Jump Start # 1123

James 5:13 “Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises.”

It seems that most of life is made up of one of three kinds of days. First, there are great days in which we are bathed in the blessings of God. Weddings are like that. The birth of children are like that. Yesterday was one of those days for us. Our daughter gave birth to a baby girl. We welcomed Brynnlee Grace into our family and this world. Cute, sweet and special. Many prayers were offered. Many thanksgivings were said. Pictures taken. Phone calls made. Post put on Facebook. It was a great day.

Then some days are just the opposite, they are very sad. As we were at the hospital rejoicing with a birth, a dear friend was making his first trip to the cancer doctor. Treatments and plans were made to fight that ugly disease. Some days bring tears to our hearts and our eyes. We have a bad day at work. We receive disappointments. There is a death. There is sorrow. Some days are like that. While one family is rejoicing, another family is in tears.

Then there are some days that are just normal. Nothing spectacular happens. Nothing tragic happens. Just another day. Another school day. Another work day. Another day at home. Around us are families rejoicing with great news. Others are feeling the heartache of loss. As Wide World of Sports used to advertise, “the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.” There are some days that are neither. It’s just a normal day.

Most of life is made up of these three type of days. We live for the great days. We look forward to the weddings, the babies born, the vacations, the graduations, the special occasions. The sad days often come unexpected. They can catch us off guard. They change our plans and our lives.

Of the three, we’d tend to think that the sad days are the hardest. They certainly drain us emotionally. But to be honest, it’s the everyday, normal days that we often stumble in. We are not geared up, anticipating like a great day. Nor are we rallying all of emotions and energy to get through those tough days. It’s just a normal day. We may not pray as much during normal days as we do the great days and the tough days. I expect most of us have more normal days than any other.

Here’s some things to consider:

1. When Paul says to rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep, it tells us that we do not all experience the same kind of day. While one person is rejoicing, another may be crying and another is having just a normal day. My life cannot be the barometer for how I treat others. I will run into those who are excited and want to talk about the great day they had. Ignoring them or being jealous of them is not the answer. Others may be having a terrible day, I cannot ignore their pain. Be happy for those who are happy. Comfort the sad. Even though I may not be in either one of those kind of days. We must be mindful of what others are going through. This is one of the powerful blessings of a church family. We are there for each other. We support, we comfort, we rejoice and we help one another. It’s pretty easy to deal with great days. It’s those dark, tough days that are hard to go through, especially on your own. Having a church family that is there to remind me of God, to pray with and for me is so important. The road is especially long and hard for those who do not have this. You see the person sitting alone in the hospital waiting room. They don’t have anyone. What a blessing God’s family is. This tells me that when announcements are made at church services, I need to pay attention. I may be having a normal day, but others in my church family are not. I need to rejoice with some and cry with others. The time will come when I will have some of those days and I will need them to help me. Be there for them when you can.

2. Not every day is the same. Those who rejoice will return to having normal days. Those who are suffering will return once again have great days. That’s the way life works. It’s hard to imagine, coming home from the cemetery with eyes full of tears, that your heart will ever be happy again. But it does. It takes time. We must work at it. God helps. It is comforting to know that not every day is the same.

3. Whatever type of day I am having, I must seek God, help others and remind myself that I walk with Jesus. Having a bad day is not a reason to toss out the virtues and character that I have learned from Jesus. Having a great day is not an excuse to do things that I shouldn’t do. Our language, attitudes and hope must reflect God, no matter what kind of day that I am having.

How about you? What kind of day is this for you? Look about you, there are others who are having a different day than you are. Be there for them. Rejoice. Pray. Walk with God.

Roger

Jump Start # 391 

James 5:13 “Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises.”

  The practical book of James tells us how to live. It’s not a book of theory, nor arguments, nor do we find fulfillment of prophecy, nor the grand process of salvation, but just instruction upon instruction about making our faith alive in our world. That’s what it’s all about. That’s the hard part of Christianity—it’s not the thinking part, it’s the doing part.

  Our verse today covers the broad range of emotions that we go through—suffering or cheerfulness. Suffering has a way of knocking the stuffin’ out of us. It knots our stomachs, causes doubts to arise in our hearts and makes us wonder how come. James began this book by talking about trials. There he told us that they will come and they come in various forms—multicolored is what the Greek word means. That’s just swell, isn’t it? It’s hard enough if there was just one kind of suffering, but there are many. James may have those trials in mind. He may also be thinking about persecution, the ultimate form of suffering. Either way, we just get the stuffin’ smacked out us.

