I don't know what to do in this pandemic about this relationship, about money, about housing, about location, about a big decision.

I don't know what to do. God says if you lack wisdom, number one, ask. And here's the promise, he'll give it generously and without reproach. I've been a pastor for over 35 years and I've seen people stuck in health issues, relational issues, financial issues, legal issues, criminal issues. And it's always amazed me that there's times when a Christian will get stuck and they will do almost anything in the world to figure out what they ought to do except go to God in genuine humility and ask him what to do. And for years that used to puzzle me but it doesn't puzzle me anymore. See I think many people have a very warped view of God. I think many people feel like God is arms crossed and when we want and really need his help we tend to think that I lied and I've stolen or I've not been the kind of Christian I know I should be or I have some areas of immorality in my life or I haven't obeyed what I know and how can I go to God now when I've messed up when I know I'm not the person that I should be.

And did you notice what it says? Ask of God who gives to all men. The world means generously. In fact literally this phrase is come to the gift giving God. You know God loves you and like a father who understands when his kids mess up his desire isn't for you to get everything cleaned up before you come to him. His desire is just come. You just come as you are. It thrills your father's heart when you say I can't do this.

I need your help. I don't understand. Yes we all have some issues where we've done some things that we know are wrong but he says he gives generously and then I love this word without reproach. It means that his arms aren't crossed.

He's not pointing with a finger and said well you want help but what about this or what about that? No this is when Jesus says come in to me. All of you that are heavy laden that are burdened that are overwhelmed come I'll give you rest.

You serve a God who is kind and good and loving and understanding. Chip's going to be back with his application but just a quick reminder this message is from part two of his series The Art of Survival. ART is an acronym A-R-T. As Chip walks us through the book of James chapter one we realize that the uncertainty and fear of the believers James originally wrote to are similar to the growing pressures we face today. Chip explains there's an art to survival skills honed by practice that lead to joyful endurance no matter what. A is the attitude that helps us navigate adversity.

R is the resource God offers in adversity and T is the theology that guides our perspective in adversity. If you think this message could help others why not share or send it to them email text or on social media whatever you think would be most helpful. For more information and access to all the series discounts just go to livingontheedge.org or give us a call at 888-333-6003.

That's 888-333-6003. App listeners tap current offers. Well Chip I know you've got a powerful application to share but before we get to that it's been a while since you've explained why in addition to supporting the ministry with prayer you ask listeners to support Living on the Edge financially. Well first of all ministry is always an issue of the heart and Jesus says that wherever our treasure is that is where our heart will be. The Bible also commands us to be generous and open and free and everything that I have everyone listening to my voice right now everything they have God has entrusted that to them. The second is the Bible is really clear not only that we should be generous but aware we should be generous. I personally believe that your first commitment is to your local church but then there's that opportunity to give over and above that first portion and to express love because God says wherever you're spiritually ministered unto. In fact the Apostle Paul would say to a group of Christians I ministered spiritually to you and he actually went so far to say is you have a financial obligation to minister back to me and in his situation it wasn't like for air time I guess it was maybe donkey time or you know I need some new parchments or I need your financial resources to get on that ship to go from Corinth to Ephesus and it's just the same here. You know if you get ministered unto one of the ways that you not only say thank you but then you generously pass it on to others is to support that ministry that's ministering to you. So that's kind of what biblically why we do it and you know there's just the the reality of need and it's a partnership and a team and so and people are generous I mean I'm thrilled I'm very excited about how they do give and so I want to say if you haven't you can get in on this and if you have thank you very much.

If you're already a financial partner thank you. With your help Living on the Edge is ministering to more people than ever before and if you're benefiting from CHIPS teaching but haven't yet taken that step now would be a great time to join the team. Now to send a gift or to become a monthly partner donate online at livingontheedge.org. Tap donate on the app or just give us a call at 888-333-6003.

That's 888-333-6003. Your partnership is greatly appreciated. Well now here's Chip with his application. As we wrap up today's program I just want to remind you God gets it when you're stuck. He's patient. He really does understand. The question is how do you get unstuck and literally this group of Jewish followers had economic relational emotional issues their world was turned upside down and they were saying God what do we do and the Holy Spirit writes through Jesus half-brother he says well consider it all joy because of what's going to happen in and through your life but he says if you don't know specifically what to do when it gets hard I mean like what school should your kids go to or should you relocate right now or should you look for another job or stay in this job I mean what specifically do you do he promises wisdom now here's my question where are you getting your wisdom from right now this is not in any way like a probing question where are you getting your wisdom from I just know that we're all looking for answers and unconsciously you might be getting it from Facebook or social media or from the news or from friends and there may be a lot of good wisdom there but let me ask you have you asked God I mean have you really asked God give me wisdom show me what to do instead of here's what I hear myself praying and many others is God I want you to take the virus away or I want you to open the school or I want you to in other words you're telling him what to do and how to do it so that you get relief and you can make it through and I don't think it's wrong to pray that way but what if that's not what God wants to do and that's not what he's going to do maybe what we need to be asking especially from this passage is not oh God will you do X Y and Z so I can have the outcomes I want maybe the question ought to be this God what do you want me to do what do you want me to do and then he promises he will give wisdom the skill the ability to know what to do when to do it how to do it if you ask in faith that means you believe that he's good and then without any doubting we're going to look at that but I can't leave you today without addressing that a bit because what we're going to learn is the two conditions for God 100% of the time to tell you in your specific situation exactly what to do is that you need to ask number one and number two you need to be willing to do whatever he says you can't ask him God will you show me what to do so I could consider it as one of the options he says that person won't receive any wisdom from the Lord but if you're willing to ask and say Lord no matter what it means if it means relocating it means a different job if it means a different school if it means a different lifestyle whatever you say I'm telling you in advance I'll do here's the promise he'll show you so ask him today just before we close I want you to know that as a staff we ask the Lord to help you take whatever your next faith step is we'd love to hear how it's going would you take just a minute to send us a note or give us a call either one is easy just send a quick note to chip at Living on the Edge org or give us a call triple 8 3 3 3 6 0 0 3 is our number well I hope you'll join us again next time when chip continues his series the art of survival until then this is Dave Gruy saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge.