Count It All Joy
The theme for this year at Cross Creek Church has been “GO”. As the year starts to wind down, the writers at More Than Sundays would like to give you some encouragement and wisdom so that you can finish the year strong and keep GOing in your walk with Christ for many years to come. Please enjoy!
As a parent, I feel like one of the biggest responsibilities we have is providing comfort and reassurance when our child is going through difficult times. Whether it be big or small, our hearts break seeing them go through their struggles. It’s easy to get caught up in our feelings about the situation, but it’s our job to push them to overcome because we know it will only make them stronger. We often find ways to remind them that adversity builds character and that something good will come out of it, even if they can’t see it right now. We try to encourage them to remain persistent, not to feel defeated, and to trust that this is a true test of character. I often think that God is having the same conversation with us daily. He never says that we as Christians won’t experience suffering, but He sees us during our times of trials. Even when we find ourselves getting angry or frustrated with Him during those seasons, He reminds us of James 1:2-4 (ESV), “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” This says that the testing of our faith through trials produces steadfastness, which is biblically defined as constant, faithful, and loyal. There is an emphasis on the second half of that verse because we often don’t feel perfect or complete, lacking in nothing when we feel broken, rejected, stressed, shameful, and the list could go on and on. But God says through Him, we can be found lacking in nothing. So it’s not a matter of if we go through suffering
or trials; it’s a matter of when. How are we handling those situations?
Trials of Various Kinds
It’s common to find ourselves comparing our trials with someone else’s – at least I speak for myself when I say that I’m guilty of it. We may feel like we are alone in our hurts and like no one else can even come close to imagining what we are feeling. Some may have a calmer approach or be more logical by planning out possible solutions, while others rely on their fight or flight response and do the first thing that comes to their mind, hoping they made the right choice. Either way, we are all given moments when we question, “Why is this happening to me? Why can’t anything go right for me?” The irony of that is that God chooses the exact thing to happen to you for a reason, and He knows exactly why it’s happening to you. He knows your circumstances, He knows the duration of these circumstances, and He even already knows the outcome. In fact, Jesus experienced them firsthand when he walked this earth. He experienced being ridiculed and rejected. He experienced being alone and afraid. He experienced having nothing and being alone. He experienced feeling broken and hurt. There’s good news in all this, though. These trials of various kinds aren’t meant to drag us through our darkest valleys and leave us there, but because we are children of God, these trials of various kinds are meant to lift us up higher than ever before. It’s all part of His wondrous plan for our lives. Romans 8:28 (NLT) says, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” I know that there is a popular phrase that says ‘God doesn’t give us what we can’t handle’, but I’d almost make the argument that God does give us what we can’t handle on our own because He wants us to draw near to Him.
Testing of Your Faith Produces Steadfastness
I know I’m not the only person who has ever said (or maybe sang if you’re a fan of Kelly Clarkson), ‘What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger’, but what exactly would you interpret that to mean? I would interpret it as a way of saying that our situations can’t break us; they can only make us stronger. That saying almost makes it sound like you are the one pushing through, on your own accord, with your own power, giving yourself the credit. But when you have a relationship with Christ, it’s not about pushing through on your own. It’s about being tested in your faith by the trials that the world sets before you to understand the value of the lessons learned. Instead of feeling sorry for ourselves or getting angry with the world around us, these seasons provide a chance for us to learn from God’s grace, His comfort, and His truth. God’s plan isn’t for us to live our life based on the promises of empty slogans and catchphrases, but His promise is in His unwavering Word. Trials are just that: tests of our faith. It’s in these moments that we should not be asking why but what. What can God be showing me? What can I learn from this? What in this situation can help me increase my faith? We must remind ourselves that these tests are meant to produce fruit in us, challenging us so He can change us. Through our faith, we can persevere in hope knowing that God wants to use yesterday’s pains to grow us to become more like Him.
Perfect and Complete, Lacking in Nothing
There is nothing perfect on this earth. We know, as believers, that at the end of our time on Earth, we will be brought to a place where there is no suffering, no pain, and no fears. The hope is that our struggles cause us to persevere through our challenges so that we can rid ourselves of those impurities in our lives to be a closer reflection of Him. It’s very similar to the process of refining silver. To refine silver, you melt it down, putting it through extreme heat and letting all the impurities float to the top. You then let it cool, harden, and repeat the process. A silversmith knows he’s finished refining the silver when he can see his reflection in its molten surface. This can be compared to God’s view of us. We are repeatedly put through the refining process to be made in God’s image. We are going to make mistakes and go through our share of hardships, but the ultimate goal is to use these times to increase our faith, to develop our spiritual maturity, and to guide us into sanctification because we know that one day we will be with the one who is perfect in the Kingdom of Heaven. James 1:12 (ESV) “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” My hope is that we remember that these tribulations are only temporary and that we may use them as a testament to the work that God is doing in our lives and in our hearts. We are not alone, and ultimately, it is by Christ in us that we are given the strength to conquer our circumstances. Because of the love of our Father, we can overcome adversity by relying on His power, walking in our truth, enduring the race, and counting it all joy.
Resources:
YouVersion Bible App (ESV, NLT)
How to Cling to Hope When Troubles Come Your Way by Chuck Swindoll
The Book of James Bible Study by Francis Chan- Right Now Media