Episode 356
Finding Joy in Trials Through Faith and Perseverance
"When we persevere, when we push forward, when we keep going, it matures our faith. It strengthens our resolve and we lack for nothing."- Wesleyne
Word of the Day
James 1:2-4
"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."
Summary
In this episode, we delve into the profound message of finding joy in trials as highlighted in James 1:2-4. God commands us to consider it pure joy when we face various trials because these challenges test our faith and produce perseverance. Through perseverance, our faith matures, making us complete and lacking nothing. Instead of succumbing to the pain and sadness of trials, we are encouraged to seek the lessons God wants us to learn. By asking God what He wants us to understand and remaining steadfast in our faith, we can emerge from our trials stronger and more faithful.
Takeaways
- When feeling defeated, remember that God is not a God of defeat.
- Negative emotions are tools of the enemy and should not be embraced.
- Letting go of control and surrendering to God allows Him to work in our lives.
- Fully surrendering to God means taking our hands off the situation and trusting Him completely.
- Continually release worries and anxieties to God, trusting that He will take care of them.
Chapters
Transcript
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds. James 1 verses 2. Pure joy? When I face trials? What exactly is happening here? Are you telling me God wants me to find joy in my trials? Every single trial that I have?
That doesn't sound like that's something that I want to do. As human beings, we typically run away from trials. We typically find the pain, the sadness, the heartache. But right here, God is commanding us to find the joy, considerate joy when we're going through trials. And why? Why do we consider it joy?
The next verse, verse three says, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. So when our faith is tested.
We persevere more, we push more. So those trials that we're facing, those trials aren't just because we're not a good person or we're not walking along right with God. Those trials, those tests are a testing of how faithful we are, a testing of how much we lean to God.
versus leaning to our own comforts of the world, attesting of how much we lean on our own understanding versus having the faith to really ask God, what do you want me to learn from this trial? How do you want me to get out of this place that I'm currently in?
Wesleyne (:And verse four states, let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. So when we persevere, when we push forward, when we keep going, it matures our faith. It strengthens our resolve and we lack for nothing. Not one thing will we lack for. So as we are going through those deep,
trials and tribulations and pains. God wants us to shift our perspective and not have the woe is me. This is so hard. I'm so broken. He wants us to grieve whatever we're going through, but he also wants us to find the joy in it. I have learned to start saying, Lord, what is the lesson that you are trying to teach me?
in this trial. What are you trying to humble me to understand? What is the thing that I need to learn? And he doesn't say give up. He doesn't say lean on your own understanding or another person. He says persevere. So you keep fighting. You keep working through whatever trial, whatever tribulation that you are facing.
because you are going to come out on the other side more mature and more complete. And if I sit back and I think about all of the trials that I've experienced just in the past few weeks, I can see the lessons that God was trying to teach me. I can see how my perseverance, my not giving up, not taking the easy way out, strengthen my faith and my resolve for God.
So as we go through our trials, as we go through our difficulties, our job is to persevere. Don't give up and allow our faith to take us through whatever the trial may be. Be blessed today.
