2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,
3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.
7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord;
8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
It’s hard to think of “trials” and “pure joy” in the same sentence, but James tells us to do just that if we want to become mature and complete. I want to have everything I need to be effective for the Lord.
I want wisdom to deal with situations that arise daily. James tells me to ask for it because God gives without finding fault.
These words were bouncing around in my head today so I had to let them out somewhere! Don’t be surprised if you come back and I’ve added some more thoughts to this post. Thoughts are brewing in my head and they are not completely sorted out yet…Thanks for reading~
EDIT: How is it possible to face a trial and consider it pure joy? I have had to face trials I would have just as soon walked away from. But I decided that to make my life more in line with what God expected from me and what God intended for me, I had to clinch my fist, grit my teeth and face the trial. Did I consider it joyful? Not at the time. But looking back it was such a relief to get that poison out of my life…to make the changes that would ultimately bring peace to my life and to my heart. Now I thank God for my time of trial. I am closer to Him, more in awe of Him and more in love with Him than I could have imagined. I guess I need to learn to look for the God-things during the time of trial. I want to be able to face the trial knowing that God is teaching me something…that God is working something…trusting that He will get me through it and good will come from it. I have seen it over and over in my own life as well as in others. God disciplines those He loves and my hardest times came as consequences for my poor choices. But I think God built my faith in ways that helped me learn about Him…and helped me learn about myself.
What jumps out at me today is that I am to ask. I used to have a hard time asking people for help … asking God for help. Whether it was help for me or someone else, I just didn’t like asking. Once I learned that God wanted me to ask I kind-of took off. Now I’m always asking. I know that He wants me to voice my questions and petitions.
But then it says “believe and don’t doubt”. I have a lot harder time not doubting. I know this to be true because just like the verse says I feel blown and tossed by the wind just like a wave. In fact, my doubt comes in waves. One minute I have a sense of belief … a secure feeling that God will answer in my best interest. I know that I may not like the course He leads me on, but that it will end with Him if I only trust. Then next minute I just don’t seem to be able to muster that secure feeling. Doubt creeps in and I begin to experience waves of emotion and moodiness.
Once I realize the irrational thoughts that bring that doubt into my mind I’m once again able to believe.
I don’t want be unstable and double-minded. The rewards for the single-minded woman of faith are so much greater … the main reward being peace of mind … which is priceless.
THE PEACE THAT COMES FROM KNOWING THAT GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF US…DO WHAT IS IN OUR BEST INTEREST…IS AMAZING. I SEEM TO HAVE A HARD TIME HANGING ONTO THAT PEACE. I SAY THAT I TRUST HIM, BUT THEN TURN AROUND AND WORRY. THAT’S COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE TO SAY THE LEAST ISN’T IT? I WANT WISDOM, BUT FORGET TO SEEK HIS WISDOM WHEN FACING CHOICES IN MY LIFE. I ASK HIM TO BLESS ME OR MY FRIENDS, BUT FAIL TO ASK HIM FOR SPECIFICALLY WHAT IT IS THAT I WANT. OF COURSE I WANT HIS WILL TO SUPERCEDE MY WANTS BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS…HE WANTS ME TO ASK! AND AS YOU POINTED OUT, HE WANTS US TO BELIEVE WHEN WE ASK. THAT REQUIRES ME TO UNDO YEARS OF THINKING THAT ASKING GOD FOR SOMETHING I WANTED WAS SELFISH AND HE WOULD PUNISH ME INSTEAD OF BLESS ME. ASK AND BELIEVE….SIMPLE BUT NOT ALWAYS EASY RIGHT?
In Jesus Christ we are gifted with a joy that not even trials can remove from our hearts. We have to note the differences between mere happiness (which while fun, is not the spiritual blessing we have in Christ) and joy. To make this distinction is not always easy for me to do…how about you? There are feelings that go along with the facts of our lives. And while joy is not to be defined as that “happy-go-lucky, don’t worry, be happy” feeling that comes when things are well in my little world, nevertheless I enjoy such feelings immensely when they come and I can have those feelings at times in my life and still be in possession of that deeper joy Christ gives us. But this joy of which James speaks, is deeper isn’t it? Much deeper. It’s joy that endures and survives and is even strengthened by trials. It’s not grinning in the midst of trials. It’s expecting God to do His faithful work even through trials. It’s knowing He’s with us and we are not suffering purposelessly (did I invent a word?). It’s knowing that trials of whatever length (even life-long) cannot last forever, but we will last forever.
Sherry, I hope the summer is going well for you and yours. Will you punch Rex for me? Remind him he owes me a visit…big time!
God bless.
WE HAVE TALKED OFTEN ABOUT THAT FACT WE ARE NOT PROMISED HAPPINESS…BECAUSE HAPPINESS IS BASED ON HAPPENINGS. IT’S A ROLLERCOASTER OF EMOTIONS. JOY AND BEING BLESSED ARE THE CONSTANT STRAIGHT LINE THAT PLOWS RIGHT THRU THE ROLLERCOASTER OF HAPPINESS! GOD IS WITH US AND WORKING IN OUR LIVES NO MATTER THE CIRCUMSTANCE.
I LIKE THE WORD PURPOSELESSLY…FEEL FREE TO INVENT WORDS WHENEVER YOU NEED TO DO SO!
AND I WILL REMIND REX…I THINK YOU NEED TO COME HERE SOMETIME TOO! THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!
I should be laden with joy by now…..but I am not…..When I think just of me….I don’t feel much joy…but when I think of others- then there is joy…..I think I will think of others like some good people who prolly saved my life….They have a nice little church around 37th and ave A in Lubbock….
BARRY..YOU BROUGHT SOMETHING SPECIAL TO THAT LITTLE PLACE ON AVENUE A. GOD IS WORKING IN YOUR LIFE NOW, JUST LIKE HE WAS WHEN HE CROSSED YOUR PATH WITH OURS. HE DOESN’T ALWAYS ANSWER YOUR PRAYER BY THURSDAY (AS REX WOULD SAY), BUT HE HEARS. AND HE IS WORKING. REST IN THAT KNOWLEDGE. MISS YOU. AND STILL PRAYING….