James 1: 2 - 8 NKJV
It seems obvious to me that our Lords brother James was not a runaway in any sense of the word. As Charles Stanley puts it, for James, true faith will never allow us to give into our lusts.
Genuine faith endures trials. Trials are bound to come, but a strong faith will face them head-on and develop endurance. Genuine faith understands temptations. It will never consent to our lusts and thereby slide into sin. Genuine faith harbors no prejudice. For James, faith and favoritism cannot coexist.
~Charles Stanley~
Yes, I do not see James as a runaway. In fact, when the trials of life do come, it is James who tells us to count it all joy as we face them head on. Count it all joy? Dude, do you realize what I'm going through? How can James possibly claim to count our tribulations as joy? By faith, my friends. We who have known Jesus know in our own hearts that it is Christ Himself who we live as in our daily trials and triumphs {Galatiosn2:20}. Not so the runaway. For when trials inevitably come, the runaway will retreat to a safer place. Perhaps one less threatening than their current situation. I know the behaviors of the runaway because I used to be one. For myself, retreating from a difficult situation was all too often preferable to facing it. Of course, the reality of this approach is that despite our deepest wishes, running away from a situation RARELY makes it go away any sooner. On the contrary, not confronting a difficult situation will often only make what we are running from worse in the long run. Be it relationships, finances or other personal tragedies we come across, seldom is anything accomplished by running from a bad situation. Like I said, I know all to well what it's like to run from a bad situation. For when I avoided bad financial decisions, running from them only made things worse. When I avoided people instead of encouraging relationships, the ONLY person I was negatively affecting was myself. I believe that nothing good comes from being a runaway.
7And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. 8Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. 9And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12: 7 - 10 NKJV
I love the example which the apostle Paul gives us in 2 Corinthians 12. As this "thorn in the flesh" buffets Paul, he immediately turns to Christ Jesus in his anguish. I do not see this as Paul himself being a runaway, but knowing in his heart that Jesus had the ability to remove this infirmity from Paul. However, Jesus' response to Paul was probably not the one he was expecting. For instead of relieving Paul of his pain, Christ instead takes this opportunity to give a lesson to Paul. As Paul tells us, Jesus' response to his request was simply "My strength is made perfect in weakness." In the end, it is Paul who claims to take pleasure in his infirmities and distresses, "For when I am weak, then I am strong." As difficult as it may seem to we runaways, this is good advice. For not only are we secure in knowing that we face each and every one of our trials as Christ Jesus who is within us, but we gather strength as we endure them. When we are weak, then He who is in us is strong!
~Scott~
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