#101 HUMILITY IN ADVERSITY

 The Paul B Thomas TOPICAL BIBLE NOTES

#101 HUMILITY IN ADVERSITY
A brother of humble means should rejoice in his having been exalted, 10 and a rich person in his having been humbled, because he will fade away like a wild flower. 11 For the sun comes up with its scorching heat and dries up the grass. The flower in it drops off, and its beauty is gone. That is how the rich person will fade away in his pursuits. (James 1;9-11 ISV).
Mel Gibson in an interview about his latest film father Stu, is asked how he handles trials, his response, 'If you don't have humility you won't handle them. those with egos will crash.
What matters he masters, If 'life' matters more than 'money' then you will master life and all that life throws at you. If money matters more than life, money will master you. The Christain life brings to the rich a new sense of self abasement, James tells us that just as quickly as the sun rises and scorches the grass so, too a man can loose his riches. One day of sunshine can destroy a lifetime of prosperity. The rich like the proud, crash in times of adversity but the humble rise up again. The proud become humiliated by trials, the humble get exalted. The proud losses their place, the humble gain a crown of life. The grass withers, the flower fades, so to do the proud and rich when bad things happen to them.
How blessed is the man who endures temptation! When he has passed the 'test,' he will receive the victor’s 'crown of life' that God has promised to those who keep on loving him. (v12).
Humble people survive and even thrive in adversity because they know all things work for their good, even a bad will produce something of value in their life, and it's because of their humility that they see God working and God blessing them in such times.