Trials

Have you ever gone through hard situations in life? Well, I have and not pretty things go through your mind during those tough times. Things like:

• Why me God?

• God why are You doing this?

• I hate this!

Sometimes your thoughts can go really deep emotionally, and you let your emotions get to you. You can tend to let your emotions control you and say things that you would never say! Everybody goes through those times, so you’re not alone.

We all go through situations for a reason, sometimes that reason is to teach us something or even for us to notice what we did wrong and to learn from it.

Let’s read James 1:1-4

(James is the book right after Hebrews) James verse 1 says: James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings. In this verse we understand that James is the author for this book and is a servant of God. He is writing this to the 12 tribes that are scattered.

James 1:2

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds…….

We can get out of verse 2 that James is saying at any time we go through hard trials, meaning tough situations, we should have joy through it all. Wait, what! WE should have joy when we go through hard times? That does not seem right, usually we are sad ad depressed, or even angry when we go the trials, but James wants us to have pure joy through all of it. Ok…. Let read verse 3-4 to see why we should have joy in hard times.

James 1:3-4

….because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Oh, I see now! James is trying to tell us that through all our hard trials and challenges we should be joyful, because the Lord is testing our faith. That seems kind of scary, if you think of it. But there’s more to it! Through God testing our faith, it produces perseverance.

Perseverance: continued effort to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition

So, through our testing, God tests our faith and then it produces perseverance.

Let’s Read James 1: 4 One More Time

Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, no lacking nothing.

Listen how cool this is, if we are joyful through trials, and let the perseverance we get the testing of our faith finish the work it has to do……. we will be more mature and complete (some versions say perfect) not lacking anything!

Wow isn’t that so cool! We might be going through hard times. And challenges but something good comes out of it. Matureness! Being Complete! Not Lacking Anything! Isn’t that amazing?

My point here is to be joyful through all situations, tough or not. Because through that we are able to grow in the works of God and be able to be more mature spiritually! We can be better leaders and example to others around us!