Saturday, April 09, 2011

Hidden Treasures: Joy, Trials & Patience

Jamess 1:2-5 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.
 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

 

Joy and trials don't seem to go together. At least I have trouble in this department.  But trials WILL help you in the patience department IF you endure them with an attitude of joy. 

 

My natural inclination when I am in pain is to complain.  It's easier to sit, soak and sour on our pity pot in the corner.  So we have to go against our natural incliniations and make a decided effort to count it all joy.  We can have joy knowing that God is working to produce patience in our lives and that he is working to change us more and more into the image of Christ that we may one day be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.  Of course we know that we will never have sinless perfection in this earthly body, but God is working to make us more fit for heaven where we will then be perfected and without sin.

 

Verse 5,  "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him." is often misused by a well known church that sends missionaries to my door on a somewhat regular basis.  In the context of the surrounding Scripture where this verse is found, we find the subject matter centers around trials and temptations.  It exhorts us when in the midst of trials or being tempted to do wrong to ask God for wisdom that our reactions might be what they should be.  This verse has nothing to do with discerning the truth of a book that stands in competition to the Bible.

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