James 1:2-3 “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
When you were growing up, did your parents tell you to eat something, or do something because “It is good for you?” I really hated when I heard those words because I just knew that whatever it was that my mother or father was going to say next was going to be painful.
One of the hardest learned lessons of being a follower of Jesus is that trials and difficulties are going to be very good for us. The person that said that, probably never had the kind of things happened to them that had happened to us, correct?
Actually, James the writer of this verse, is the brother of Jesus. He met the end of his life at the hands of an angry mob who stoned him to death. I think that would qualify as a pretty difficult trial.
If you will notice James 1:2-2 says that we should count it all joy when we fall into various trial because we know that the trial will produce patience in us. As someone who is attempting to walk with Jesus everyday, we should be aware that what the Lord allows us to suffer in, He will bring a good end to.
How many times have you told yourself that you really need to have more patience?
If we pray and ask the Lord to give us more patience, do you think that He will just “Zap” us with more patience, or does He place us into a difficult trial where we will have the choice to exercise patience or loose our temper?
The process of going through repeated heartaches, suffering , loss, and pain, will eventually teach us to be more patient in each subsequent trial that comes along. It is by being exposed to difficulties over and over again, that our hard-hearted and hard-headed dispositions get reduced to humility. The underlying problem in all of us during any given difficult situation, is that we are filled with too much pride.
Pride tells us that we don’t deserve to be treated in a certain manner by others. Pride tells us that we deserve better things in this life than we have. Pride tells us; “We should have what that guy or girl over there has.” After all we are just as smart, handsome or pretty, hard working or deserving as they are. “Why doesn’t God bless me as much as He is blessing them?” Pride teaches us to be self sufficient, that we can do it ourselves and that we are basically a good person.
All of which, according to the Word of God, are lies.
In reality we do not have the power to change one hair on our head to black or white (without Clairol). We don’t know what is going to happen 5 seconds from now, much less what tomorrow or the next day will be like. We are lost, insufficient, and mess everything up most of the time.
We need a Savior desperately. We need someone who has been through what we are going through and yet has always done the right thing, always said the right words. There is only One person who has accomplished this, Jesus. The Bible says that the power Jesus’ had in His life came from a life of Holiness.
Romans 1:4 “...and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness…”
Jesus lived a perfect life in every way. He never sinned a single time, a single deed. He maintained this perfect record of righteousness, despite being tested in all the same areas that we are tested in and fail at continuously.
Hebrews 4:15 “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.“
As we walk with the Lord today, we can have confidence that He has already been through what we are going to go through. Jesus knows what it feels like and He knows how hard it is to resist sin. And when we do fail, Jesus will never condemn us, but will forgive and restore us if we come to Him in sincerity and humility.
What is going to happen today in your life, will have the end effect of being very good for you, no matter how awful it might feel right now. This is God’s promise, this is His purpose in allowing pain to come into your life. Walk with Jesus and Trust Him, knowing that whatever He brings you to, He will also bring you through.
