1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,440 Speaker 1: Well, good morning and welcome. We are kicking off a 2 00:00:02,480 --> 00:00:07,040 Speaker 1: new series of conversations this morning about erosion, that thing 3 00:00:07,080 --> 00:00:10,440 Speaker 1: that happens to us when we aren't paying close attention, 4 00:00:11,039 --> 00:00:18,080 Speaker 1: where habits, beliefs, behaviors, faith, trust, a sense of wellbeing, 5 00:00:18,680 --> 00:00:23,200 Speaker 1: where that kind of ebbs away in us seems like 6 00:00:23,239 --> 00:00:25,400 Speaker 1: the best habits that we have have to be tended, 7 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:27,400 Speaker 1: they have to be paid attention to, they have to 8 00:00:27,440 --> 00:00:33,560 Speaker 1: be reinforced, while bad habits are easily left to our 9 00:00:33,880 --> 00:00:37,400 Speaker 1: worst days, to our lack of attention, we can fall 10 00:00:37,440 --> 00:00:40,400 Speaker 1: back into those things. And so let's talk for a minute. 11 00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:43,440 Speaker 1: We've been in the Linton season now since mid February, 12 00:00:43,479 --> 00:00:45,720 Speaker 1: but we haven't really talked about it together. So let's 13 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:48,159 Speaker 1: talk a little bit about what the Linton season is 14 00:00:48,479 --> 00:00:53,159 Speaker 1: and how it's observed. So LN is the forty days. 15 00:00:53,360 --> 00:00:58,240 Speaker 1: It's actually about forty six days preceding Easter. It begins 16 00:00:58,240 --> 00:01:02,320 Speaker 1: on Ash Wednesday. Tradition, the application of ashes to the 17 00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:05,800 Speaker 1: forehead is a sign of repentance and as a sign 18 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:10,040 Speaker 1: of mourning. It's a time of fasting traditionally in preparation 19 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:12,839 Speaker 1: for Easter. So the ancient belief was that the forty 20 00:01:12,920 --> 00:01:16,640 Speaker 1: days because you take out the sabbaths. Sabbaths were not 21 00:01:16,840 --> 00:01:20,160 Speaker 1: fast days, and so you added six more days, forty 22 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:23,280 Speaker 1: six days to the linten season, but forty days of fasting, 23 00:01:23,560 --> 00:01:26,040 Speaker 1: and they were designed to mimic the forty days of 24 00:01:26,120 --> 00:01:30,640 Speaker 1: Jesus in the wilderness in preparation. And so traditionally the 25 00:01:30,720 --> 00:01:35,240 Speaker 1: fast was fast from luxury items, and that meant no meat, 26 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:40,800 Speaker 1: no eggs, no butter, no dairy, no milk, things that 27 00:01:40,959 --> 00:01:45,480 Speaker 1: were considered no bread in the old days to be luxuries. 28 00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:48,720 Speaker 1: We've evolved to that, and now we are more into 29 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:53,480 Speaker 1: selecting a fast, maybe giving up coffee for the linten season, 30 00:01:53,600 --> 00:01:56,960 Speaker 1: or giving up red meat for the season, whatever that 31 00:01:57,080 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 1: looks like. But that all leads us down to a 32 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:06,040 Speaker 1: celebration that just took place, which is called Shrove Tuesday. 33 00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:08,640 Speaker 1: In our culture, it's called Fat Tuesday. We know it 34 00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:13,240 Speaker 1: as Marti Gras. Marti Graus literally means fat Tuesday. And 35 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:16,720 Speaker 1: so the logic was this ash Wednesday introduced a forty 36 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:21,160 Speaker 1: day season of fasting. So Shrove Tuesday traditionally was the 37 00:02:21,240 --> 00:02:24,880 Speaker 1: day to rid your house of those luxury items that 38 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:27,560 Speaker 1: we're going to be a temptation or you didn't want 39 00:02:27,600 --> 00:02:30,239 Speaker 1: them in the house in the litten season. And as 40 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:33,079 Speaker 1: a result of that, pancakes because what do you make 41 00:02:33,080 --> 00:02:36,480 Speaker 1: out of flour and butter and milk and those things 42 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:40,480 Speaker 1: you make pancakes, And so pancakes became closely associated with 43 00:02:40,600 --> 00:02:44,760 Speaker 1: Shrove Tuesday. But the mentality over time has become we 44 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:48,359 Speaker 1: must indulge all of our lower appetites on fat Tuesday 45 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:52,280 Speaker 1: to get ready for a season of preparation for Easter. 46 00:02:52,480 --> 00:02:55,400 Speaker 1: So we kind of typically how we do things. So 47 00:02:55,440 --> 00:02:59,320 Speaker 1: we've been in the season of lent. We are continuing 48 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:01,760 Speaker 1: in the season of lent, and it's a good time 49 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:05,280 Speaker 1: to be reflective, to think about what's going on in 50 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:07,400 Speaker 1: your life. And if I were to ask you what 51 00:03:07,440 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 1: things have eroded over the last few years, what things 52 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:15,799 Speaker 1: for you have become less. Have you committed to eat 53 00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:18,240 Speaker 1: more healthy and then that sort of eroded away. Have 54 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:21,760 Speaker 1: you committed to exercise more and that's kind of eroded away. 55 00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:24,839 Speaker 1: Have you committed to be nicer to people and that's 56 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:27,960 Speaker 1: a roaded away. Committed to stay off social media, let 57 00:03:28,040 --> 00:03:33,320 Speaker 1: yourself calm down. Erosion is a process that naturally just 58 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 1: wears away our resolve. So we're thinking about that together 59 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:42,440 Speaker 1: in these next few conversations. What happens to the physical 60 00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:50,200 Speaker 1: world erosion happens to us both psychologically, emotionally, and certainly spiritually. 61 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:53,360 Speaker 1: And so it's a good season to stop and think 62 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:56,600 Speaker 1: about how it all fits together. And today we're thinking 63 00:03:56,640 --> 00:04:02,360 Speaker 1: specifically about what happens when faith where then so little 64 00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:05,200 Speaker 1: history lesson. I know that'll be shocking for you, But 65 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:10,360 Speaker 1: little history lesson, Let's think about the person who wrote 66 00:04:10,760 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 1: the Book of James. So James is a small little book, 67 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:18,720 Speaker 1: just five chapters, and it is accredited to James, who 68 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:22,640 Speaker 1: was the head of the church in Jerusalem, one of 69 00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:27,520 Speaker 1: the earliest martyrs. Not James the Disciple, he dies earlier. 70 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:32,920 Speaker 1: This James dies probably somewhere around sixty two AD. And 71 00:04:33,000 --> 00:04:38,080 Speaker 1: so this James has become associated with James, the half 72 00:04:38,200 --> 00:04:41,680 Speaker 1: brother of Jesus. And so if you've never traced that 73 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:45,280 Speaker 1: line of thinking, let me do it for you. We 74 00:04:45,320 --> 00:04:49,000 Speaker 1: see the brothers of Jesus mentioned the first time in 75 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:53,839 Speaker 1: Matthew thirteen fifty five. Isn't this the carpenter son? Isn't 76 00:04:53,839 --> 00:04:58,240 Speaker 1: his mother's name Mary? And aren't his brothers James, Joseph, 77 00:04:58,279 --> 00:05:02,360 Speaker 1: Simon and Judah. So it's the first mentioned, and it's 78 00:05:02,360 --> 00:05:06,880 Speaker 1: clear that Mary and Joseph had subsequent children after Jesus. 79 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:11,400 Speaker 1: What's most important in is that we find this James 80 00:05:11,440 --> 00:05:14,600 Speaker 1: mentioned again, and the next time we see him is 81 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:20,440 Speaker 1: when we begin to hear about him in reflection, specifically 82 00:05:20,520 --> 00:05:24,039 Speaker 1: from Paul. So here's what we read from Paul in 83 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:27,160 Speaker 1: Galatians one nineteen. I saw none of the other apostles, 84 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:31,880 Speaker 1: only James, the Lord's brother. And then a little later 85 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:36,520 Speaker 1: in Galatians he writes, James, Cephas and John, those esteemed 86 00:05:36,600 --> 00:05:39,520 Speaker 1: as pillars, gave me and Barnabas the right handed fellowship. 