Don't Flinch

Bad experiences often cause us to flinch. Flinching of course is when we pull back, shy away, waiver, hesitate, falter in the face of what we anticipate might happen. It’s common to flinch when we start a difficult but necessary conversation, when we agree to take on responsibility that we know will be challenging. It’s not unusual to flinch any time we anticipate negative repercussions that might result from whatever it is we’re about to do. And flinching has real application in the face of trials. Flinching effects our attitude toward trials, and at this point in the book of James we know that’s a huge problem. Flinching makes us less likely to endure. It makes us more likely to avoid challenges and walk away. Flinching makes it hard to take action, even on the things we know to be true. At the core flinching is a faith problem. We’re not sure we trust what’s about to happen. We’re not sure who we can trust, if it’s worth the risk to trust, when it’s safe to trust, why we should trust, what can we trust?