When Troubles Won’t Go Away

In this message on the reality of lingering adversity, Chuck Swindoll addresses the “wretched soul bruised with adversity,” acknowledging that deep bruises often strike the inner life through disappointment, depression, and loss,. Using the opening verses of James, Swindoll argues that trials are not accidents but appointed “servants” sent to strengthen faith and foster character,,. He emphasizes that trials are inevitable, noting that James writes “when” you encounter trials, not “if”.

Swindoll offers a three-step strategy for handling troubles that refuse to leave: Consider, Comprehend, and Cooperate. He explains that believers must view trials with a mindset of joy, comprehend that the testing is for approval (like pottery tested in a furnace), and cooperate by yielding to God’s plan,,. To illustrate this cooperation, Swindoll turns to 1 Peter 5, describing the “mighty hand of God” as a hand that sometimes pinches or squeezes us through unrewarding work or difficult relationships, requiring us to humble ourselves and cast our anxiety on Him.

The message concludes by diagnosing why believers often fail under pressure: a lack of wisdom to see God’s perspective and a lack of faith that leads to double-mindedness,. Swindoll illustrates double-mindedness using a monkey trap, where a monkey is caught because it refuses to let go of rice inside a gourd. He urges listeners to “let go of the rice”—their own will—and accept God’s will to receive the “Crown of Life,” which Swindoll defines as the true happiness of a balanced, resilient life.

Message Key Facts:

• The “Bucket” Theology: Swindoll opens with a poem by Nancy Spiegelberg, contrasting a believer who comes to God with a small cup versus one who knows Him well enough to come running with a bucket, expecting a large outpouring of strength.
• Inevitability of Trials: James 1:2 uses the phrase “when you encounter,” implying that trials are as inevitable as death and taxes.
• The “Subway Lunch” Illustration: Swindoll tells a story of a man on a subway who gets sick on a bystander to illustrate that when trials happen, asking “Why me?” is futile; trials are simply part of life.
• Testing as “Approval” (Dokimos): The Greek word for testing in James 1:3 is dokimos, a term found on ancient pottery. It signifies a vessel that has gone through the furnace without cracking and is stamped “approved”.
• The Three Steps to Handling Trials:
  1. Consider: Lead your mind into the trial with a positive attitude of joy.
  2. Comprehend: Understand that the trial is for your good, to produce endurance.
  3. Cooperate: Do not fight the trial; let endurance have its perfect result.
• The “Pinch” of God: Swindoll interprets “the mighty hand of God” in 1 Peter 5 not just as a hand of protection, but one that squeezes or pinches through difficult circumstances to produce humility.
• Affliction vs. Sickness: Swindoll draws a distinction in James 5 between “suffering” (affliction), for which the remedy is prayer for endurance, and “sickness,” for which there is a call for elders and potential restoration.
• The Monkey Trap Analogy: A monkey is caught because it refuses to unclench its fist to release rice inside a gourd. This illustrates the “double-minded” Christian who wants God’s peace but refuses to let go of their own will.
• The “Weebles” Toy: The believer who perseveres is likened to a child’s toy with a weighted bottom that always bounces back up when hit, because it has the proper balance.

Message References:

• James 1:1–4: The opening text regarding the inevitability of trials, the testing of faith, and the production of endurance,.
• James 1:5–8: Instructions on asking God for wisdom and the warning against being “double-minded” or unstable in faith.
• James 1:12: The promise that the one who perseveres under trial is “blessed” (happy) and will receive the “crown of life”.
• 1 Peter 5:6–7: A command to humble oneself under the “mighty hand of God” (the pinch) and to cast all anxiety upon Him.
• James 5:13–14: The distinction between the one who is suffering (who should pray) and the one who is sick (who should call for elders).

Message Speaker:

Pastor Chuck Swindoll