87 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:43,279 Speaker 1: When they recognize the grace given to me, they agreed 88 00:05:43,360 --> 00:05:46,839 Speaker 1: that we should go to the gentiles, and they to 89 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:52,480 Speaker 1: the circumcised. And so what brought about this change from 90 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:57,000 Speaker 1: the brothers who didn't quite know if James was okay 91 00:05:57,200 --> 00:06:01,600 Speaker 1: to a believer, Well, Jesus appears to him post resurrection. 92 00:06:01,839 --> 00:06:04,760 Speaker 1: And so if you had seen your brother die in 93 00:06:05,320 --> 00:06:08,960 Speaker 1: a crucifixion and then encounter him alive again, that would 94 00:06:09,040 --> 00:06:12,320 Speaker 1: change your faith. We hear a long, lengthy speech from 95 00:06:12,440 --> 00:06:15,479 Speaker 1: James and Acts fifteen, and this is where we really 96 00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:17,559 Speaker 1: get the sense that he's the head of the Church 97 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:22,039 Speaker 1: of Jerusalem. He's speaking about Paul and Peter and the 98 00:06:22,120 --> 00:06:26,680 Speaker 1: Gentiles and takes some very strong sand that the Gentiles 99 00:06:26,680 --> 00:06:28,839 Speaker 1: don't need to be very Jewish in order to be 100 00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:33,240 Speaker 1: Christian so prominent leader. That alone would make this letter interesting. 101 00:06:33,680 --> 00:06:35,680 Speaker 1: That it's the half brother of Jesus who is on 102 00:06:35,760 --> 00:06:39,359 Speaker 1: his own journey of non belief and then coming to 103 00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:43,240 Speaker 1: a place of faith, ultimately being martyred for his belief 104 00:06:44,839 --> 00:06:49,320 Speaker 1: an interesting letter to look at. Topically, there are twelve 105 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:56,160 Speaker 1: teaching sections that he basically addresses. Favoritism versus love, genuine faith, 106 00:06:56,400 --> 00:07:02,240 Speaker 1: the tongue true versus false, whiz them, condemning others, a 107 00:07:02,279 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 1: divided heart, the arrogance and dangers of wealth, restoring others, 108 00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:10,720 Speaker 1: prayer and telling the truth, and then patience and endurance, 109 00:07:10,800 --> 00:07:12,520 Speaker 1: and so in regards to all of these he'll use 110 00:07:12,520 --> 00:07:16,080 Speaker 1: the same Greek word over and over teleios, meaning these 111 00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:20,000 Speaker 1: all are going to, if allowed, if paid attention to, 112 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:23,000 Speaker 1: if we're vigilant, can reach a place of fulfillment, a 113 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:28,280 Speaker 1: place of completion, a place where nothing is lacking. And 114 00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:32,640 Speaker 1: so he speaks kind of upfront, the first chapter is 115 00:07:32,680 --> 00:07:35,400 Speaker 1: really a synopsis of all that is to come. Then, 116 00:07:35,520 --> 00:07:39,360 Speaker 1: chapters two through five drilled down into the details. So 117 00:07:39,800 --> 00:07:43,320 Speaker 1: listen to this opening That kind of gives us an 118 00:07:43,440 --> 00:07:46,720 Speaker 1: overview of what he's going to talk about. James one 119 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:49,200 Speaker 1: to one, James, a servant of God and the Lord 120 00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:52,720 Speaker 1: Jesus Christ to the twelve tribes scattered among the nation's greetings. 121 00:07:53,280 --> 00:07:56,680 Speaker 1: Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you 122 00:07:56,760 --> 00:07:59,920 Speaker 1: face trials of many kinds, because you know that the 123 00:08:00,120 --> 00:08:04,400 Speaker 1: testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its 124 00:08:04,440 --> 00:08:07,320 Speaker 1: work so that you may be mature and complete, not 125 00:08:07,560 --> 00:08:10,720 Speaker 1: lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should 126 00:08:10,720 --> 00:08:14,119 Speaker 1: ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, 127 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:16,720 Speaker 1: and it will be given to you. But when you ask, 128 00:08:16,840 --> 00:08:19,120 Speaker 1: you must believe in, not doubt, because the one who 129 00:08:19,160 --> 00:08:21,320 Speaker 1: doubts is like a wave of the sea blown and 130 00:08:21,400 --> 00:08:23,760 Speaker 1: tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to 131 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:26,720 Speaker 1: receive anything from the Lord. Such a person is double 132 00:08:26,760 --> 00:08:30,280 Speaker 1: minded and unstable in all they do. Believers in humble 133 00:08:30,320 --> 00:08:33,120 Speaker 1: circumstances ought to take pride in their high position, but 134 00:08:33,200 --> 00:08:36,280 Speaker 1: the rich should take pride in their humiliation, since they'll 135 00:08:36,320 --> 00:08:39,480 Speaker 1: pass away like a wildflower for the sun rises with 136 00:08:39,559 --> 00:08:43,320 Speaker 1: scorching heat and withers the plant, its blossom falls, and 137 00:08:43,400 --> 00:08:47,120 Speaker 1: its beauties destroyed. In the same way, the rich will 138 00:08:47,120 --> 00:08:50,640 Speaker 1: fade away even while they go about their business, blessed 139 00:08:50,640 --> 00:08:53,600 Speaker 1: as the one who perseveres under trial, because having stood 140 00:08:53,600 --> 00:08:56,400 Speaker 1: the test, that person will receive the crown of life 141 00:08:56,640 --> 00:08:59,720 Speaker 1: that the Lord has promised to those who love him. 142 00:09:00,200 --> 00:09:04,200 Speaker 1: So James mentions a number of pieces of wisdom here 143 00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:08,000 Speaker 1: and right away in this opening. He's offering us an 144 00:09:08,040 --> 00:09:12,320 Speaker 1: antidote to erosion, a way to pay close attention, to 145 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:16,880 Speaker 1: overcome personal blindness, to allow ourselves to see us for 146 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:20,200 Speaker 1: who we actually are. And so I think there's seven 147 00:09:20,320 --> 00:09:24,839 Speaker 1: things that he highlights in the opening versus that need 148 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:28,360 Speaker 1: to get into our thoughts. And remember, what we're talking 149 00:09:28,400 --> 00:09:32,680 Speaker 1: about is when faith wears thin. So some days we 150 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:35,880 Speaker 1: just believe. It's just easy for us to trust that 151 00:09:35,960 --> 00:09:38,480 Speaker 1: everything's going good and it's going to work out and 152 00:09:38,520 --> 00:09:42,320 Speaker 1: it's not a problem for us. Some days it gets harder. 153 00:09:42,800 --> 00:09:46,160 Speaker 1: We're not sure about God or spirituality, or who we are, 154 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:48,640 Speaker 1: what the world means, or what's happening to us, or 155 00:09:48,679 --> 00:09:50,920 Speaker 1: how it all fits together, or does God like us 156 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:53,600 Speaker 1: or is he for us? Or have we ruined? Did 157 00:09:53,600 --> 00:09:56,280 Speaker 1: we mess up so much that God's finally washed his 158 00:09:56,360 --> 00:09:58,360 Speaker 1: hands of us? And He's done. We can't rely on 159 00:09:58,440 --> 00:10:02,839 Speaker 1: him anymore because he he's mad at us? So what 160 00:10:02,880 --> 00:10:05,840 Speaker 1: do you do on those days? And James gives us 161 00:10:05,880 --> 00:10:10,360 Speaker 1: then some super practical advice seven things highlighted here in 162 00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:12,320 Speaker 1: the opening, and he's going to talk about them more 163 00:10:12,360 --> 00:10:16,000 Speaker 1: as he presses on himTo the letter. But here's some 164 00:10:16,040 --> 00:10:20,640 Speaker 1: things that we can immediately do and think about. And 165 00:10:20,720 --> 00:10:25,400 Speaker 1: so the first one is an attitude antidote. What do 166 00:10:25,480 --> 00:10:29,360 Speaker 1: we do about our attitude? Consider it pure joy whenever 167 00:10:29,400 --> 00:10:35,240 Speaker 1: you face trials of many kinds. That's not necessarily new advice. 168 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:38,520 Speaker 1: It's a chorus of sages and wisdom through the centuries 169 00:10:38,559 --> 00:10:42,360 Speaker 1: that's reminded us that you can't change everything, but you 170 00:10:42,440 --> 00:10:45,760 Speaker 1: can change your attitude. And so how we see life 171 00:10:45,840 --> 00:10:47,920 Speaker 1: and how we see its challenges is going to go 172 00:10:47,960 --> 00:10:51,480 Speaker 1: a long way to defining the quality of our lives. 