When Life Hands You a Lemon, Make Lemonade! I cannot claim that as original. I saw that on a bumper stick several years ago. A while back a speaker concluded her remarks with a mockery of these words, suggesting that when life hands you a lemon you should go drink tequila and sarsaparilla. That is not what I have in mind. When Life Hands You a Lemon, Make Lemonade! is a clever statement, but it is not so easy to put this advice into practice. Actually this is quite sound philosophy, and in fact it is biblical.

In the Scriptures we find people who turned defeat into victory, trial into triumph, became victors instead of being victims. Too many people today, inside and outside of the church have the very mistaken idea that Christianity is the easy way of life. As James begins this practical letter he clearly informs Christians that trials will come and that the Christian way is not easy. James does not speak as one isolated from trial, but from the own experience of trials. These trials eventually led to his death for the cause of Christ.

So James gives us some instructions on how to make lemonade when life hands you a lemon. In other words: Turn your trials into triumphs by an Attitude of Joy; Assurance of Your Faith; Abdicating of Your Will to God.

I. Attitude of Joy.

In verse two notice that James wrote "when" trials come, not "if" trials come. He is telling us that we should expect trials. That may not be what we want to hear, but it is what James wrote. Previously John had written, "In the world you have tribulation." (John 16:33) and Luke wrote "We must through much tribulation enter the kingdom of God." (Acts 14:22)

My friends, this should not be a shock to us, but for those who thought the Christian life would be easy it may be a shock. Some trials come to us just because we are humans. Other may come because we are Christians. (I Peter 4:12) When James wrote this letter Christians were hated and subjected to much persecution. It was a real challenge for them to live for Christ. These trials may be doubled as external, outside adversities and inward temptations. Sometimes outward trials become occasions of temptations to sin. An example might be a person who uses the excuse of a difficulty like an accident, a serious illness, death of a loved one, or an economic crisis to blame God and doubt God's love.

In verse two I think the context primarily indicates outward trails. Various speaks of several kinds. James wrote of encountering, of falling into difficulties. The indication here is that it is not our fault that we have them. Count is an imperative, that is a command. Note that we are to be joyful in our trial, not because of them. This is a financial term, to evaluate, goals, priorities, what matters most.

To have joy in the midst of trials involves our attitude. Hebrews 12:2. Perhaps you have heard the story of the shoe salesman who was sent to Africa with 40 pair of shoes. He wrote back to the company. "Nobody over here has shoes, wears shoes, the situation is hopeless.

The President of the shoe company tried again and sent another salesman. He wrote back, "Nobody over here wears shoes, has shoes. The potential is unlimited, send more shoes!"

My friends, I encourage you to have an attitude of joy. Trials will come. How do you turn your trials into triumphs? Another step is by the

II. Assurance of Your Faith.

Joy is not just superficial, not surface happiness. Deep down joy involves the assurance of faith, experiencing the truth of scripture. In verse three James wrote, "Knowing that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." Faith is tested. Women and men of faith are persons whose faith has been tested by trials. Trials are a means by which our faith is tested and proved. Certainly Abraham's test with Isaac is a classic example of this. Abraham passed the test.

Know that God allows us to be tested to bring out our best, to prove that we are in fact born again sons and daughters of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Trials actually work for us as Christians, not against us. (Romans 8:28) Certainly this does not mean that we always completely understand the trials, but have God's assurance.

This testing process is described by James with the Greek word "dokinion". It refers to sterling silver coins, money that was of a pure genuine, unalloyed metal. Testing may be used to burn out the dross of human character, to leave us cleansed and purified.

Last week we asked some questions including "Why was this letter written?" The short answer I mentioned was to help us grow up, to mature. Though we may not like our trials, I believe that when we properly use them they can help us mature spiritually. This may come with difficulty.

James wrote that the testing of our faith results in endurance, in steadfastness, unswerving constancy. He is not talking about a passive patience, but the fruit of trial, perseverance in the face of difficulty, the staying power of life. This is for when things are tough, not a denial of the reality of problems. We might think of the impact of some early martyrs for their faith in Christ. Some dyed singing. Just be his death, one martyr smiled in the flames and was asked why? He said, "I saw the glory of God and was glad."

III. Abdicating of Your Will to God.

I chose this word, abdicating to help us remember along with the other A's of my outline: an attitude of joy, an assurance of your faith, and an abdicating of your will to God. In verse four James is writing of a surrender of the will, of relinquishing our will to God. We should realize that it is not all up to us, but as those who have committed our lives to Jesus Christ we should surrender that which is our to decide.

For our trials to work for us, to bring out our best God needs our consent, our will surrendered to Him. In the Lord's Prayer we pray, "Thy will be done…" Do we mean that or are these empty words? We may say or sing, "Love is surrender to His will" or "I surrender all." Are these expressions of our true devotion to the Lord? For God to use our trials to use our character to grow, to mature, for steadfastness to have its full effect is a process of spiritual growth.

James mentioned some more key words with this thought. He wrote of perfection toward a given purpose. As I said last week, this word does not mean sinless, but mature, fit for the task that God sent us into the world to accomplish. A word James used we translate as complete or entire. I believe he is talking about removing weaknesses and conquering sin, lacking in nothing. WOW!

Conclusion

My friends, I do not believe that it is God's will that we just accept Jesus Christ as our Savior. That is exceedingly important. But God also desires for us to continue to grow and mature spiritually through our lives. If there is a Christian here who satisfied with his or her relationship with God who is not involved in daily personal Bile reading, in daily prayer, not involved regularly in Sunday School, in weekly Worship, and in Bible Study with other Christians., let me ask you a question. Do you have the courage to sincerely seek God's will in this matter?

Brothers and sisters in Christ, I know that life will hand you and me some lemons. Trials will come, more to some than others. The question is how will you handle these trials. Will you allow them to defeat you? I hope not. Instead make lemonade. Turn your trials into triumphs by an attitude of joy, an assurance of your faith. And by an abdicating of your will to God.

Return