I am NOT a drama queen! NO, NOT ME!
I try to avoid stress and stain in life. However sometimes it finds me.
We have all had trouble of one sort or another in our lives... God calls them trials.
The bible is VERY clear about how to handle trials and get through them. And not only get through them... God promises that if we go through a trial HIS way we will not only get through them but come out better and more mature... more complete... than before the trial! What a promise!!!
Doesn't that make you want to know what God has to say ...
To find the truth about handling trials we need to go to the book of James.
James 1:2 says...
"Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials"
WHAT! SERIOUSLY!
When people would ask me what I did for a living I would always answer, "I work where 25 people love me all day long"!
I was a first grade teacher! And I loved all my precious little first graders! I really could not believe that I got paid for that job... it was just so much fun!!! After all these years I can still get misty over them!
When my little one's would come up to me crying about something terrible according to their sweet 6 year old minds I would always say...
"Don't cry, in first grade we can fix almost everything"!
Together we would work through and "fix" their problem.
Drying their tears and giving them a comforting hug (are teachers still allowed to do that?) I would send them on their happy little way!
In James, God is saying that in this life... be very sure of this... we are going to have trouble! That's just how life is! And troubles and trials will not raise their ugly heads just once. We will have trials in various arenas of our life. But these trials and travails can have a very positive outcome on us if we work with God to get through them! God can give trials a purpose. The purpose is often so very hard to see WHILE we are in the middle of a trial. God understands that.
A trial may be sad and upsetting... small and annoying... or huge and life stopping. And God does not mean for us to be joyful about that. God is a God of compassion and mercy and love. He feels our hurts and wants to comfort us!
Okay, we need to see what we are to have joy about, so let's read on...
"knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance, And let endurance have it's perfect result that you may be perfect, complete lacking nothing." James 1:3-4
Before I taught first grade, I had a couple years experience teaching fifth grade. I really loved teaching fifth grade too... my greatest thrill was when a child would master a skill that at one point seemed, to them, impossible to understand. I adored those "light bulb" moments!
Part of my job was testing children on what they had learned. The test grade was an indicator... for me and my students and their parents. It told us just how well that child had mastered the skill set being tested.
The trials we face are a test too! They are an indicator. Here's the big question... what do they test?
"knowing that the testing of our FAITH..." Trials in our lives test our faith.
God already knows all about our faith... or lack of. He knows exactly what we believe and in whom we believe.
A trial show US our faith! How we act and react to a trial gives us a pretty good indicator just what our faith is in and how much faith we have!!!
If you are going through some sort of trial right now, and most of us are in one way or another... what would your faith grade be? This is a grade of we should all know!
Here is what else a trial does... it produces endurance.
I swim for exercise. Well, actually I take an aquatic aerobics class three times a week. It builds endurance. I have so much more strength and stamina than when I first started. If I miss even a couple classes, I feel like I am back at square one!!!
Trials, if we go through them God's way will build faith and endurance in facing the next trial... and facing it God's way. But each time we face a trial and flounder through it on our own, it weakens us!
The trials in our lives can have two effects on our lives... they can break us down OR make us complete.
The Greek word "complete" means mature.. perfect. Mature in our faith... perfect as we look more and more like Christ himself!
I think being mature in my faith and more Christ like is a pretty good outcome for trials that we are not going to be able to avoid in life. That is what we can find joy in. NOT the trial... but the outcome God promises us.
There is still more to find joy about, but we will cover that next week.
The teacher in me says, "Let's review what we have learned so far"!
* We will all go through trials! Know this for a fact!
* The trials will hit us in various area of our lives.
* There IS something joyful that we can count on even in the worst trial.
* God is not saying that we have to be happy about the devastation of a trial... God is a compassionate God!
* A trial is a test that show US our faith in God. So we need to look at how we react to a trial to get a good indicator of our faith.
*Going through a trial God's way will build enduring faith and help us endure through the next trial
*As we endure we become more mature in faith and more Christ like.
There is sooooo much more about trials and getting thought them.. Next week we will discover God's plan to get us through a trial! It is very specific and very helpful!
For now, I'm going to give you some homework to do this week.
Read James 1:2-4. Read it every day . Read it 3 times a day. Try to memorize it!
Knowing the WHY of a trial is very valuable!!!
I want you to pass the faith test with flying colors!!!
I won't be checking your homework though... that's between you and God!
Yvonne, this was such a good post and at the perfect time for me right now! While I'm not crazy about going through trials, I do like how I'm forced (for lack of better words) to seek God. He has always come through and I always feel closer to him when it's over. Looking forward to next weeks post!
