Tossed by the wind

I have always been drawn to the opening words of James' letter. There is something profound in the way he speaks of perseverance, wisdom and the testing of our faith. 

However, the one 'stand out' image that he uses, is the one of being tossed around by the waves of the sea. He uses this in conjunction with our doubts. One just needs to swim in the shore break to know how powerful the waves can be - they can literally toss you all over the place. Doubt is exactly like that - one minute we feel fine, and the next we feel as if we are being overwhelmed with fear. Wind and waves can beat against our lives and make us feel desperate.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³ because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴ Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. ⁶ 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. ⁷ That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. ⁸ Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do." - James 1:2-8

May we rest in the 'stable' presence of Jesus Christ. May His love and grace keep us from being overwhelmed by fear and doubts.

Living in Grace
D3LM3