Perseverance to Trust
To fully understand this verse we must look at it within context:
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. James 1:2-4
Many are familiar with this passage, but do we really understand it? How can we consider facing trials, of any kind, a joy; let alone pure joy? Because we know the one who walk with us through the trial. We also know that He has gone before us in this trial and knows the outcome, no matter how we respond. The best way to respond though is with joy.
Are we to think that while we go through these trials we need to act like it's all sunshine and roses? Not at all. The difference between happiness and joy is that joy can be presence in the midst of anguish, while happiness largely depends on circumstances. True joy is a quality of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:23-24) and cannot be present without the spirit. Isaiah 61 promises that the Lord will take our garment of despair and replace it with a garment of joy. What a promise to hold on to!
Now, why we can consider trials joy is because we know what they will produce. James goes on to tell us that the testing of the faith produces perseverance. When we persevere, we know we will be mature and complete, not lacking anything. There is nothing more rewarding than persevering through a trial, being faithful to the Lord and His promises and His ways and knowing that through Him we have overcome and can now face the next trial with a greater faith.
That is how faith grows, and faith builds trust. 🎶 "Tis' so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His word...." 🎶 Think about your work with your horse. Every time you work with your horse you are training it, and you are training it to either trust you, or not to trust you. This is where most of the problems with a horse come from, lack of trust. When they don't trust you, they will not see you as your leader. As a trainer I have to teach the horse to trust and respect me. I do it little by little, and before you know it, I have a horse that will do just about anything I ask. Sometimes I have to work through past baggage, but if I am diligent and go about it smartly, we can work through it.
Ask yourself, if you struggle following God's ways, is it because of a lack of trust? If you don't trust the Lord, ask yourself why? Remember, it's never the Lord that let's us down, it's always people. Also, we can't ask Him to work things out like we think, for His ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are above our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8). It would be just as ridiculous for the horse to ask us to go long with them while they enjoy their life how they want to live it, which is not very exiticing. No, we ask the horse to submit to our leadership, to trust us, and to follow us. The horse may not like it, but that doesn't mean we don't love and care for the horse. It's the same with us. For the Lord works all things for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).
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