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, what do you do? Where's God when you feel stuck, paralyzed by fear?

That's today. Stay with me. Welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. Chip's our Bible teacher for this daily discipleship program, Motivating Christians to Live Like Christians. I'm Dave Drewy, and we're in the middle of Chip's series, The Art of Survival. In this program, he reminds us that difficult circumstances are not new and reveals an important resource God offers that actually guides us through the adversities of life. Now, if you're looking for deeper insight into this issue, stick around after today's message for some additional thoughts from Chip. You're not going to want to miss what he has to share.

Well, with that, here's Chip with his talk, A Resource to Ask For, from James Chapter One. Welcome to part two 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 and 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, they wallowed in self pity and their focus was inward.

They made little progress and their lives were 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 you know 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 desires 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 unto 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. You've been listening to part one of Chip's Message, a resource to ask for. You'll be right back with his application for this teaching from his series The Art of Survival. You know many of the pressing problems we're facing today, social unrest, religious persecution, moral decay, aren't new.

They've actually been around for a long time. So how are Christians to respond? Well for that answer Chip turns to the book of James chapter one. In this series he explains that the uncertainties and fears that discouraged first century believers are similar to the hardships we face today. By using the word ART as an acronym Chip highlights three critical truths on how we can endure challenging times. A stands for an attitude that strengthens.

R is for a resource God offers and T is for a theology that guides. Don't miss a single part of this series. For more information about The Art of Survival or our many resources go to LivingOnTheEdge.org or call 888-333-6003.

That's 888-333-6003 or LivingOnTheEdge.org. App listeners tap special offers. Now before we continue here's Chip to talk about something that's really close to his heart. For almost two years now I've heard people say we are living in unprecedented times. And then I hear all these things from the news and the media and social media about how challenging, how difficult, how terrible. I hear Christians talking to one another like the sky is falling.

I've got news for you. We are not living in unprecedented times. The kind of things we're experiencing has happened multiple times in history. In fact when the early church was birthed it was a lot like right now except a lot worse. And you know what? God had a word for those people. It was James chapter one and the Apostle James filled with the Holy Spirit spoke to that group of people running for their lives out of money abandoned by people in their world. And you know what he said to them?

He said there's a way. There's an art to survive in the midst of chaos. And those early Christians they took the worst of life circumstances and they turned it around and they changed the world. I want to invite you, in fact I challenge you, to join me for the new daily discipleship with Chip. It's called the art of survival. You're going to learn how your circumstances may not change but God can give you grace and perspective where you change in such a way that the people all around you change.

Here's how it works. Each day I'm going to meet with you one on one for 10 days and we're going to discover what James chapter one teaches about the art of survival and life's trials. We'll start our time together where I'll literally get a cup of coffee open my Bible and I'll talk directly with you one on one and we'll walk through how to study the Bible.

You'll learn to study the scriptures for yourself in a way where you hear God's voice and have God speak in such a way that gives you the strength to make it through life's hardest and most difficult times. So here's the challenge. Spend 10 days, 10 minutes a day with me, 10 minutes on your own and then let me encourage you.

Invite 10 people to join you. Let's be difference makers. Let's learn the art of survival in the age of chaos. You know those early disciples turned the world upside down and that's God's plan for you and me.

Won't you join me. Thanks Chip. Well we're so excited to share with you our new daily discipleship with Chip, the art of survival based in James chapter one. Through this free video series we'll discover how to handle circumstances out of our control, guard our attitude against discouragement and trust God and his provision. If you're ready to learn the art of surviving in these challenging times then register today to take the daily discipleship challenge and when you sign up we'll send you a new leather bound prayer journal as our gift to you. To take this free 10 day daily discipleship challenge go to livingontheedge.org or call us at 888-333-6003.

That's 888-333-6003 or go to livingontheedge.org. App listeners tap discipleship. 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 as 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 a minute and send 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 at triple 8 3 3 3 6 0 0 3 well I hope you'll join us again next time when chip continues his series the heart of survival until then this is Dave Drewy saying thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge.