SHOULD TRIALS BE ENCOURAGING PHASES OF MY LIFE?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
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.
(James 1:2-4)

MEDITATION:
How could a person be joyful while going through trials? Have
you ever wanted to just ‘pitch a fit’? At times, most everyone
has experienced this feeling. There are the times when we need
rely on the Holy Spirit to redirect our natural inclinations.

God says that we will be tried as pure gold. Pure gold has all the
impurities removed. The testing and trying of our faith will build
in us the character that God wants us to have. How? It eliminates
our sinful impurities. It is a time for strengthening our faith and
teaching us the importance of totally trusting God.

Through the trials of life, we can experience the love of God that
develops patience to know Him and to wait on Him. We need to
be thankful for these difficult times because God is developing us
into mighty men and women with a desire to accomplish His will.

Two people go through the same trial;
    one grows closer to God,
    the other turns away;
    what is the difference?

One allows the trial to become a temptation for sinfulness and
succumbs to his or her natural desires for pleasure. The other
realizes God is at work and looks for the good He is building
into their life.

James refers to trials as the process of becoming a perfect work,
so we will lack nothing. In our natural state, we have a hard time
understanding how a trial becomes a perfect work, but we need
to realize that the natural man or woman must die, so the spiritual
man or woman can develop and grow.

It is through the Spirit of God that we are perfected for His calling.
This is a difficult scripture, but it is a reminder that if we are to be
true servants of God, then we must become less, so He can become
more. Change is hard for most people and the magnitude of change
required for us to be usable by God can be overwhelming.

That’s why our loving and understanding Heavenly Father has given
us the Holy Spirit to assist us in transitioning from who we are, to the
person God wants us to be. When we were saved (rescued) by God from
a destiny with eternal punishment, He began a sanctification process to
purge us of all unrighteousness and fill us with His righteousness.

Pause and think about the monumental changes required to transition
us from unrighteousness to righteousness. The two letters “un” are
reminders of the magnitude of the differences of these polar opposites.
One is leading us toward God and the other (‘un’) is leading us away
from God. One embraces God’s presence and the other rejects God.

They are ‘mutually exclusive’, which means we must have either one
or the other. We can’t have a portion of each and expect to become a
righteous servant of God and a member of His family. We can choose
to reject His sanctification or embrace it, but we can’t choose both.

ACTION:
We should ask ourselves:
    – Am I in the midst of a trial right now?
       If so, how am I handling it?
      Am I sinking into a negative, anxious and depressing attitude,
       or am I encouraged to know that God is at work in my life?

If we aren’t in a trial at the moment, then this is a good time
to prepare ourselves for the next trial that comes our way.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for loving me enough to mold me
and make me into Your image; to transform me into the person
You want me to be so I can proceed with the plans You have for
me (plans established before I was born). Through You, I know
I can become a source of strength to others and become a guiding
light in this world of darkness. Help me to have the right attitude
whenever I am going through a trial, so I can be encouraged and
not become a victim of depression, anger or confusion with thoughts
of hopelessness.”

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