Thursday, September 26, 2013

Finding Joy in Our Trials


Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4

Upon reading this verse for the first time, One might assume that James is a glutton for punishment. That he looks forward to trials and faces them enthusiastically. But after meditating on this verse, I realized that James is telling us we have a choice in how we view our tests and trials. According to the dictionary definition the word “consider” is a verb. It means to think about (someone/something) carefully in order to make a choice or decision.

As we see with Job, God allowed Job to face trials. Trials like most of us have never experienced. He lost his children, his health, his animals, his servants, and the support of his wife. It wasn’t because God couldn’t have stopped the events. It wasn’t that God was punishing Job. But rather, God allowed the trials so Job could grow in his understanding of God’s true character. God didn’t want Job to have less than He had to offer him.

When we pray, many of us (definitely myself included) pray for our circumstances to improve. We pray for the source of our pain to be taken away. We ask God to deal with the one who might be inflicting the pain. We pray in such a way that we focus on mending the circumstance instead of meeting the God who allowed the circumstance. But God wants us to persevere through the trial. He wants us to cling to him for dear life so he can show us his true character.

James is showing us that the choice is ours. We can see our trial from God’s perspective of love, or we can see it as torment and unfairness. When we endure a trial we are choosing to drawing closer to God through the hurt. And in the drawing nearer we come face to face with a God who is tender yet mighty. A God who is gentle yet firm. We meet a God who is loves beyond our comprehension. And in that my friend, we find pure joy!

Now I ask you. Do you want your circumstance to end before you receive the fullness of God? Or, do you want to cling to the Lord and persevere through the pain so you can know God fully?

I’ve considered, and I choose to joyfully persevere! I pray you will also.

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