Have you had to persevere through challenges? Have you had to gut it out, grind your teeth, hold on for dear life, and pray fervently for relief? How was that experience? Would you ever want to go through it again?
As we go through life, we experience various types of trials and challenges. Some of them are small, while others are absolutely gut-wrenching. We can see the end of the challenge for some, while the end is nowhere in sight for others.
A current challenge all of us are going through is the pandemic. It appeared the end was in sight a couple months ago. Now, we see it exploding once again. No one can predict when it will be over. Did you know the Spanish flu pandemic lasted nearly seven years? I’m sure none of us want this one to last that long.
Many people look at trials and challenges with an angry attitude. They continuously ask “why” with the mindset of discarding it or wishing the trial would be done. Those who look for wisdom also ask “why”, but with the mindset of “what can I learn from this? What is the purpose of this trial?”
If we look at trials and challenges as an opportunity to learn, we will see our faith and hope grow. As we persevere through those trials, we gain wisdom, insight, knowledge, and we see God at work in them. We will see God pulling us through. We will see Him shedding His grace and mercy on us. We will see God blessing us, even when we don’t ask for it.
Going through trials will either break us or we will grow stronger. The difference is who we turn to as we go through them. By turning to God, asking for His wisdom, learning from them, we mature as human beings and as Christians. James tells us our maturity will grow so that we lack nothing, meaning knowledge and wisdom that comes from God.
I pray we all persevere through the trials we face. I pray we turn to God, not only during trials, but at all times in every situation. I pray we become mature and complete. Lean on God. Learn from God. Persevere in His grace and mercy. Become mature. Become complete. Lack nothing. Grow in wisdom.
James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
Marty Pressey 