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James 1:9-18

⁹Christians who are poor should be glad, for God has honored them. ¹⁰And those who are rich should be glad, for God has humbled them. They will fade away like a flower in the field. ¹¹The hot sun rises and dries up the grass; the flower withers, and its beauty fades away. So also, wealthy people will fade away with all of their achievements.

¹²God blesses the people who patiently endure testing. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. ¹³And remember, no one who wants to do wrong should ever say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else either. ¹⁴Temptation comes from the lure of our own evil desires. ¹⁵These evil desires lead to evil actions, and evil actions lead to death. ¹⁶So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters.

¹⁷Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God above, who created all heaven’s lights. Unlike them, he never changes or casts shifting shadows. ¹⁸In his goodness he chose to make us his own children by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his choice possession.

Reflect

Think about this question: Is it easier for a poor man or rich man to give up everything for Christ? Both require that we give up control. It’s because of salvation through Christ that we can feel honored to be poor or humbled to be rich. Social class does not mean anything to God. If you put your faith in your material things, they will fade away. Jesus is our solid foundation. It is because of Jesus that we can and should patiently endure testing here on earth because our reward is in heaven.

Respond

When troubles come, do you endure them with patience? If not, how can we develop an attitude of patient endurance?

Have you ever blamed God when you gave into temptation? How can be we assured that God does not tempt us?

What does our reading today tell us about putting our faith in material things?

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