ReplyDeleteGood morning dear yvonne......I am sharing this wonderful message this morning, I hope you don't mind. Have a beautiful day today. *)
ReplyDeleteDear Yvonne, thank you so much for this beautiful teaching. It is a reminder for us, isn't it? A reminder to not fear trials but to welcome them when they show their annoying heads. I love my Bible because it's a teaching Bible. It's called the Life Application Teaching Bible. It has made me appreciate the Word of God so much more than if I had just purchased a Bible without the teaching. The passage you have given us to read is one of my favourites. It's so strange that you should have chosen James because for many days now, I have been wanting to read him.
ReplyDeleteI have a huge trial coming up and I have chosen to treat it this way. I decided that a few days ago. This trial will last from May 5th until the end of July and perhaps longer. They will be repairing all balconies where I live. The noise will be horrible. I will not be allowed out on my balcony during all that time. I will have to keep my windows closed because of the noise of the heavy machinery and the dust. I cannot take loud noise because I have tinnitus and loud noises aggravate it. So, I have decided to offer up to our Lord each day as a sacrifice to help someone. Each day a different person will benefit from this trial of mine. This is how I will deal with this trial and just the thought of it has brought me peace and joy. Longsuffering also. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. Hope you have a lovely Sunday.
God bless you, dear Yvonne...I needed to hear this devotional this morning! Thank-you for your obedience to share truth on this lovely blog! You are an awesome woman of God who is gifted in so many ways...thanks for passing along what you have learned, and for sharing your life and your home with your readers! Keep up the good work
ReplyDeleteYvonne,
ReplyDeleteAmen, Sister...did I ever need that message today!!!
I'll be heading for that Scripture throughout my devotion time everyday this week.
Going to visit my 90+ year old Dad and step~mom this week.
Our past conversations have been ones of "change" in their lifestyle!
This will certainly be a trial for them... and for me!!!
Thank you for your continued messages through Sunday Scripture!!!
You, dear friend, continually bless my life in wonderful ways!!!
Fondly,
Pat
Thank you for this much needed post.....
ReplyDeleteHave a blessed Sunday.
Angela
Your devotionals are always so well timed and needed and inspirational to me, Yvonne. Thank you so much for writing so beautifully and thoughtfully.
ReplyDeleteSisterly love and hugs,
Michele
Thank you so much for this teachings dear Ivonne! I needed this and it came in the knick of time, and this is proof God is always there to confort us, via a wonderful friend like you! Have a blessed week.
ReplyDeleteFABBY
The timing is perfect I am facing the trial of my life at a point where I could lose everything and this will help me focus and weather its storm.
ReplyDeleteA wonderful post today, Yvonne. I do need to read this.....I feel like my whole life has been a trial, bur I have not lost faith. I keep on going and learning. xo
ReplyDeleteI needed this lesson today, too, Yvonne. I am going through a trial right now. I guess, life is a series of ongoing trials. I will do my homework.
ReplyDeleteAmen! Learning to consider it pure joy in the trials of my life...God is good, prayer of other believers help lift us up in those trials, and did I mention, God is good? All.the.time!! Love this post. Thank you Yvonne.
ReplyDeleteWomen of Faith..that's what we are! Thanks for using your blog to remind us the things that are "eternal" and will not pass away...as well as sharing with us the "temporal...perishable things that are just to enjoy while we are here.
ReplyDeleteGod bless...Rita
Thank you for these encouraging thoughts and scriptures. Though refining is painful, I'm so glad that He promises to always be there with us. He loves us and He is for us!
ReplyDeleteBlessings to you,
Tamara
Thank you for this wonderful post. My husband got up one morning and left us. He didn't say goodbye to the children. This has been the hardest trial of my life...sometimes hard to "consider it all joy." I am so glad you posted this. I needed to be reminded that God is in control and faith will get us through this.
ReplyDeleteI'm working hard on considering it all joy. The only way I know to really do that is to give thanks in all circumstances for that is the Father's will. It is amazing how much that helps.
ReplyDeleteIf you would, Yvonne, offer a pray on our behalf. God knows our need. [hugs]
Such an interesting, thought provoking post Yvonne. As painful as some of life's trials are, and whether ordained or permitted, I too believe trials occur for our own good and to glorify our Heavenly Father. Sometimes it seems it's simply about drawing us closer to God, or helping us discern and accept God's Will over our own, or many other things. Whatever the reason, I've learned along the way to see trials as a blessing. Never easy but worth pondering. I agree with all you've said but also think there is joy to be found in our trials and remarkably quite a wonderful way to persevere life's trials. Another message I see in the Gospels teaches us to accept trials and suffering joyfully because they too unite us with Jesus. So with prayer, and Jesus' guidance, we are able to accept our trials joyfully. In looking at it this way, I've come to see it as a literal, life saving gift from God. And although hard to explain, somehow inner peace, strength and wisdom finds it's way in me and THAT fills my heart and soul with joy. Joy is so freeing and comforting and makes it possible to fully appreciate the meaning of "this too shall pass".
ReplyDeleteGreat words Yvonne. Thank you. Blessings, Patti
ReplyDelete