Saturday 1st September 2018
'So that you will be completely mature and not lacking in anything.' James 1:4 CEV
James writes: 'Be glad, even if you have a lot of trouble. You know that you learn to endure by having your faith tested. But you must learn to endure everything, so that you will be completely mature and not lacking in anything' (James 1:2-4 CEV). Trouble isn't usually something we're glad to have. We try and avoid it, or pray for it to end quickly. When life brings us to a low, we can become low and get tired waiting for the trouble to pass. Often we question God's goodness and nearness, and ask him, 'Why'? James tells us that through tough times we gain endurance and spiritual maturity.
And, Romans 5:3-4 (TLB) tells us: 'We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they... help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady.' Tough times require us to really trust God for support. We realise that God has the best solution.
We may not get answers to our, 'Why', but what we will get, if we ask and genuinely want God's answer, is a 'How'. God will show us how he can use the situation we're in to develop us into who he's created us to be.
So what now? Next time you're tempted to ask God, 'Why?', ask him, 'How?' instead.
'So that you will be completely mature and not lacking in anything.' James 1:4 CEV
James writes: 'Be glad, even if you have a lot of trouble. You know that you learn to endure by having your faith tested. But you must learn to endure everything, so that you will be completely mature and not lacking in anything' (James 1:2-4 CEV). Trouble isn't usually something we're glad to have. We try and avoid it, or pray for it to end quickly. When life brings us to a low, we can become low and get tired waiting for the trouble to pass. Often we question God's goodness and nearness, and ask him, 'Why'? James tells us that through tough times we gain endurance and spiritual maturity.
And, Romans 5:3-4 (TLB) tells us: 'We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they... help us learn to be patient. And patience develops strength of character in us and helps us trust God more each time we use it until finally our hope and faith are strong and steady.' Tough times require us to really trust God for support. We realise that God has the best solution.
We may not get answers to our, 'Why', but what we will get, if we ask and genuinely want God's answer, is a 'How'. God will show us how he can use the situation we're in to develop us into who he's created us to be.
So what now? Next time you're tempted to ask God, 'Why?', ask him, 'How?' instead.