173 00:10:52,160 --> 00:10:56,800 Speaker 1: It's in the day trenches of life that we actually live. 174 00:10:56,880 --> 00:10:58,880 Speaker 1: We don't get to live in the high highs or 175 00:10:58,920 --> 00:11:03,520 Speaker 1: the low low. We live in the mundane. Every day 176 00:11:03,600 --> 00:11:06,400 Speaker 1: can't be Christmas, it can't be your birthday, it can't 177 00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:09,680 Speaker 1: be a special occasion. So what do you do every 178 00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:14,439 Speaker 1: day to live that life that has a steadiness to it. 179 00:11:15,120 --> 00:11:17,240 Speaker 1: We're going to pick this up right after this break. 180 00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:22,760 Speaker 1: Welcome back. You're listening to Healing Conversations on KABC seven ninety. 181 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:24,920 Speaker 1: I'm Dave Roberts. We're talking about what do you do 182 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:28,440 Speaker 1: when faith wears thin? And James the half brother Jesus 183 00:11:28,520 --> 00:11:31,800 Speaker 1: has written this letter. Some people think it's a sermon, 184 00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:35,680 Speaker 1: but they've given us this look into the early church 185 00:11:35,880 --> 00:11:39,160 Speaker 1: and the conversations that are going on in it. He 186 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:42,080 Speaker 1: gives us some antidotes, some things to think about when 187 00:11:42,360 --> 00:11:45,160 Speaker 1: we're not having our best day. Faith wise, we can 188 00:11:45,200 --> 00:11:47,360 Speaker 1: think about these things. And the first one is let's 189 00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:50,560 Speaker 1: check our attitude. We don't live in the high highs, 190 00:11:50,559 --> 00:11:53,800 Speaker 1: are the low lows. Necessarily we live in the mundane. 191 00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:58,079 Speaker 1: And we're told that in this world you will have trouble. 192 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:00,800 Speaker 1: Most of us can say that that right out loud. 193 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:03,760 Speaker 1: Things in the world are broken, people in the world 194 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:07,520 Speaker 1: are not all on the same page. There's always something 195 00:12:07,600 --> 00:12:11,760 Speaker 1: that needs attention, needs our intervention, needs our help. But 196 00:12:11,840 --> 00:12:14,160 Speaker 1: Jesus also told us that we could be of good, 197 00:12:14,240 --> 00:12:17,400 Speaker 1: cheer and so that's an attitude that sees life as 198 00:12:17,440 --> 00:12:21,960 Speaker 1: a struggle. It's realistic, but it also sees that there's 199 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:24,840 Speaker 1: a greater purpose, there's a greater good, there's something to 200 00:12:24,880 --> 00:12:27,600 Speaker 1: be working on. And we believe that at the core 201 00:12:27,640 --> 00:12:30,760 Speaker 1: of our life, because as people of faith, we believe 202 00:12:30,840 --> 00:12:34,320 Speaker 1: that the world is controlled by God, that he's working 203 00:12:34,360 --> 00:12:37,960 Speaker 1: in all things. He's working in all of the freedom 204 00:12:38,160 --> 00:12:42,360 Speaker 1: of people's choices to work for the good, to shape 205 00:12:42,880 --> 00:12:46,280 Speaker 1: even what's intended for evil, God works to use for good. 206 00:12:46,600 --> 00:12:49,240 Speaker 1: And when we adopt an attitude that says the world 207 00:12:49,320 --> 00:12:51,960 Speaker 1: is going to come together, God is seeing the world 208 00:12:52,080 --> 00:12:56,040 Speaker 1: in a redemptive way and working towards that redemption. And 209 00:12:56,120 --> 00:12:59,920 Speaker 1: not only some philosophical, high sounding thing about the world, 210 00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:04,080 Speaker 1: but about us. You are God's child according to the Word. 211 00:13:04,120 --> 00:13:06,040 Speaker 1: Don't have to believe this, but you should know the story. 212 00:13:06,520 --> 00:13:09,840 Speaker 1: God so loved the world that he sent his only son. 213 00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:12,520 Speaker 1: God is always for us and not against us. He 214 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:16,720 Speaker 1: is working for our good, redemptively, working for those that 215 00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:19,680 Speaker 1: do not yet know Him, and working in the lives 216 00:13:19,679 --> 00:13:22,400 Speaker 1: of the people who are seeking to please Him, but 217 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:26,200 Speaker 1: working for good. And even on our worst days, this 218 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:29,920 Speaker 1: kind of attitude of optimism is an antidote for erosion 219 00:13:30,200 --> 00:13:32,480 Speaker 1: of the soul. Maybe you're feeling the weight of that, 220 00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:36,040 Speaker 1: and then he leads on into not just an attitude antidote, 221 00:13:36,080 --> 00:13:39,640 Speaker 1: but a perseverance antidote, because you know that the testing 222 00:13:39,679 --> 00:13:43,040 Speaker 1: of your faith produces perseverance. We don't have a good 223 00:13:43,040 --> 00:13:46,800 Speaker 1: attitude because we're positive thinkers, even though it's important to 224 00:13:46,800 --> 00:13:50,920 Speaker 1: have an appropriate perspective. We don't go around ignoring the 225 00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:54,800 Speaker 1: realities of life for the truth of our own suffering 226 00:13:54,840 --> 00:13:56,840 Speaker 1: and the suffering of the people in the world. But 227 00:13:56,960 --> 00:14:00,880 Speaker 1: we do a top a proper attitude because we know 228 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:06,800 Speaker 1: that in this process we are earning perseverance. This perseverance 229 00:14:06,960 --> 00:14:10,360 Speaker 1: is what we are all about. We can't solve the 230 00:14:10,400 --> 00:14:13,120 Speaker 1: problems of the world, we can't even solve the problems 231 00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:15,240 Speaker 1: of our own life, but we can get up today 232 00:14:15,320 --> 00:14:18,480 Speaker 1: and take the next step. We can stop trying to 233 00:14:18,559 --> 00:14:21,840 Speaker 1: run the world and see the future and persevere today. 234 00:14:21,960 --> 00:14:26,000 Speaker 1: That's just a simple way of saying perseverance doesn't mean 235 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:29,080 Speaker 1: we've figured it all out. It does mean that today 236 00:14:29,360 --> 00:14:31,320 Speaker 1: we put one foot in front of the other. We 237 00:14:31,480 --> 00:14:34,960 Speaker 1: pay attention to our priorities, to being present in our life, 238 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:38,280 Speaker 1: to loving the people around us, and we trust that 239 00:14:38,360 --> 00:14:41,120 Speaker 1: tomorrow is going to be better. We trust that things 240 00:14:41,160 --> 00:14:44,840 Speaker 1: are getting better, they're going to be redeemed. That it's 241 00:14:44,960 --> 00:14:48,840 Speaker 1: darkest before the dawn, Biblical sayings that joy comes in 242 00:14:48,880 --> 00:14:52,480 Speaker 1: the morning, and we're going to keep going. Perseverance, sticking 243 00:14:52,560 --> 00:14:55,760 Speaker 1: to it is an antidote for erosion. So a good 244 00:14:55,800 --> 00:15:00,640 Speaker 1: attitude of perseverance. And then James adds maturity as an 245 00:15:00,680 --> 00:15:04,840 Speaker 1: antidote let perseverance finish its work. He says in verse four, 246 00:15:04,920 --> 00:15:08,200 Speaker 1: so that you may be mature, complete, not lacking anything. 247 00:15:08,880 --> 00:15:15,000 Speaker 1: So attitude and perspective build us towards maturity, to completeness. Now, 248 00:15:15,200 --> 00:15:18,320 Speaker 1: I think when you think about that, that's really so 249 00:15:18,480 --> 00:15:22,640 Speaker 1: much of what our world needs, some maturity, some completeness. 250 00:15:23,080 --> 00:15:25,960 Speaker 1: I counseled a woman years ago who had been through 251 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:28,440 Speaker 1: a couple of broken marriages. She had gone through a 252 00:15:28,560 --> 00:15:31,160 Speaker 1: very difficult season in her life, and at some point 253 00:15:31,320 --> 00:15:33,800 Speaker 1: during our talks she said, I don't want to be 254 00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:38,320 Speaker 1: in relationship anymore with anyone who has not been through stuff. 255 00:15:38,760 --> 00:15:42,240 Speaker 1: And I think that makes sense because people who've been 256 00:15:42,280 --> 00:15:47,359 Speaker 1: through stuff, people who've been hurt, are who have failed miserably. 257 00:15:47,920 --> 00:15:50,680 Speaker 1: People who know what it is to go through the 258 00:15:50,800 --> 00:15:54,480 Speaker 1: deep waters of life and to navigate their way to 259 00:15:54,560 --> 00:15:57,840 Speaker 1: adopt an attitude and a perseverance that gets them to 260 00:15:57,920 --> 00:16:00,880 Speaker 1: a place of maturity. Those are the people worth knowing. 