Faith and Patience

 

My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

-James 1:2-3

 

 Is this our reaction when we go thru a hard time in our life, counting it all joy despite what we are going thru? It isn't easy to be going thru something that is difficult in life but God never said that life would be easy. The more you go thru some of the tough things in life, the more your faith becomes stronger. The thing is though that you have to allow the tough things to make you stronger and not just bring you down and look at them as "bad" things that are happening to us. In my own experience I have had things come into my life which have caused me to lean on God more than ever before. Then the next time something comes into my life, I find it seems to be easier to lean on God and trust in Him  this time because He has proved Himself faithful to me. I think this is probably some of what James was saying here. Also what has helped me is looking at the bigger picture that the immediate trial. If I know that on the other side of what I am going thru I will be farther along in my Christian walk and closer to God that helps put things into focus. Also determine to learn from what you are going thru.

 

Then verse four:

But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

-James1:4

 

One definition of patience is "to be constant; steady perseverance". And perfect in this context means mature, not perfect as in doing no wrong. The testing of our faith should produce patience and thru that we become more steadfast and should become more mature in our faith. Then I love how the verse ends, "that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing". It seems that the more we live our lives for Christ and have faith in Him and trust him with the daily goings on in our lives the more we become like him. The more trials that come our way the stronger our faith should become and along with that the more patience we should have.  But most of all we must allow patience have her perfect work because by doing so then may we be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

 

So as you go thru this next week and face the trials and temptations that come your way, remember to look at them as a stepping stone in your spiritual journey and allow it to strengthen your faith.