Tough Life
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds (James 1:2)
Count it all joy when various trials come upon you. Really, are you serious? Count it a joy! I’m to be encouraged and find some aspect of hope and happiness when I experience a testing or a trial? If that’s true, then I need to get some kind of “New Math” to count this way. I need a paradigm shift in my attitude and perspective, change my approach and mindset that testing and trails are actually beneficial.
Maybe like me you too need to stop the whining and complaining, for it only makes matters worse, and see the opportunity that the test brings. Testing and trails are Father God filtered and have within them an ability to produce a greater faith and trust in the beauty of Christ.
Recently, I asked my granddaughter how she enjoyed her half day at school on Friday. Her response surprised me, for she said, “I didn’t enjoy it that much.” I said, “That doesn’t make sense. You only had to go to school for a half day.” She said, “Yes, but I had spelling and math testing.”
Testing might not be fun, but it causes us to learn, grow, increase in knowledge and insight. Success does very little of this, but trials cause us to dig deep and hear from the Holy Spirit and gain greater faith and patience. Just look at the next verse.
For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. (James 1:3,4)
The writer says that you know when your faith is tested, your endurance or patience has a chance to grow and that this growth will lead to a development of fullness and completion. So this is where we need to focus our mind and heart, that the testing is a “good” thing giving us a fresh opportunity to grow and be made more complete in Christ, our perfection, to be more like him, and where he is there is freedom! So let’s step back in the midst of our trails today and do some “new math” and change our attitudes to reflect the good work that is going on in us by the grace of God.
Q: What was your favorite subject in High School?
Q: The Scripture says various kinds of trials. Name a few that you have had or are now experiencing.