261 00:16:01,320 --> 00:16:03,640 Speaker 1: Those are the people that you want to share life with. 262 00:16:03,720 --> 00:16:06,200 Speaker 1: Are the people you want to be married to. They're 263 00:16:06,240 --> 00:16:08,480 Speaker 1: the people you want to raise, They're the people you 264 00:16:08,520 --> 00:16:10,200 Speaker 1: want to work with. They are the people you want 265 00:16:10,240 --> 00:16:11,720 Speaker 1: to go to church with. They are the people you 266 00:16:11,760 --> 00:16:16,760 Speaker 1: want to listen to. Maturity this thing that only comes 267 00:16:16,840 --> 00:16:20,280 Speaker 1: because we've been through something, and that helps when we 268 00:16:20,320 --> 00:16:23,000 Speaker 1: think about our journey and the erosion of our soul. 269 00:16:23,520 --> 00:16:26,880 Speaker 1: And then he suggests there's a wisdom antidote. If any 270 00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:29,280 Speaker 1: of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives 271 00:16:29,360 --> 00:16:32,200 Speaker 1: generously to all without finding fault, and it will be 272 00:16:32,280 --> 00:16:36,320 Speaker 1: given to you. Wisdom is a harder and harder thing 273 00:16:36,400 --> 00:16:39,680 Speaker 1: to discern in the world. We live in a culture 274 00:16:39,880 --> 00:16:42,440 Speaker 1: that calls a lot of things wise that are actually 275 00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:46,320 Speaker 1: very foolish, and we've adopted an idea in our culture 276 00:16:46,520 --> 00:16:50,120 Speaker 1: that we're no longer intellectually honest about what works and 277 00:16:50,160 --> 00:16:55,760 Speaker 1: what doesn't. We have philosophies opposing philosophies. Conservative philosophies that 278 00:16:55,840 --> 00:17:04,720 Speaker 1: suggest smaller government, more financial conservatism, you know, less oversight, 279 00:17:04,840 --> 00:17:07,560 Speaker 1: more freedom for individuals. That that's the way to go, 280 00:17:07,680 --> 00:17:09,240 Speaker 1: that's the way to make the world a better place. 281 00:17:09,320 --> 00:17:11,600 Speaker 1: Let people be their own motivation and let their hard 282 00:17:11,640 --> 00:17:14,520 Speaker 1: work be their own reward. And then we have a 283 00:17:14,640 --> 00:17:18,080 Speaker 1: wisdom that suggests that the more we are able to 284 00:17:18,119 --> 00:17:22,760 Speaker 1: support and give and share and socialize organizations and have 285 00:17:22,920 --> 00:17:26,480 Speaker 1: oversight to create fairness and not allow wealth to reside 286 00:17:26,480 --> 00:17:28,359 Speaker 1: in the hands of a few, the world to get 287 00:17:28,359 --> 00:17:30,439 Speaker 1: a better place. And the problem that we have is 288 00:17:30,560 --> 00:17:33,359 Speaker 1: we're no longer intellectually honest about things that work and 289 00:17:33,400 --> 00:17:36,160 Speaker 1: don't work. Because there are conservative ideas that don't work, 290 00:17:36,200 --> 00:17:39,520 Speaker 1: and there are progressive ideas that don't work. But what 291 00:17:39,560 --> 00:17:42,360 Speaker 1: we usually hear from leaders is if we just do 292 00:17:42,440 --> 00:17:45,520 Speaker 1: more of what's not working, somehow that will work. And 293 00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:48,560 Speaker 1: so we have a serious lack of wisdom. We have 294 00:17:48,600 --> 00:17:51,480 Speaker 1: a serious lack of a healthy compassion. We have a 295 00:17:51,520 --> 00:17:55,120 Speaker 1: toxic compassion in our culture. We're happy to stand up 296 00:17:55,200 --> 00:17:58,159 Speaker 1: one person and talk about how to be compassionate to 297 00:17:58,200 --> 00:18:01,000 Speaker 1: this one person or to this one group of people, 298 00:18:01,240 --> 00:18:07,400 Speaker 1: but that compassion might be terribly unhealthy for twenty other 299 00:18:07,440 --> 00:18:10,720 Speaker 1: people are for hundreds of other people. We've become that 300 00:18:10,920 --> 00:18:15,119 Speaker 1: kind of culture. We are sophisticated beyond wisdom. And so 301 00:18:15,560 --> 00:18:18,320 Speaker 1: the antidote is to find real wisdom. But where do 302 00:18:18,359 --> 00:18:22,240 Speaker 1: you find it? And James simply suggests ask God. God 303 00:18:22,640 --> 00:18:26,359 Speaker 1: grants wisdom without finding fault. And we all know what 304 00:18:26,400 --> 00:18:29,880 Speaker 1: that means when we ask advice, when we admit our struggle, 305 00:18:30,040 --> 00:18:33,000 Speaker 1: people are often like judgmental, well, how could you not 306 00:18:33,200 --> 00:18:35,120 Speaker 1: know that? Well, how could you make such a mistake? 307 00:18:35,320 --> 00:18:38,960 Speaker 1: But James says, God offers wisdom that doesn't have any 308 00:18:39,000 --> 00:18:41,760 Speaker 1: of that fault finding with it. And the source of 309 00:18:41,800 --> 00:18:44,080 Speaker 1: true wisdom, he says, is God. That, in fact, all 310 00:18:44,119 --> 00:18:46,440 Speaker 1: the wisdom that we traffic in in the world has 311 00:18:46,440 --> 00:18:49,480 Speaker 1: a divine origin and is divinely planted in each one 312 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:52,359 Speaker 1: of us. Don't have to believe that, but that is 313 00:18:52,400 --> 00:18:56,520 Speaker 1: the biblical story. And finally, number five a trust antidote. 314 00:18:57,119 --> 00:18:59,960 Speaker 1: When you ask, you must believe in, not doubt, because 315 00:19:00,040 --> 00:19:01,840 Speaker 1: the one who doubts is like a wave in the 316 00:19:01,880 --> 00:19:06,639 Speaker 1: sea tossed about. There's something about setting down our worries 317 00:19:06,680 --> 00:19:10,040 Speaker 1: and our fears and trusting, really trusting that it's not 318 00:19:10,119 --> 00:19:12,480 Speaker 1: all up to us. Then, in fact, what James is 319 00:19:12,480 --> 00:19:15,480 Speaker 1: suggesting that it's an important step that we trust God, 320 00:19:15,640 --> 00:19:18,479 Speaker 1: just give it over to God, that God's working on it, 321 00:19:19,320 --> 00:19:21,800 Speaker 1: That yes, there are problems, but God's on it. God's 322 00:19:21,800 --> 00:19:25,280 Speaker 1: paying attention to my kids and my grandkids, and the 323 00:19:25,359 --> 00:19:29,240 Speaker 1: issues in the world and the politics. And there is dysfunction, 324 00:19:30,280 --> 00:19:35,240 Speaker 1: and there is the anxious reality of individual freedom and choice. 325 00:19:35,240 --> 00:19:37,880 Speaker 1: But in all things God's working and I don't have 326 00:19:37,960 --> 00:19:41,639 Speaker 1: to carry it around all the time. Do you have 327 00:19:41,680 --> 00:19:44,360 Speaker 1: a place where you can just set things down, because 328 00:19:44,960 --> 00:19:48,119 Speaker 1: worrying all the time erodes our sense of wellbeing, but 329 00:19:48,160 --> 00:19:51,800 Speaker 1: it also erodes our actual physical health. Do you have 330 00:19:51,840 --> 00:19:55,280 Speaker 1: a place where you can trust, where you can rest 331 00:19:55,359 --> 00:19:58,639 Speaker 1: in confidence, where you can lay it down, where you 332 00:19:58,680 --> 00:20:02,040 Speaker 1: can believe that God is working or the higher Power 333 00:20:02,160 --> 00:20:06,800 Speaker 1: is working. That's an antidote for the erosion of our souls. 334 00:20:07,560 --> 00:20:11,280 Speaker 1: And then he talks about the humility antidote. Believers in 335 00:20:11,359 --> 00:20:14,000 Speaker 1: hungle circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. 336 00:20:14,119 --> 00:20:17,080 Speaker 1: The rich should take pride in their humiliation, since they 337 00:20:17,119 --> 00:20:20,440 Speaker 1: will pass away. Like a wild flower, the sun rises 338 00:20:20,480 --> 00:20:23,800 Speaker 1: with scorching heat withers the plant, basically saying we all 339 00:20:23,840 --> 00:20:26,800 Speaker 1: are on this planet for a very short time, and 340 00:20:26,840 --> 00:20:30,480 Speaker 1: then we'll all rest with our ancestors. I suppose it's 341 00:20:30,480 --> 00:20:33,640 Speaker 1: a stylized way of saying life short and then you die. 342 00:20:33,920 --> 00:20:36,719 Speaker 1: Jesus said it more eloquently. He said, don't lay up 343 00:20:36,760 --> 00:20:39,720 Speaker 1: treasure on earth, lay up treasure in heaven. Paul says, 344 00:20:39,800 --> 00:20:42,400 Speaker 1: don't think of yourself more highly than you ought. Consider 345 00:20:42,440 --> 00:20:47,199 Speaker 1: others better than yourself. When we make our world the world, 346 00:20:48,119 --> 00:20:51,560 Speaker 1: we are setting ourselves up for depression and being overwhelmed, 347 00:20:51,800 --> 00:20:55,080 Speaker 1: or for pride. I figured it out. I've been successful. 348 00:20:55,160 --> 00:20:57,800 Speaker 1: Everybody else is dumb if they worked hard, if they 349 00:20:57,840 --> 00:21:00,600 Speaker 1: tried harder, and so somewhere in the world world, we 350 00:21:01,080 --> 00:21:03,840 Speaker 1: figure out that we're here for a very short time, 351 00:21:04,600 --> 00:21:06,520 Speaker 1: and we're going to do our best to pay attention 352 00:21:06,560 --> 00:21:11,800 Speaker 1: to what matters most relationships, care, love, compassion, engaging with others, 353 00:21:11,920 --> 00:21:16,080 Speaker 1: being useful. We're going to figure it out and know 354 00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:19,080 Speaker 1: that not everything lasts forever. Someday we're going to look 355 00:21:19,119 --> 00:21:21,640 Speaker 1: back and wish we could revisit today. Well, we could 356 00:21:21,640 --> 00:21:24,440 Speaker 1: come back to this moment and take advantage of this day, 357 00:21:24,760 --> 00:21:27,240 Speaker 1: just like many of us look back at earlier times 358 00:21:27,240 --> 00:21:31,240 Speaker 1: in our lives and so humility live each day. I'm 359 00:21:31,240 --> 00:21:33,119 Speaker 1: here to serve, I'm here to help. I'm here to 360 00:21:33,160 --> 00:21:35,040 Speaker 1: make a difference. I want to listen. I want to 361 00:21:35,119 --> 00:21:37,360 Speaker 1: rank concile, I want to be a peacemaker. I want 362 00:21:37,359 --> 00:21:40,320 Speaker 1: to be part of the solution, not part of the problem. 