To be fully HUMAN — A Daily Reflection

 

James 1:2-4 NIV

 

  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.

 

Consider it pure joy.  That means everything that happens to you – no matter how difficult the trial… divorce, loss of a spouse or a parent or worse, a child… loss of your job, your home, your belongings… loss of your health… facing a crippling or fatal disease.  And the little trials… messing up your checkbook and bouncing a check… having to deal with the IRS (Did I say "little"?!)… fighting traffic on the way to work… having a fender bender or getting a ticket.  Every difficulty you can imagine is there for a very good purpose – to add one more divine quality to your nature – patience.

 

When we pray for patience, the Lord begins to teach it to us.  He doesn’t take a giant celestial hypodermic needle and insert patience.  He teaches us patience.  And patience can only be learned through adversity.  But the Lord wants us to learn to be patient, because He wants us to be perfect.  Part of being perfect is being patient.  Why?  Because a patient spirit is a submissive spirit… a spirit willing to suffer whatever it takes to become pleasing to the Lord… a spirit willing to accept the Lord’s will – not only without argument or grumbling, but with joy!

 

Thinking about patience brings to mind when Paul and Silas were imprisoned at Philippi .  After being severely beaten, they were locked in what we would call a dungeon.  Prisons at that time were not what we would call hygienic.  In fact, they were downright filthy.  We won’t go into specifics of what was probably covering the floor, but Paul and Silas were put in there, forced to lie in that muck on their naked, cut and bloody backs, with their legs elevated in something like stocks, in the dark.  Got the picture?  Did they cry?  Did they complain and say, "Why me?"  Did they get angry at God for letting them get into this situation?  No.  They sang praises to God!  And what happened?  God sent an earthquake, shook loose their chains, and set them free!

 

So the eighteenth step in learning to live by faith is to be joyful in the midst of your trials.  Sing praises to God no matter what is happening in your life.  Remember, what comes out of your mouth reflects what is in your heart, so – no matter what is going on in your life - let your words be filled with joy.