“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 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.” James 1:2-4
Thought:
In life when facing trials and tribulations, it’s easier for some of us to give up or walk away. I’ll be the first to tell you, that I’m quick to walk away from a situation where I feel conflict or constant upset. But just as quick as I walk away, I feel regret because I gave up, simply put I lost faith that this too shall pass.
You see in James 1:2-4, James says “Whenever” YOU face trials, not “IF” you face trials. So, in other words, we’re going to face trials, sometimes daily. In fact, some of us are enduring trials right now but we must do what James says and “Count it all joy!” When our world is in disarray, and those closest to us are suffering and in pain, one cannot begin to fathom how to see joy amid it all. True joy doesn’t derive from our circumstances, but rather from our trust and relationship with Jesus Christ. James isn’t saying that we must pretend there’s no pain in the trial. But what he is saying is that we should practice patience in action and look for the positives in the situation and most importantly PUSH THROUGH!
Recently, I challenged my 3rd-5th grade scholars to create a self-affirmation to motivate them when facing academic challenges, and when I read James 1:2-4, all I could hear the Holy Spirit say is that “God’s word never comes back void”. In our session, my scholars came up with Push Through, Persevere, and Never Back Down! So, my dear brothers and sisters, I challenge every one of you to PUSH through those trials, PERSEVERE in your circumstances, and NEVER back down from situations. You MUST have faith that God can and will carry you through it all, pray fervently, and praise God in advance for what He’s about to bring you through!
Heavenly Father, thank You that Your grace is sufficient for every trial and difficulty that we will face in our lives. May we be ready and willing to patiently learn the lessons that You would teach us in each situation in life, knowing that we are being perfected in the process. Help us to learn to patiently endure with joyful thanks. In Jesus' name, AMEN.
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