A critique that I hear often about Christians, from both Christians and non-Christians, is that Christians are always sitting back and waiting for God. We Christians are often perceived as passive, and people aren’t seeing the benefits of God in our lives. This stings because it is not an accurate representation of God.
God has not called us to sit back, do nothing, and simply wait. He calls us to action. He calls us to work. But instead, we sit back and make excuses while allowing the enemy to distract and delay us.
There is a lot that I want in my life, and when I reflect on my life, there’s also been a lot of success. I have goals and dreams that I haven’t reached yet, and thanks to the Holy Spirit living inside of me, I’m always led to the Bible and to seek God in my life. Every time I read the Bible, I realize that I am the one getting in the way of the plans that God has for me. What holds me back is my laziness, my excuses, my fear, and my disbelief that I can be great, even after God has already spoken greatness over me because I am His child.
If you can relate, then you will enjoy this series with daily Bible study lessons that will teach you how to get what you want in life.
For Day 1, here are 3 lessons from James 1 that will teach you how to get what you want in life. If you enjoy these lessons, I encourage you to read and study James 1 using our James 1 Bible Study Guide.
1. Don’t be anxious, stressed, or avoidant.
The Bible says in James 1:2–3 (NIV):
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
Perseverance is when you keep going even when things are hard. It’s how we grow stronger in faith by staying grounded in God instead of giving in to fear, worry, or doubt.
Faith is believing what we ask for and not doubting God. One way to build faith is by seeing God in action. Our trials are His moments to shine in our life.
So live in anticipation and joy because you know and believe that God is about to show up for you.
2. Don’t doubt. Doubting does not get you what you want.
James 1:6–7 (NIV) says:
But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.
God wants to bless us, but as most of us have experienced, He won’t force us to accept Him. He blesses us with His word and wisdom, and it is our job to receive them as truth.
Too often we normalize doubt in the Christian community. But the Word of God is clear: those who doubt should not expect to receive anything.
Faith is not just a bonus. It is the foundation of our relationship with God. It is a requirement.
3. Recognize your blessings. Getting what you want won’t matter if you don’t recognize when you already have what you need.
James 1:16–17 (NIV) says:
Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
Think about all the chaos in the world right now, and yet you woke up with access to food, water, the internet, your health, and time to read this. These are good and perfect gifts from God. He knows what you need for today, and He’s already provided it.
But too often, we ignore what we have and focus only on what we lack. We don’t acknowledge the blessings we’ve received, and we don’t use them to pursue what we’re asking for.
There are people who woke up today needing encouragement but had no access to the internet to receive it. Some had no clean water, no job, or no skills to get one.
There is so much that’s broken in the world, but you woke up with so many things going right. That’s God.
Conclusion: God Wants You to Have an Abundant Life
God is not a genie. We can’t just snap our fingers and expect everything we want to come true. But He is our Father, and He wants us to live a beautiful life, full of purpose and joy.
He’s given us His Word, and in James 1:18, it says that He chose to give us birth through the word of truth. That means we’re called to live out what His Word says so that its promises can become real in our lives. We can’t continue to be discouraged or lacking in faith just because things aren’t going the way we want.
Today, take the time to reflect on His Word and apply it to your life. That is the path to an abundant life today.
- Don’t be afraid of your current reality.
- Don’t doubt His ability to change your circumstances.
- And recognize how He’s already moving in your life.
You’re already in route to the life you want, according to God’s will. I pray this blog post encourages you to change your life today in the name of Jesus. Join our email list to get notified as new posts in the Getting What You Want in Life series go live.
With love,
Dorothy Jean