363 00:21:40,800 --> 00:21:43,119 Speaker 1: Life's not all about me. It's not all about my 364 00:21:43,240 --> 00:21:45,760 Speaker 1: aches and pains and my struggles and my thoughts. It's 365 00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:47,760 Speaker 1: a much bigger world, and I've got to get my 366 00:21:47,840 --> 00:21:50,199 Speaker 1: head up so i can see it and be a 367 00:21:50,240 --> 00:21:53,000 Speaker 1: part of it. It matters. When we come back, we'll 368 00:21:53,040 --> 00:21:55,520 Speaker 1: touch on the seventh and then welcome Erica into the studio. 369 00:21:55,720 --> 00:21:58,560 Speaker 1: We'll be right back. Welcome back here. Listening to Healing 370 00:21:58,680 --> 00:22:02,280 Speaker 1: Conversations on kas ABC seven ninety M. Dave Roberts. We're 371 00:22:02,280 --> 00:22:06,160 Speaker 1: talking about what happens when faith wears thin and James 372 00:22:06,200 --> 00:22:09,639 Speaker 1: and the opening of this sermon our letter gives us 373 00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:14,719 Speaker 1: seven antidotes for how to fight off when we're not 374 00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:17,320 Speaker 1: just living in faith but the real world is invaded. 375 00:22:17,359 --> 00:22:20,240 Speaker 1: We check our attitude. We know that perseverance matters. We 376 00:22:20,320 --> 00:22:22,080 Speaker 1: put one foot in front of the other. We know 377 00:22:22,119 --> 00:22:24,159 Speaker 1: that all of this is working for maturity, and we 378 00:22:24,160 --> 00:22:27,000 Speaker 1: don't really want to be around people who haven't achieved maturity. 379 00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:29,720 Speaker 1: Even though it's no fun achieving it ourselves, we know 380 00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:33,240 Speaker 1: that it's working for something to deepen us. We can 381 00:22:33,280 --> 00:22:36,200 Speaker 1: get better or we can get bitter. We are looking 382 00:22:36,240 --> 00:22:40,359 Speaker 1: for wisdom, and we know that seeking wisdom in those 383 00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:43,679 Speaker 1: days matters. We learn to trust we don't have to 384 00:22:43,720 --> 00:22:45,840 Speaker 1: fix the world. It's not all up to us, and 385 00:22:45,880 --> 00:22:48,400 Speaker 1: we live in humility. We know that it's not all 386 00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:50,359 Speaker 1: about us, and we know that our world is not 387 00:22:50,440 --> 00:22:53,919 Speaker 1: the world, and our problems don't overshadow everything, And so 388 00:22:53,960 --> 00:22:57,240 Speaker 1: we look for what matters most. And then finally, James 389 00:22:57,240 --> 00:23:00,720 Speaker 1: touches on the seventh antidote, and that is active shift. 390 00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:03,960 Speaker 1: Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial, because having 391 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:06,479 Speaker 1: stood the test of time, that person will receive the 392 00:23:06,520 --> 00:23:08,760 Speaker 1: crown of life that the Lord has promised to those 393 00:23:08,760 --> 00:23:11,879 Speaker 1: of loved. So we're not ignoring the realities of life. 394 00:23:11,880 --> 00:23:14,359 Speaker 1: For not ignoring the truth of our own suffering, we 395 00:23:14,480 --> 00:23:18,440 Speaker 1: get a proper attitude. We believe in perseverance. We embrace 396 00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:21,960 Speaker 1: the process of maturity, knowing that it's leading us to 397 00:23:22,040 --> 00:23:26,280 Speaker 1: telling us to completeness where we don't lack anything. We 398 00:23:26,400 --> 00:23:29,520 Speaker 1: lean into wisdom into trust and humility, and we do 399 00:23:29,600 --> 00:23:31,520 Speaker 1: so because we know that there's more to life than 400 00:23:31,560 --> 00:23:35,639 Speaker 1: meets the eye. That we are, ultimately, according to the 401 00:23:35,640 --> 00:23:38,640 Speaker 1: Word of God, headed home, ultimately heading to a place 402 00:23:38,680 --> 00:23:41,119 Speaker 1: where everything has been resolved, where there's no more sorrow, 403 00:23:41,160 --> 00:23:43,680 Speaker 1: there's no more dying, there's no more disease, where there's 404 00:23:43,680 --> 00:23:47,159 Speaker 1: no more racism, there's no more politics, a place of 405 00:23:48,320 --> 00:23:54,160 Speaker 1: utopian world, heaven fulfillment, creation has got intended before selfishness 406 00:23:54,160 --> 00:23:58,040 Speaker 1: and self centeredness took us off course. And so we 407 00:23:58,080 --> 00:24:01,040 Speaker 1: live in that that there's a faith that something better 408 00:24:01,080 --> 00:24:04,960 Speaker 1: has happened, in an optimism that we have a biblical 409 00:24:05,040 --> 00:24:07,400 Speaker 1: kind of optimism about life in the world and where 410 00:24:07,400 --> 00:24:10,000 Speaker 1: we're headed and what it all means. So it's a 411 00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:13,840 Speaker 1: tall order, but it's an antidote for what happens to 412 00:24:13,960 --> 00:24:16,160 Speaker 1: us when faith wears thin. I'm going to welcome into 413 00:24:16,200 --> 00:24:20,120 Speaker 1: the studio Eric mcleinhan. Welcome Eric, Hey, Dave, How you doing, man? 414 00:24:20,280 --> 00:24:21,040 Speaker 2: Hey? Pretty good? 415 00:24:21,480 --> 00:24:24,960 Speaker 1: So what stands out as we think about this idea 416 00:24:25,000 --> 00:24:28,960 Speaker 1: of erosion and James and what do you do when 417 00:24:28,960 --> 00:24:31,720 Speaker 1: faith wors thin? There's so many different points to jump 418 00:24:31,800 --> 00:24:32,119 Speaker 1: off on. 419 00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:35,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean anytime over the years that we've done 420 00:24:35,720 --> 00:24:38,639 Speaker 2: a series in James. Yeah, I just kind of braced 421 00:24:38,640 --> 00:24:42,399 Speaker 2: myself for who, what have I been doing wrong? Yeah, Games, 422 00:24:42,440 --> 00:24:45,359 Speaker 2: I've practically not been living the right way. 423 00:24:45,320 --> 00:24:48,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's hard. You know. Sometimes people will say I 424 00:24:48,240 --> 00:24:50,520 Speaker 1: don't know how to study the Bible. It's so confusing, 425 00:24:50,560 --> 00:24:52,359 Speaker 1: and I say, well, you can read James, it's not 426 00:24:52,520 --> 00:24:53,280 Speaker 1: very confusing. 427 00:24:53,400 --> 00:24:57,560 Speaker 2: I don't think what do you mean by when your 428 00:24:57,640 --> 00:25:02,400 Speaker 2: faith wors thin? Like, what is that sentence mean to you? Well? 429 00:25:02,440 --> 00:25:05,040 Speaker 1: I think you know, I grew up with a mom 430 00:25:05,160 --> 00:25:08,439 Speaker 1: that was I learned later on you could call it 431 00:25:08,480 --> 00:25:12,159 Speaker 1: this the first naivete of faith. She just was a 432 00:25:12,200 --> 00:25:15,080 Speaker 1: person that had immense faith. God said it, I believe it. 433 00:25:15,280 --> 00:25:18,200 Speaker 1: That settles it. I don't worry. And she lived that way. 434 00:25:18,440 --> 00:25:22,720 Speaker 1: There was always a Jesus answer to every question. That 435 00:25:22,800 --> 00:25:24,240 Speaker 1: was true when I was growing up. It was true 436 00:25:24,240 --> 00:25:26,600 Speaker 1: when my kids are growing up, and honestly, my kids, 437 00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:30,359 Speaker 1: you know, kind of scoffed at it. When my mom 438 00:25:30,560 --> 00:25:33,320 Speaker 1: was alive and they would talk and she would always say, well, 439 00:25:33,760 --> 00:25:36,479 Speaker 1: you know, Jesus is working and I'm praying for you. 440 00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:40,080 Speaker 1: And they'd be like, yeah, whatever, because life's herd, and 441 00:25:40,119 --> 00:25:42,160 Speaker 1: now that she's passed and they don't get to talk 442 00:25:42,200 --> 00:25:46,639 Speaker 1: to her anymore, they miss that simplicity and reassurance. And 443 00:25:46,680 --> 00:25:48,640 Speaker 1: so I think I grew up in an environment where 444 00:25:48,640 --> 00:25:51,359 Speaker 1: faith was always enough, you know, but then as I 445 00:25:51,359 --> 00:25:53,880 Speaker 1: got older, it wasn't enough for me. I'm not wired 446 00:25:53,960 --> 00:25:57,280 Speaker 1: the same way. I have more questions, I have more 447 00:25:57,520 --> 00:26:00,320 Speaker 1: you know, conflict in some of that. And I think, 448 00:26:00,400 --> 00:26:04,520 Speaker 1: you know, what do you do when that first layer 449 00:26:04,560 --> 00:26:08,040 Speaker 1: of just trusting God isn't enough, or it's wearing thin, 450 00:26:08,280 --> 00:26:11,920 Speaker 1: or it's not comforting, or your brain can't settle it. 451 00:26:12,280 --> 00:26:15,000 Speaker 1: That's what I think about, is what about the average 452 00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:17,880 Speaker 1: person who on any given day may have a good 453 00:26:17,960 --> 00:26:20,280 Speaker 1: day where they just see God everywhere and feel the 454 00:26:20,320 --> 00:26:22,680 Speaker 1: presence and feel at peace, and in other days where 455 00:26:22,880 --> 00:26:26,639 Speaker 1: they can't find God at all, yeah, and feel abandoned 456 00:26:26,680 --> 00:26:29,160 Speaker 1: and alone. And you know, it's easy in the world 457 00:26:29,200 --> 00:26:31,320 Speaker 1: to wake up and read the news and go, yeah, 458 00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:33,840 Speaker 1: I don't know how a loving God could be involved 459 00:26:33,840 --> 00:26:34,040 Speaker 1: in this. 460 00:26:34,760 --> 00:26:38,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's an interesting way to put it, wearing thin, 461 00:26:38,400 --> 00:26:41,199 Speaker 2: because I think part of what you said is just 462 00:26:41,680 --> 00:26:45,600 Speaker 2: life happens, and it tests our faith and it can 463 00:26:45,680 --> 00:26:48,240 Speaker 2: chip away at it. And it does wear thin. Yeah, 464 00:26:48,440 --> 00:26:51,240 Speaker 2: and then part of that is you grow up and 465 00:26:51,280 --> 00:26:53,200 Speaker 2: you learn and you have questions and you almost get 466 00:26:53,240 --> 00:26:56,399 Speaker 2: closer to the truth. Yeah, that doesn't seem like wearing 467 00:26:56,480 --> 00:26:59,640 Speaker 2: thin to me. That seems I don't know, I having 468 00:26:59,680 --> 00:27:02,520 Speaker 2: a part. I'm having a hard time defining that phrase 469 00:27:02,560 --> 00:27:04,600 Speaker 2: to be able to move forward. You know, you go 470 00:27:04,640 --> 00:27:06,359 Speaker 2: back to what do you mean by faith? 