Now the brother or sister of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position; but the rich person is to glory in his humiliation, because like flowering grass he will pass away. For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; and its flower falls off and the beauty of its appearance is destroyed; so also the rich person, in the midst of his pursuits, will die out.
From an early age, we warn kids against taking “the easy way out.” Often the path of least resistance is not the wisest way. Taking the easy way out focuses on getting out of a hard time instead of getting through it in the best way. James wrote to believers who were struggling to trust God in hard circumstances. They were feeling low to the ground in their challenges. In moments like this our tendency is to look for higher ground—a way out of the hard circumstances. But James encouraged them to stay lowly, and to press on in the trials they faced. Whatever “higher ground” we find on earth will ultimately fade. Our next breath, the possessions we have, and the status we hold will not last—it will all fade away. The person trying to pursue earthly wealth to avoid falling on hard times will ultimately fail because those things will never last.
We are called to trust God to walk with us through hard circumstances, instead of only seeking a way out of them. This is the example Jesus set for us. Jesus walked in humility throughout His life; He never used His power as God to escape hard circumstances but stayed low and trusted God to bring Him through.
- What are some ways we try to escape hard times? What happens when we do that?
- When have you had to walk through something hard? How are you encouraged to remember that Jesus also walked through hard things instead of taking the easy way out?
- Ask God to lead you to trust Him in hardship over primarily seeking escape.
