Loosen Our Grip

James 1:9-11 Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.

Verses 9 through 11 seem to be disconnected from verses 1 through 8. However, in the context of trials and testing they actually fit perfectly. The poor, lowly, and depressed person usually lives a life of constant testing and having to trust the Lord. When we live at rock bottom, there is nowhere to look, or go, but up. For this reason, there is little said about the lowly. However, for those who are rich and have much, there is a greater probability of loss. There is more to lose as far as material things, status, and that "wonderful" thing that often creates a barrier between us and God...pride. Even if we are not wealthy, in the sense that we are not millionaires, if we own a house, a car, and have a job earning a comfortable living, there exists the possibility of loss. God reminds us that when testing comes in the form of some kind of loss, we need to see that loss as a means God uses to humble us. Just as the humble, lowly, person is to rejoice in being lifted up and exalted, the person who suffers loss is also to rejoice in being humbled; as this humiliation is for the purpose of drawing us closer to God, and making us more like Jesus. In verse 11 we have a reminder that life is short, and fades away quickly. Therefore, we waste precious time when our focus in this life is the gathering of wealth, and "things". This is not to say that being wealthy is wrong or evil. God may choose to allow us to be wealthy, but our riches should never become our gods. The bottom line is that we should not hold on to the things of this world so tightly that if God chooses to allow us to lose some, or all of it, we are still able to have peace, joy, and continue trusting God's wisdom in allowing the loss. We need to loosen our grip. All that God allows, regardless of how we see it, is always for our good and His glory.

Today, God extends an invitation to you to accept His free gift of salvation (Rom 7:23). Will you accept it? Anyone who calls on Jesus, by faith, in repentance, confessing your sins, will receive eternal life. Do not put off calling on Him, and receive His free gift of salvation today (Rom 10:13).