As a Christian, one thing that I have learned is that we will face trials. There are many teachers out there that claim that the holier that you are the easier your life is. Ask the disciples of the early church who gave their lives for the sake of the cross, they will tell you differently. They had trials. That being said, today, I just want to spend some time encouraging those of you who are discouraged at the direction of your life and at the trials that you face.
James 1:2 reads that you should consider it joy when you face trials of any kind. You are probably wondering, "how in the heck can I do that right now and why is he saying this?" He is writing to an audience that was being persecuted and systematically hunted for their faith during a time when Christianity was considered suspicious by Roman authorities. My hope is that you can see that even though this was a message to the Israelites, this is still applicable to us. If we can find the blessings and the positives when our situations are dire, we will find God's peace. It also helps shape your perspective on what is important.
Even though we are still dealing with consequences of actions that are sinful, God still forgives us and good things can come out of our trials. I have found in my own life that the trials that I have faced due to my sins have been easy to translate into stories that help others. When you go through a trial and can help someone through that same problem, you have used an "undesirable" part your past as a way to bless someone else. God does not waste those aspects of your life. One of the best ways to do this is to fully overcome something, which requires perseverance.
James 1:3 mentions the development of perseverance. As a whole, our society does not look highly upon pain. Oftentimes we do what we can to mitigate it temporarily rather than trying to understand the source of the pain and make corrections in our life so that the pain will go away permanently. This is why I want to ask you to take the time to understand the pains and the trials in your life and approach it constructively rather than trying to flee at the first sign of discomfort or placate it with "aspirin" (meaning anything that distracts you from dealing with the pain and gives a quick fix).
James 1:4 mentions that perseverance must finish its work, and that only then will the individual be mature and complete. Sometimes this requires dealing with the harder issues in our life until it concludes, which can be frustrating, but at the same time it is worth it. Just think, many people don't like to go to the doctor because they are afraid of what they might find. What they forget is that if they find something fast enough, they could get healed and that bit of discomfort is worth the prevention of a terminal disease. On another note, as we overcome trials, it makes it easier to overcome new trials that enter our lives. In the process of overcoming, we gain wisdom to deal with many situations in life.
James 1:5 reminds you that you should ask for wisdom if you feel that you lack it, for he who earnestly asks shall receive God's wisdom. One thing that I have always done that helps me overcome trials is to ask God for the reason that I am experiencing the trial, and then I ask him what I should be learning from it. Honesty is not always fun, but I feel better when I understand his perspective. It will sometimes take time to figure out, but in the end I find that I feel better knowing that my trials are not in vain.
I have always enjoyed the book of James, and today I felt very strongly about sharing this with you. I think that James starts out his book with a great plan for overcoming trials= Take joy in the circumstance, endure to it's finish, and ask God for his understanding.
As I wrap up, I feel impressed to give a more global view of Christianity. I can not help but think about how Christianity thrives in areas of the world where it is persecuted. Thousands of people come become Christians daily in China even though it is outlawed. These are people who are giving everything for their faith, and yet they do it willingly! This not only shows me that God does not make life magically comfortable, but this shows me that God will comfort us and guide us during the darkest of hours and that we will find peace during our trials.
I also want to remind you that when you are facing a trial, please do not shut down. I have seen so many people say, "Well I would love to do that, but I am just going through a tough time right now." There are some circumstances where you absolutely have to for a short period of time, but please do not stay comfortable there not doing anything. The problem is that we will always have tough times. If we wait for the perfect time for anything (job, marriage, buying a house, etc.) we will be waiting for a very long time! Don't let those trials stop you from finding God's blessing!
Also, stopping for a trial can withhold a blessing for someone else. I can remember someone telling me to step down from a teaching position when I was going through a rough time. I knew that I was, but I continued to teach because I knew that if I stepped down that it meant that someone would lose out on a blessing because I was not using my gift to help them. People have also told me not to use my ability to teach because of my former struggle with speech. I know that I am not the best orator or teacher, but I know that if I let those excuses stop me, I will be hurting others because of it. Needless to say, I over came those problems and I am NOT looking back at that and letting it stop me from reaching God's goal for my life. So please know that if you stop what you are doing, you are stopping people from receiving God's blessing in their life.
I want to close by reminding you to give praise to God when you go through trials. As Peter was locked in Jail in Acts, he was praising God. As Paul was enduring hardships, he was praising God and focusing on his mission. As David was depressed in Psalm 42, he was praising God for past successes and praising him for getting him out of his trial. Never forget to praise God and remember that he has and he will get you through your trials.
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