  James tells the sufferers to pray. Pray because God is on the throne. Pray that you will be strengthened through the suffering. Pray that you will come out standing and strong.

  The other side of emotions is cheerfulness. Isn’t it amazing how many times in a day we ask, “How you doing?” I think sometimes we don’t really care and we just don’t know what else to say. There are days in which we are doing well. We feel well. We’ve accomplished much that day. We feel good in our faith and walk with the Lord. We are cheerful. We rejoice. In those occasions, James says, sing praises! Praise carries the idea of thanking God and complimenting God. It is realizing that the reason I am cheerful is because of the blessings of God.

  So there we are…miserable, either on the outside or the inside or both, or cheerful or most likely, a combination of both. Some may be leaning more toward the miserable side and others leaning more toward the cheerful side.

  What is interesting is how James found a way to include God in our lives no matter how we feel. Some days are so good. Those are times to pray. Other days are awesome. Those are days to sing praises. Either way, we are connecting to God. What a great concept. So often, we use how we feel as a measure of our connecting with God. If things are great, we will. But if things are so great, especially if we are on the suffering side of things, we tend to let that be a reason to remove God from our life. Not so, says James.

  The cheerful one is easy to understand. He feels good, things are going well, he’s in a great mood. It’s easy to sing praises. It’s the other one that gets us. When we’re suffering we don’t feel like much of anything. We especially need God. We become weak and vulnerable at such times. We need God. We tend to isolate ourselves. We need God. We get discouraged and want to quit. We need God.

  Praying and singing…those are the characteristics of a Christian.

  How are you feeling today? Have you connected to God? He’s wanting you to.

Roger

Jump Start # 109

James 5:13 “Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises.”

  James addresses the different states of the heart, suffering and cheerful. Those are opposites of each other. Those suffering generally are not cheerful. The suffering that James has in mind is the result of our faith or persecution. But all suffering tends to make us miserable. If one is suffering from a cold, or burdened with financial debt, or from wrongs they caused or the victim of someone’s verbal attack, they are miserable. Suffering does that.

  What is interesting in this passage, is that James names the two opposites of human emotions, misery (suffering) and happiness (cheerful). And in both of these states, the spiritual is involved. When suffering, pray. When cheerful sing praises. The entire human experience is to be brought under the realm of faith and spiritual life to God.

  We often turn to God in prayer when suffering. I’ve said many prayers with families while they are in the hospital surgery waiting room, or in the funeral home. The broken spirit caused by pain drives us to pray to God. We need help. The pain and suffering seems greater than we are. God is the answer. Some don’t get this, and they use the experience of pain to run from God, but most who have a foundation in Jesus, cling to him during the storms.

  It is the other human experience that we often fail to include the spiritual. When we are cheerful we often fail to sing praises. The cheerful times are good times. We like them. I do. Fun times with the family. Great vacations. When you wake up and you feel good and you feel rested. When things are going well. When problems are few and blessings abound. Those are cheerful times. James tells us to sing praises! Don’t forget who gave you those blessings and good times. Include and involve the spiritual. Praise God. Sing to God.

  These thoughts show us that we need God at all times. Even when things are going well and problems are few we need God. Singing and praying. According to James these ought to be a regular part of our life. And the reason is we are generally cheerful or suffering.

  I have to work on this. First, I don’t like to hear myself sing. That usually causes suffering to whoever hears. When I’m in a good mood, I find myself listening to my oldies tunes. Great songs. Fun songs. But I think about the words of James here. I need to be singing praises as a form of thanksgiving to God. Never listen to the oldies again, I don’t think James is saying that. Never “whistle while you work?” No, that’s not wrong. James is illustrating both sides of life, both extremes of emotions. God is not just for those who are suffering, but for those who are cheerful. God is not a spare tire that you only touch in emergencies, but God is for all days, no matter what is going on. You wouldn’t like it if your children only came to you when they had a problem and needed you to get them out of it, but when they were cheerful they ignored you. You’d feel used. How does God feel? He doesn’t want us only to sing when it is Sunday or when we are in the church building. He wants to be included in our good news. He wants us to praise Him, recognize Him, acknowledge Him and to give Him the credit.

  Praying and singing. Both are good remedies for whatever is going on in your life. God is always there, just don’t forget Him!

Roger