James 1:2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
How many times have we tried to escape, run away from or pray deliverance from a trial or challenge? How many times have we prematurely quit something that we needed to keep walking through till we saw the reward? No trial I have ever been through has seen me radiate with pure joy whilst I call out ‘Just bring it on!’ Jesus endured the agony of the cross because of the joy set before Him. The future joy of sitting at the right hand of God and knowing he had set you and I free.
I love what James says. Consider it joy because as you keep pushing through- the end fruit promises to be excellent. What creates in us maturity? The ability to see something through, not giving up on the things of God nor the life of church. When you walk through a challenge with a great attitude, a faith in God and tough courage…it will create in you something of huge inner substance. Perseverance is WORK- its tough, gritty and demanding but if we do not rise to it, James implies that we will be in lack. We will miss out on allowing the Holy Spirit to form something of great value and strength in our lives that can only be developed through the painfully stretching times.
I have learnt that I need to know who I am in a trial in order to handle the challenge properly: I AM an OVERCOMER. The Word tells me so. And I am a woman who is DESTINED to come out the other side stronger, more complete and more mature. If I persevere. O Amen to that ☺
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