471 00:27:06,440 --> 00:27:10,000 Speaker 1: By faith? Do you mean, you know, an unfiltered trust 472 00:27:10,040 --> 00:27:12,840 Speaker 1: in God and unquestioning trust in God? Are by faith? 473 00:27:12,880 --> 00:27:16,439 Speaker 1: Do you mean a system of belief that sustains and 474 00:27:16,480 --> 00:27:17,439 Speaker 1: explains the world? 475 00:27:17,920 --> 00:27:18,719 Speaker 2: Yeah? You know. 476 00:27:18,960 --> 00:27:21,680 Speaker 1: So you can use the word in those two ways, 477 00:27:21,880 --> 00:27:26,359 Speaker 1: and I think that's probably the confusion. Obviously, I'm using 478 00:27:26,400 --> 00:27:28,960 Speaker 1: it in the first sense of you just trust God 479 00:27:28,960 --> 00:27:32,080 Speaker 1: and everything's going to be okay faith, and you're using 480 00:27:32,119 --> 00:27:33,960 Speaker 1: it in the second sense of let's get down to 481 00:27:34,000 --> 00:27:37,200 Speaker 1: the real thing and give a plausible explanation for how 482 00:27:37,200 --> 00:27:37,960 Speaker 1: the world works. 483 00:27:38,280 --> 00:27:38,840 Speaker 2: Yeah. 484 00:27:38,960 --> 00:27:40,399 Speaker 1: So I think you can use it both ways. But 485 00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:43,119 Speaker 1: at the end of the day, I think what resonates 486 00:27:43,119 --> 00:27:46,680 Speaker 1: with this is here's some practical stuff that is true 487 00:27:46,720 --> 00:27:49,199 Speaker 1: about human beings, and you can attribute it to a 488 00:27:49,240 --> 00:27:52,359 Speaker 1: divine source, but you can observe that what James is 489 00:27:52,400 --> 00:27:56,200 Speaker 1: saying is true in human behavior. I think that's that's 490 00:27:56,240 --> 00:27:59,480 Speaker 1: where faith steps into a place of reality, and the 491 00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:02,480 Speaker 1: two of them they snuggle up together. So then when 492 00:28:02,520 --> 00:28:06,080 Speaker 1: they when they jive in very practical ways, then it's 493 00:28:06,160 --> 00:28:08,639 Speaker 1: easier for us to believe on the places that we 494 00:28:08,720 --> 00:28:10,919 Speaker 1: can't so easily prove or understand. 495 00:28:11,400 --> 00:28:14,960 Speaker 2: Right, Honestly, he doesn't start off, well, consider it pure joy, 496 00:28:15,040 --> 00:28:18,120 Speaker 2: my brothers and sisters. Whenever you face trials of many kinds, 497 00:28:18,359 --> 00:28:19,760 Speaker 2: that's a that's. 498 00:28:19,680 --> 00:28:21,280 Speaker 1: A versus in the Bible. 499 00:28:21,480 --> 00:28:23,359 Speaker 2: It's a rough start to a letter. 500 00:28:23,920 --> 00:28:24,120 Speaker 1: Yeah. 501 00:28:24,600 --> 00:28:27,240 Speaker 2: If I received this letter and that was the first part, 502 00:28:27,280 --> 00:28:28,520 Speaker 2: I'd be like, I'm not reading this. 503 00:28:28,800 --> 00:28:32,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, how unrealistic. 504 00:28:33,560 --> 00:28:35,840 Speaker 2: There are times that I have a bad attitude that 505 00:28:35,880 --> 00:28:39,120 Speaker 2: I feel justified in my bad attitude, and I feel 506 00:28:39,160 --> 00:28:43,480 Speaker 2: it's naive to smile and consider it joy because it's 507 00:28:43,520 --> 00:28:46,880 Speaker 2: not true. But is it a fake it till you 508 00:28:46,920 --> 00:28:50,560 Speaker 2: make it? Is it a no? Your attitude will lead. 509 00:28:51,040 --> 00:28:54,040 Speaker 1: I don't think that. I think it is trusting in 510 00:28:54,120 --> 00:28:56,120 Speaker 1: the greater good. And I think you if you take 511 00:28:56,160 --> 00:28:58,360 Speaker 1: this sentence out of context, which is kind of what 512 00:28:58,400 --> 00:29:00,480 Speaker 1: we've done. I mean, we've made it its own thing 513 00:29:00,920 --> 00:29:03,240 Speaker 1: as a separate point. But you know, remember we're talking 514 00:29:03,240 --> 00:29:06,720 Speaker 1: about attitude and then perseverance and then maturity. And I 515 00:29:06,720 --> 00:29:10,320 Speaker 1: think this is what resonates altogether as a dad, and 516 00:29:10,360 --> 00:29:13,520 Speaker 1: you know you experienced this. I'm sure I want to 517 00:29:13,640 --> 00:29:18,960 Speaker 1: protect my kids. I want the financial resources to make 518 00:29:19,000 --> 00:29:22,320 Speaker 1: their life easier, to help them get to where they 519 00:29:22,440 --> 00:29:26,040 Speaker 1: need to go. But I don't know that that would 520 00:29:26,040 --> 00:29:28,640 Speaker 1: be the best thing for them. I don't know that 521 00:29:28,720 --> 00:29:33,120 Speaker 1: my interference in their process, in their story would be 522 00:29:33,160 --> 00:29:36,680 Speaker 1: the best thing. And you know, we've seen very wealthy 523 00:29:36,720 --> 00:29:40,760 Speaker 1: people who have limited the inheritance of their children for 524 00:29:40,800 --> 00:29:43,280 Speaker 1: this very reason, because they need to make their own way. 525 00:29:43,320 --> 00:29:46,080 Speaker 1: They need to figure it out. Because why well, because 526 00:29:46,200 --> 00:29:48,120 Speaker 1: to be a healthy human being, you've got to go 527 00:29:48,160 --> 00:29:50,480 Speaker 1: through stuff. And this is where the faith piece and 528 00:29:50,520 --> 00:29:53,920 Speaker 1: the practical piece meet. It's not just about a good attitude. 529 00:29:53,960 --> 00:29:58,400 Speaker 1: It's about a perspective on life that says, Okay, I'm 530 00:29:58,440 --> 00:30:01,640 Speaker 1: going through stuff, but the stuff that I'm going through 531 00:30:02,160 --> 00:30:04,680 Speaker 1: is not for nothing. It's going to make me a 532 00:30:04,680 --> 00:30:08,080 Speaker 1: better person. It's going to make me a better spouse, 533 00:30:08,120 --> 00:30:10,120 Speaker 1: it's going to make me a better father, it's going 534 00:30:10,160 --> 00:30:12,920 Speaker 1: to make me a better human. It's going to increase 535 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:16,280 Speaker 1: my capacity to care and have compassion. It's going to 536 00:30:16,400 --> 00:30:20,520 Speaker 1: increase my ability to understand life. It's not for nothing, 537 00:30:20,920 --> 00:30:23,040 Speaker 1: And I think that's what James is saying, not just 538 00:30:23,080 --> 00:30:27,120 Speaker 1: a standalone count it pure joy, but count it pure 539 00:30:27,200 --> 00:30:31,520 Speaker 1: joy because it's teaching you to persevere and it's leading 540 00:30:31,560 --> 00:30:35,560 Speaker 1: to maturity where you are a whole human being instead 541 00:30:35,560 --> 00:30:38,720 Speaker 1: of a fractured one. And that's what life does to 542 00:30:38,800 --> 00:30:41,520 Speaker 1: you if you allow it to. It can also embitter 543 00:30:41,600 --> 00:30:42,440 Speaker 1: you and destroy you. 544 00:30:42,880 --> 00:30:46,760 Speaker 2: How do you measure where you're at with maturity? How 545 00:30:46,760 --> 00:30:50,800 Speaker 2: do I It feels like something that the more mature 546 00:30:50,800 --> 00:30:53,160 Speaker 2: I am, the less mature I should say I am. 547 00:30:53,480 --> 00:30:56,800 Speaker 2: You know, the more are the more you feel like 548 00:30:56,800 --> 00:30:57,760 Speaker 2: you have a long way to go. 549 00:30:57,880 --> 00:31:01,520 Speaker 1: But I say this sometimes even a dog knows, you know. 550 00:31:02,200 --> 00:31:05,040 Speaker 1: I mean, I think the way that you measure maturity 551 00:31:05,160 --> 00:31:09,960 Speaker 1: is you look at your relationships, because relationships mirror and 552 00:31:10,480 --> 00:31:13,320 Speaker 1: you know, if we have healthy relationships with our parents, 553 00:31:13,320 --> 00:31:16,160 Speaker 1: and we have healthy relationships with our spouse and our children, 554 00:31:16,280 --> 00:31:19,320 Speaker 1: and our friendships are healthy, that's a pretty good chance 555 00:31:19,400 --> 00:31:22,520 Speaker 1: that you are living in a place of maturity. If 556 00:31:22,560 --> 00:31:24,560 Speaker 1: you have a hard time getting along with people. The 557 00:31:24,560 --> 00:31:27,239 Speaker 1: people are fractured and the dog won't sit with you, 558 00:31:27,400 --> 00:31:30,520 Speaker 1: and there's probably some issues there. And I think people 559 00:31:30,560 --> 00:31:33,160 Speaker 1: cop out sometimes and say, well, I'm just an introvert. 560 00:31:33,440 --> 00:31:35,920 Speaker 1: You know, that's just my personality. I just have to 561 00:31:35,920 --> 00:31:39,080 Speaker 1: tell the truth. Well, you know, telling the truth to 562 00:31:39,520 --> 00:31:43,840 Speaker 1: the detriment of healthy relationships is not good. It's not healthy, 563 00:31:43,920 --> 00:31:46,719 Speaker 1: it's not mature. Telling the truth and a context of 564 00:31:46,760 --> 00:31:50,080 Speaker 1: love where it's acceptable is great. I had a staff 565 00:31:50,120 --> 00:31:52,160 Speaker 1: person one time say I need to talk to this 566 00:31:52,200 --> 00:31:54,160 Speaker 1: person about this, and I don't know if they're ready 567 00:31:54,240 --> 00:31:56,320 Speaker 1: to hear what I'm going to say. And I stopped 568 00:31:56,320 --> 00:31:58,920 Speaker 1: them and said, that's your whole job as a minister 569 00:31:59,240 --> 00:32:01,040 Speaker 1: is to make sure they're ready to hear what did 570 00:32:01,080 --> 00:32:04,080 Speaker 1: you have to say. Build the relationship, build the equity, 571 00:32:04,280 --> 00:32:07,040 Speaker 1: until you can say things that matter in a way 572 00:32:07,080 --> 00:32:10,840 Speaker 1: that's loving. So we'll pick this up right after this break. 