NOT A FEELING, PERSEVERANCE

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." James 1:2-3

Consider this: it's not about your feelings. James is not telling us to feel joyful when we encounter trials. He is teaching that when you are in a trial to act like you would act if your were joyful about something. 

We are joyful when something is going well. We are joyful when we know God is in control and that he has worked something out for the good in our lives. You know, like when you get the job, you get the raise, something goes your way. You act with confidence, you know you are in the right place, you know God is with you. Choose to act like that when you go through a trial. That is what James is teaching.

When we go through trials God uses them to develop us spiritually. Now, if you are like me, you usually ask and look for any other way besides a trial. Like W.C. Fields said when asked why he was reading a Bible he said, "Looking for loopholes." Sometimes we look at grace as a loophole to get out of things rather than through them. 

If you have been a Christian for a while I am sure you have had one of those waiting on God experiences where it went past the time you had for it being possible to work things out. You thought all was lost and then God worked. We are supposed to learn perseverance from those trials, it's not a been there, done that thing. God is developing perseverance or patience (KJV) in us. That is a good thing. That God is working in your life is a good thing, a very good thing. We persevere because we know that God is Sovereign over everything and that he works all things out for our good.  

Father, help us to rest in you and persevere. Praise be to you in us today!