Sunday, I concluded a sermon series at my church called “Shift.” A shift is the transition from one place, paradigm, or perspective to another. A shift in your life is when something goes to the next level…..when you find another gear from which to live your life….or when you finally cross the threshold from one level of living to another.
This past week we explored the shift from heaven to earth and drove home the reality that God has resources from heaven to help us endure the trials and temptations we face on the earth.
Our passage was James 1:17
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”
In the midst of an ever changing and every shifting world, we serve an unchanging God. He does not shift like changing shadows. Not only that, but he brings light to the darkness that shadows cast in our lives.
In the natural, a shadow takes place when something comes in between you and the light source. And the same is true spiritually. Jesus is the light of the world. In Him is life, and his life is our light according to But a shadow is cast over our lives when something comes between us and Him.
Many times, the trials and temptations of life can come between us and our walk with the Lord. We must allow Him to bring forth His life…His light…into the trials and temptations we face. The first chapter of James tells us how to do so. It gives us six ways to flip the switch and allow His light to pierce the darkness.
Here are 6 ways to turn the light switch on!
1). Embrace trials as the key to transformation.
James 1:2-4 “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
One way we endure trials is by maintaining our perspective. James tells us that trials produce the necessary perseverance we need in order to be mature and complete. And did you catch the last three words? “Not lacking anything.”
Remember one of our key quotes from this series: “It’s not what you are looking at that matters. It is what you see”
That could never apply better than to this truth about our trials. Because the truth, the right perspective we should have, is simply this: “Trials are not meant to deplete us. They are meant to complete us.”
When I embrace this perspective, or any of God’s perspectives for that matter, a light switch comes on and the shadow of my circumstance no longer looms as large over my life.
2). Put the doubt out.
James 1:5-6 5 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. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
Nothing causes darkness to come over our lives quite like doubt. James has a cure for doubt he gives us and that is to simply ask God for wisdom. Remember the story of the two headed viper I shared with you in week 1? When we doubt, we are like that two headed viper. The answer is to ask God for wisdom but to not doubt that he will indeed answer us.
I have three children. When they ask daddy for something, I always respond. Always. It may not be with the answer they want to hear when they want to hear it, but one thing is for certain, I will give them an answer. In fact, it is absolutely contrary to the character of a good dad NOT to provide an answer for his children. How much more is this true about God? We are his children. When we ask, he always answers. We should not doubt this character trait about God. We need to ask, we need to listen, and we need to put the doubt out—God will answer us as His children.
Here is the bottom line: doubt keeps us in darkness but wisdom from heaven lights up our eyes!
3). Embrace contentment as a means to overcoming containment.
James 1:9 “The brother in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position.”
The next few verses speak about an individual who is humble and content with his circumstances. I have learned that contentment is key to keeping the light switch on in my life and darkness at bay.
1 Timothy 6:6 tells us, “Contentment with godliness is great gain.”
I have learned that discontentment can become a breeding ground for darkness and therefore captivity in my life. The feeling of containment, where the walls of life feel like they are closing in, can easily overtake me.
However, contentment with Godliness is liberating, full of light, and brings life and vibrancy to our journey. We would do well to embrace contentment!
4). Take dominion over your desires.
James 1:13-15 “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 person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”
Not only does doubt usher darkness into our lives, so do evil desires within us. We must take dominion over them to keep the light in and the darkness away. The first step in doing so is to start taking every thought captive. Every!
2 Cor 10:5 “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
We are commanded and empowered by the Holy Spirit to take dominion over sinful desires. When we do, darkness fades and the light grows bright!
We could elaborate a lot on this point, but for now, just remember:
Dominion starts in our minds and is a matter of what we dwell on!
5). Don’t be deceived. Instead, receive.
James 1:16-17 16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 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.
James continues, “don’t be deceived.” Don’t be deceived by the nature of sin. Yes. Don’t be deceived by the reality of trials and God’s purposes for them? Check. Don’t be deceived by the temptation to chase after materialism instead of Godly contentment? Absolutely. All of these statements would apply within the context of this passage.
But there is something else here too because Paul immediately pivots into our anchor verse and declares “every good and perfect gift is from above.” God’s gifts for us are good and perfect. And I also believe they are always right on time. In fact, I believe:
God has a good and perfect gift to help you grow through any season of life.
He knows us, and he knows what we need in this season of our lives. This is one aspect of God’s nature that makes the journey of following the Lord so fulfilling. He knows what I need, when I need it, and knows exactly the vehicle necessary to make this gift appear in our life.
So don’t be deceived….God is good and his gifts are also good, perfect, and always on time.
Every good and perfect gift is from the Father above.
And His gifts are one way he empowers us to seize the season we are facing.
6). Don’t forget who you are.
James 1: 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.
James finishes his initial discourse by reminding us about who God is, but also who we are.
Foundational to walking free from the shadows of life is an understanding of who we are in Christ. Dare I say, we need an “aha” moment that causes us to declare, “Wait just a minute! I am a child of the light. God does not change like shifting shadows. Therefore, I will not be intimidated by any shadow that life or the devil would try to cast over my life!”
Remember who you are, and allow your identity in Christ empower you over the issues of life.
Conclusion
The message Sunday was essentially about not allowing anything come between us and Christ and therefore cast a shadow over our lives. But there is one shadow that should be desired…
Psalm 91:1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
Instead of being overshadowed by the shadows of this world, let’s press into the Father of lights and allow His love to overshadow us. This is the only place in which there is true rest, instead of restlessness, for our thirsty souls!