573 00:32:10,920 --> 00:32:13,400 Speaker 1: We'll be right back. Welcome back. You're listening to Healing 574 00:32:13,440 --> 00:32:18,240 Speaker 1: Conversations with Eric McClanahan and Dave Roberts on KBC seven ninety. 575 00:32:18,320 --> 00:32:21,200 Speaker 1: We're talking about the first teachings in the Book of 576 00:32:21,280 --> 00:32:25,240 Speaker 1: James and talking about erosion and James is offering us 577 00:32:25,240 --> 00:32:29,560 Speaker 1: some guidelines, some antidotes for staying vigilant over the areas 578 00:32:29,560 --> 00:32:32,160 Speaker 1: of our life. And we left off talking about maturity 579 00:32:32,160 --> 00:32:34,600 Speaker 1: and how you know if you're mature, and we were 580 00:32:34,600 --> 00:32:38,280 Speaker 1: talking about that in the context of relationships. Our relationship's mirror, 581 00:32:38,680 --> 00:32:41,120 Speaker 1: at least in part, how we're doing. What else stands 582 00:32:41,120 --> 00:32:41,520 Speaker 1: out to you? 583 00:32:42,120 --> 00:32:44,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, I guess it's kind of the same 584 00:32:44,240 --> 00:32:47,200 Speaker 2: thing along the lines of that with wisdom. How do 585 00:32:47,240 --> 00:32:49,480 Speaker 2: you know your wise? How do you know who you're 586 00:32:49,480 --> 00:32:52,400 Speaker 2: listening to? Is whise? I suppose it has to be 587 00:32:53,120 --> 00:32:56,040 Speaker 2: fruit of the tree, is what they're saying, Is what 588 00:32:56,080 --> 00:32:59,240 Speaker 2: you're saying, producing fruit, producing good things? 589 00:32:59,520 --> 00:33:02,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, I do think. You know, our old scientific method 590 00:33:03,040 --> 00:33:06,440 Speaker 1: had some really powerful realities to it. 591 00:33:06,640 --> 00:33:10,120 Speaker 2: Scientific method. We don't have time for scientific method anymore. 592 00:33:10,360 --> 00:33:12,200 Speaker 2: We got to tweet it, man, We got to tweet 593 00:33:12,280 --> 00:33:15,760 Speaker 2: everything immediately. We don't have time get to experiments. 594 00:33:16,200 --> 00:33:18,080 Speaker 1: Isn't that the truth? I mean? And so the old 595 00:33:18,120 --> 00:33:21,720 Speaker 1: system that was trial and error, it admitted error, It 596 00:33:21,880 --> 00:33:24,800 Speaker 1: said that did not work, and so we we got 597 00:33:24,840 --> 00:33:27,800 Speaker 1: to try something else. You know. Insanity's doing the same 598 00:33:27,840 --> 00:33:30,040 Speaker 1: thing and expecting different results. And that's what we do 599 00:33:30,120 --> 00:33:32,240 Speaker 1: in our culture now, and I think that has a 600 00:33:32,240 --> 00:33:34,520 Speaker 1: lot to do with wisdom. It seems to me that 601 00:33:34,640 --> 00:33:37,840 Speaker 1: for something to be true, to be wise, it has 602 00:33:37,920 --> 00:33:41,440 Speaker 1: to also work, and we seem to have forgotten it. 603 00:33:41,720 --> 00:33:44,720 Speaker 1: And there's no doubt that. You know, there are some systems. 604 00:33:44,760 --> 00:33:49,040 Speaker 1: For example, our system of justice. Does it work well? 605 00:33:49,600 --> 00:33:52,560 Speaker 1: You know, it's certainly got issues. It's a process, it's 606 00:33:52,600 --> 00:33:56,040 Speaker 1: an evolutionary process. It has some inherent difficulties because human 607 00:33:56,080 --> 00:33:59,960 Speaker 1: beings are involved, but overall, yes, it's the most equable 608 00:34:00,320 --> 00:34:04,600 Speaker 1: system we found in the history of human beings. You know, 609 00:34:04,680 --> 00:34:09,160 Speaker 1: the judicial system in Western culture is about every person 610 00:34:09,640 --> 00:34:13,719 Speaker 1: is a unique human with, as our Constitution says, with 611 00:34:13,800 --> 00:34:18,160 Speaker 1: inalienable rights that come from their creator. You know that 612 00:34:18,560 --> 00:34:20,960 Speaker 1: every human on the planet doesn't matter where they come from, 613 00:34:21,040 --> 00:34:24,720 Speaker 1: It doesn't matter their level of economic status or education, 614 00:34:25,280 --> 00:34:29,160 Speaker 1: they inherently have a right to life, liberty, the pursuit 615 00:34:29,200 --> 00:34:32,520 Speaker 1: of happiness. So doesn't mean that the system is flawless. 616 00:34:32,520 --> 00:34:35,040 Speaker 1: It just means that there is a practical way in 617 00:34:35,080 --> 00:34:37,120 Speaker 1: which it works. And I think we have a lot 618 00:34:37,160 --> 00:34:40,160 Speaker 1: of systems in the culture now that practically do not work. 619 00:34:40,520 --> 00:34:43,640 Speaker 1: That's the biggest problem with communism and socialism is it 620 00:34:43,719 --> 00:34:47,319 Speaker 1: sounds good, but at a practical level, you hand over 621 00:34:47,440 --> 00:34:53,600 Speaker 1: the management of mass wealth to be fairly distributed, and 622 00:34:53,640 --> 00:34:56,200 Speaker 1: we have yet to find a group of human beings 623 00:34:56,200 --> 00:34:58,719 Speaker 1: that can do that without corruption. And so it's a 624 00:34:58,719 --> 00:35:02,759 Speaker 1: great concept. You know, the early Church practiced a very 625 00:35:02,760 --> 00:35:05,279 Speaker 1: pronounced socialism. You know, the people that had a lot 626 00:35:05,360 --> 00:35:07,560 Speaker 1: sold what they had and made sure the poor had 627 00:35:07,600 --> 00:35:10,400 Speaker 1: everything they needed. And it was a very equitable system. 628 00:35:10,640 --> 00:35:15,040 Speaker 1: But it was done under the jurisdiction of a God 629 00:35:15,120 --> 00:35:18,520 Speaker 1: that oversaw that. Yeah, so I think wisdom has to 630 00:35:18,560 --> 00:35:20,759 Speaker 1: be true. It has to work in a practical way. 631 00:35:21,800 --> 00:35:25,319 Speaker 2: This next antidote, the trust antidote. This one is tough 632 00:35:25,360 --> 00:35:28,920 Speaker 2: because it seems like your faith wearing thin and trust 633 00:35:29,480 --> 00:35:32,320 Speaker 2: go hand in hand, and that as your faith wears 634 00:35:32,360 --> 00:35:36,000 Speaker 2: more than the trust becomes harder and harder because what 635 00:35:36,040 --> 00:35:37,880 Speaker 2: are you believing that you're putting your trust in? 636 00:35:38,280 --> 00:35:41,000 Speaker 1: Right? But I think at the same time, here's where 637 00:35:41,040 --> 00:35:43,879 Speaker 1: the practical wisdom part of it. I think you kind 638 00:35:43,880 --> 00:35:47,239 Speaker 1: of highlight, and that is can you fix it? Does 639 00:35:47,280 --> 00:35:49,680 Speaker 1: you're worrying? You know, Jesus asked the question, who of you, 640 00:35:49,680 --> 00:35:53,279 Speaker 1: by worrying can have a single minute to your life. Well, 641 00:35:53,320 --> 00:35:56,279 Speaker 1: if you can't do that, if that small thing can't 642 00:35:56,280 --> 00:35:57,759 Speaker 1: be done, then how do you think you're going to 643 00:35:57,960 --> 00:36:00,759 Speaker 1: solve the problems of your life and your world. So 644 00:36:00,840 --> 00:36:04,080 Speaker 1: I think the trusting comes back to an admission. It's 645 00:36:04,160 --> 00:36:07,319 Speaker 1: more than what I'm putting my trust in. It's an 646 00:36:07,360 --> 00:36:11,040 Speaker 1: admission that I can't take care of everything. I can't 647 00:36:11,120 --> 00:36:13,520 Speaker 1: fix it. I'm going to have to trust it. And 648 00:36:13,560 --> 00:36:16,160 Speaker 1: maybe you want to trust it to fate, you know, 649 00:36:16,239 --> 00:36:18,680 Speaker 1: maybe you're of the persuasion that you want to trust 650 00:36:18,680 --> 00:36:23,279 Speaker 1: it to astrology and the stars. But somewhere in there 651 00:36:23,320 --> 00:36:26,680 Speaker 1: you have to admit that life and circumstances are bigger 652 00:36:26,719 --> 00:36:31,359 Speaker 1: than you are and bigger than I am, and it's 653 00:36:31,360 --> 00:36:34,479 Speaker 1: not doing me any good to carry it around every day. 654 00:36:35,080 --> 00:36:42,919 Speaker 1: In fact, scientifically, it's doing a lot of damage physically, emotionally, psychologically, spiritually. 655 00:36:43,760 --> 00:36:47,160 Speaker 1: I'm having a worse life because I can't let go 656 00:36:47,440 --> 00:36:51,279 Speaker 1: of things because I'm hanging onto them. So I think 657 00:36:51,400 --> 00:36:55,400 Speaker 1: using trust in this sense is, you know, just letting 658 00:36:55,440 --> 00:36:58,360 Speaker 1: it go, admitting I'm going to do I'm going to 659 00:36:58,440 --> 00:37:00,960 Speaker 1: work on what I can work on, and I'm gonna 660 00:37:01,000 --> 00:37:04,239 Speaker 1: not be focused on what I can't fix. 661 00:37:04,640 --> 00:37:08,319 Speaker 2: Yeah, and maybe there's power in letting that go. I 662 00:37:08,360 --> 00:37:11,080 Speaker 2: think what I have a really hard time is I 663 00:37:11,800 --> 00:37:17,280 Speaker 2: don't know, like I know that I can't, right, yeah, 664 00:37:17,320 --> 00:37:21,920 Speaker 2: but I don't know that God can or will or 665 00:37:22,360 --> 00:37:26,160 Speaker 2: is able to or wants to or works that way 666 00:37:26,360 --> 00:37:28,960 Speaker 2: or you know what I mean? Like it, I find 667 00:37:29,000 --> 00:37:34,560 Speaker 2: it so unclear what God does and doesn't do. Sure 668 00:37:34,719 --> 00:37:38,440 Speaker 2: that maybe the power is just in letting go, But 669 00:37:38,600 --> 00:37:42,480 Speaker 2: it seems like this verse, I mean, he says the 670 00:37:42,520 --> 00:37:45,440 Speaker 2: person who doubts that person should not expect to receive 671 00:37:45,520 --> 00:37:48,120 Speaker 2: anything from God. So he's setting up an expectation that 672 00:37:48,160 --> 00:37:51,560 Speaker 2: we're supposed to be receiving things. But I'm so unclear 673 00:37:51,600 --> 00:37:53,800 Speaker 2: on like what that is and what I'm actually putting 674 00:37:53,840 --> 00:37:54,600 Speaker 2: my trust in faith? 