​Let—A Will That Has Given Up (1:4, 9–12)

​Let—A Will That Has Given Up (1:4, 9–12)

We have to cooperate with God to build our character. If we don't obey Him, He disciplines us until we do. He can do His work if we let Him, and remember, He would rather not do a job halfway. God wants a perfect job; He wants an individual who is mature and finished.

God wants us to grow up and become mature. It would be sad if our kids stayed little babies. We take pleasure in witnessing their growth, although maturing can be both perilous and enjoyable. Many Christians avoid the challenging parts of life, which is why they never grow up. God wants the "little children" to grow up to be "young men," and the "young men" to grow up to be "fathers" (1 John 2:12–14).

Paul described three works that constitute a full Christian life (Eph. 2:8–10). 2:8–10). First, there is God's work for us, which is salvation. This work was finished by Jesus Christ on the cross. He will save us if we believe in Him. Second, there is the work God does in us: "For we are His workmanship." This process is called sanctification. God shapes our character and makes us more like Jesus Christ, "conformed to the image of his Son" (Rom. 8:29). The third work  God does is through us, which is what we call service. God's work says we are "created in Christ Jesus unto good works."

Before He calls someone to serve, God builds their character. He must first work in us before He can work through us. God worked with Abraham for twenty-five years before giving him the son he had promised. God worked in Joseph's life for thirteen years, putting him through "various testings" before He could make him king of Egypt. For forty years, He prepared Moses for service. It took our Lord three years to train His disciples and shape their character.

However, we have to agree with God in order for Him to work in us. There has to be a will that is given up. An adult person doesn't argue with God's will; instead, they gladly accept it and follow it as revealed by the phrase “doing the will of God from the heart” (Eph. 6:6). If we try to endure through challenging times without giving up our wills, we will act more like kids than adults.

Jonah exemplifies this truth. God told Jonah to preach to the Gentiles in Nineveh, but Jonah said no. Before Jonah agreed to do what God told him to do, God punished him. But Jonah didn't really listen to God. He did not learn from this. How do we know? The result is evident in the prophet's behavior, which resembles that of a pampered child. In the final chapter of Jonah, he is sitting outside the city and pouting, hoping that God will punish him. He is angry with God, the sun, the wind, the gourd, and the worm.

There is another process involved in maturity, and that is called weaning. Weaning is a challenging part of growing up. A child who is being weaned thinks that his mother no longer loves him and that everything is against him. Weaning is actually a step toward growing up and being free. It is beneficial for the young child! Occasionally, God has to take away His children's childish toys and attitudes. David envisioned this in Psalm 131: "Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child who is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child." (Ps. 131:2). God uses trials to help us grow up, but if we don't give in to Him, we will stay childish.

James used this truth to talk about two groups of Christians in James 1:9–11: the poor and the rich. It appears that money and social status were real issues for these people (see James 2:1–7, 15–16; 4:1–3, 13–17; 5:1–8). God's tests have a way of bringing us down to earth. When the poor man is tested, he lets God have His way and is happy that he has spiritual riches that no one can take away from him. When the rich man is tested, he lets God have His way too, and he is pleased that his riches in Christ will never fade or wither. In other words, it's not your money that supports you through life's tests; it's your spiritual resources.

So far, James has given us three things we must do: James says that we are to have a happy mindset ("count"), an understanding mind ("know"), a surrendered will ("let"), and now he gives a fourth.