675 00:37:54,680 --> 00:37:56,640 Speaker 1: Well, and some of that is perspective, I mean, because 676 00:37:56,920 --> 00:37:59,640 Speaker 1: you have to admit and this is the great difficulty 677 00:37:59,719 --> 00:38:02,120 Speaker 1: of any kind of faith system, and that is, you know, 678 00:38:02,160 --> 00:38:04,440 Speaker 1: where do I stop and God begin? You know, what 679 00:38:04,600 --> 00:38:08,600 Speaker 1: is my responsibility in stewardship and what is God's part 680 00:38:08,840 --> 00:38:12,160 Speaker 1: in you know, divine oversight and help? And I don't 681 00:38:12,200 --> 00:38:14,280 Speaker 1: know that you ever resolved that there's not a once 682 00:38:14,320 --> 00:38:17,120 Speaker 1: and for all answer there is a I'm going to 683 00:38:17,200 --> 00:38:19,120 Speaker 1: do my best today, and when I get to the 684 00:38:19,200 --> 00:38:21,279 Speaker 1: end of that, I'm going to let it go. And 685 00:38:21,360 --> 00:38:24,600 Speaker 1: so I think it's irresponsible to say I could help 686 00:38:24,640 --> 00:38:27,160 Speaker 1: with this. I mean, that's also a piece of scripture. 687 00:38:27,600 --> 00:38:29,759 Speaker 1: You know, what good does it do you to say 688 00:38:29,800 --> 00:38:32,440 Speaker 1: to somebody that you see hungry and homeless, go and 689 00:38:32,480 --> 00:38:35,319 Speaker 1: be well, you know, do something about it. And so 690 00:38:35,719 --> 00:38:38,239 Speaker 1: there is a sense in which we are supposed to 691 00:38:38,320 --> 00:38:41,839 Speaker 1: do our best with what we've been given. But every 692 00:38:41,840 --> 00:38:44,360 Speaker 1: one of us gets to the end of what we 693 00:38:44,440 --> 00:38:47,040 Speaker 1: can do and how we can affect change. And so 694 00:38:47,200 --> 00:38:49,319 Speaker 1: that's the point at which you go, Okay, now I'm 695 00:38:49,320 --> 00:38:51,880 Speaker 1: going to turn it over. And oftentimes I'm going to 696 00:38:51,920 --> 00:38:53,880 Speaker 1: turn it over not because I have great faith, but 697 00:38:53,960 --> 00:38:57,120 Speaker 1: because I can't do anything else. I've reached the end. 698 00:38:57,160 --> 00:39:00,719 Speaker 1: I've reached my limit, and what I'm trusting in is benevolence. 699 00:39:01,239 --> 00:39:05,280 Speaker 1: And yes, James is saying it in a very specific way, 700 00:39:05,960 --> 00:39:08,680 Speaker 1: but I also think, you know, whenever you get down 701 00:39:08,680 --> 00:39:12,399 Speaker 1: into the conversation, there is a sense in which God 702 00:39:12,480 --> 00:39:15,280 Speaker 1: loves you and cares about you. That is the greater story, 703 00:39:15,600 --> 00:39:18,880 Speaker 1: and so he's admonishing people to have trust and faith 704 00:39:19,160 --> 00:39:22,160 Speaker 1: and not waiver. But he's speaking to people that are 705 00:39:22,160 --> 00:39:25,040 Speaker 1: being pulled in multiple directions. Some are being asked to 706 00:39:25,080 --> 00:39:28,040 Speaker 1: trust the priest and the Jewish system, some are being 707 00:39:28,160 --> 00:39:30,640 Speaker 1: asked to trust in paganism, some are being asked to 708 00:39:30,640 --> 00:39:34,440 Speaker 1: trust in the dominance of Rome politically. And he's just 709 00:39:34,480 --> 00:39:38,920 Speaker 1: simply saying, don't waver between all of those specific things. 710 00:39:39,520 --> 00:39:42,200 Speaker 1: You know, he says, put your trust in God, go 711 00:39:42,280 --> 00:39:44,480 Speaker 1: with the one thing that can be relied on, that 712 00:39:44,600 --> 00:39:45,920 Speaker 1: is that is true. 713 00:39:46,680 --> 00:39:50,520 Speaker 2: Yep. And the last thing, the perspective one, which is 714 00:39:50,560 --> 00:39:54,400 Speaker 2: probably to me, I think the most important one of these. 715 00:39:54,960 --> 00:39:56,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, my daughter. 716 00:39:56,200 --> 00:39:58,440 Speaker 2: Was having a rough day the other day, rough morning. 717 00:39:58,640 --> 00:40:01,160 Speaker 2: Some mornings are rough. I wouldn't I wouldn't want to 718 00:40:01,200 --> 00:40:03,120 Speaker 2: get up and go to school all those mornings I 719 00:40:03,160 --> 00:40:05,040 Speaker 2: didn't want to when I was a kid. And she 720 00:40:05,160 --> 00:40:07,360 Speaker 2: was listing all the negative things that were going to 721 00:40:07,400 --> 00:40:10,000 Speaker 2: happen that day. You know, we don't have pe today, 722 00:40:10,239 --> 00:40:13,360 Speaker 2: we have double math, we have all these things. Nothing 723 00:40:13,400 --> 00:40:15,879 Speaker 2: after school that's fun. It's going to be a boring day. 724 00:40:16,400 --> 00:40:18,880 Speaker 2: So we got in the car and we have maybe 725 00:40:18,920 --> 00:40:22,000 Speaker 2: like a half mile drive to the school, and I said, 726 00:40:22,480 --> 00:40:24,960 Speaker 2: count all the white cars and I'll give you a 727 00:40:25,000 --> 00:40:28,160 Speaker 2: dollar if you're right. So we drove. We drove, and 728 00:40:28,200 --> 00:40:31,759 Speaker 2: she's counting, you know, one, two, three, And we got 729 00:40:31,800 --> 00:40:33,759 Speaker 2: to school and I said, all right, how many black 730 00:40:33,800 --> 00:40:37,000 Speaker 2: cars did you see? She's like, you said, white cars? Yeah, 731 00:40:37,000 --> 00:40:39,320 Speaker 2: how many black cars did you see? She's like, I 732 00:40:39,400 --> 00:40:41,440 Speaker 2: don't know. I wasn't looking for them. And then she 733 00:40:41,600 --> 00:40:44,520 Speaker 2: was like, okay, I get it, and just got out 734 00:40:44,520 --> 00:40:48,360 Speaker 2: of the Yes, she was so mad. But it is 735 00:40:48,440 --> 00:40:51,640 Speaker 2: that sort of thing. I think that if we are 736 00:40:51,760 --> 00:40:53,880 Speaker 2: just looking for the negative all the time, that's what 737 00:40:53,920 --> 00:40:55,520 Speaker 2: we'll see. It's kind of like when you get a 738 00:40:55,560 --> 00:40:57,600 Speaker 2: new car and you all of a sudden see that 739 00:40:57,680 --> 00:41:01,799 Speaker 2: car everywhere. Yeah, a perspective shit can change everything sometimes. 740 00:41:02,040 --> 00:41:04,239 Speaker 1: Yeah, And I think that's very true, and we do 741 00:41:04,320 --> 00:41:07,960 Speaker 1: in a in a very big way. And I think cynicism, 742 00:41:08,320 --> 00:41:11,560 Speaker 1: you know, it's such a terrible, terrible thing. Our kids 743 00:41:11,600 --> 00:41:14,359 Speaker 1: suffer from it, our culture suffering from it. It's what 744 00:41:14,400 --> 00:41:17,000 Speaker 1: we hear publicly. You know, these people are going to 745 00:41:17,080 --> 00:41:19,560 Speaker 1: ruin the world, are going to ruin our lives, and 746 00:41:19,760 --> 00:41:22,560 Speaker 1: somewhere we've got to get a perspective that says, no, 747 00:41:22,960 --> 00:41:25,719 Speaker 1: God is bigger than all of that. And he used 748 00:41:25,840 --> 00:41:30,120 Speaker 1: working for the good. And the story biblically is that 749 00:41:30,640 --> 00:41:32,880 Speaker 1: the world is going to be redeemed. It's going to 750 00:41:32,960 --> 00:41:36,040 Speaker 1: come together and not be torn apart. And I think 751 00:41:36,120 --> 00:41:38,879 Speaker 1: you know that matters in the big picture. What are 752 00:41:38,920 --> 00:41:41,080 Speaker 1: we looking for? You know, when we get to the 753 00:41:41,160 --> 00:41:43,360 Speaker 1: end of our life or not, we don't look back 754 00:41:43,440 --> 00:41:46,600 Speaker 1: and you know, go, man, I'm glad it's over. You know, 755 00:41:46,680 --> 00:41:48,840 Speaker 1: we look back and go, boy. I wish I'd have 756 00:41:49,360 --> 00:41:51,520 Speaker 1: settled into that. I wish i'd have seen the you 757 00:41:51,520 --> 00:41:53,719 Speaker 1: know how blessed I was, even when you talk about it. 758 00:41:53,760 --> 00:41:54,920 Speaker 1: You know, I don't really want to go back to 759 00:41:54,960 --> 00:41:58,279 Speaker 1: school either, but oh my gosh, what an amazing thing 760 00:41:58,360 --> 00:42:01,120 Speaker 1: to get home from school and you know, do ten 761 00:42:01,160 --> 00:42:05,040 Speaker 1: minutes of homework and get outside and play and not 762 00:42:05,160 --> 00:42:07,839 Speaker 1: worry and you know, all of those things that go 763 00:42:07,960 --> 00:42:10,800 Speaker 1: with being a child. And we didn't really take advantage 764 00:42:10,800 --> 00:42:13,040 Speaker 1: of it when we were in it. We didn't know 765 00:42:13,719 --> 00:42:16,200 Speaker 1: what was coming. And I think that's true every day. 766 00:42:16,280 --> 00:42:19,319 Speaker 1: So well, thanks for listening today. My prayer for you 767 00:42:19,520 --> 00:42:22,200 Speaker 1: is that you feel a sense of peace and optimism 768 00:42:22,280 --> 00:42:24,560 Speaker 1: and grace, and that when you're faith wears then you 769 00:42:24,600 --> 00:42:27,560 Speaker 1: can trust that God's for you and not against you, 770 00:42:28,360 --> 00:42:32,560 Speaker 1: and give everything a little shift. So go out today, 771 00:42:32,760 --> 00:42:34,960 Speaker 1: enjoy the day, live in the moment, be present, God 772 00:42:34,960 --> 00:42:36,280 Speaker 1: bless Thanks for listening.