As Christians we don’t close our eyes to reality and blindly endure trials refusing to give in to our desires for absolutely no good reason. Instead we refuse to listen to our evil desires and choose to trust God because we are convinced of certain truths about Him. We know God and that changes everything. To get a little more specific, we know God is all good all the time no matter what. James explains, “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights…” If you have something good and perfect … Continue reading James on Trials part eleven

I recently read an interesting article concerning a young scientist in Idaho. “It’s rare that a junior high school science fair project can be deemed newsworthy, but in Nathan Zohner’s case, we’re willing to make an exception. Zohner, 14, was a freshman at Eagle Rock Junior High in Idaho last April when he won top prize at the Greater Idaho Falls Science Fair. His project consisted of two parts. First, he explained the scientifically proven dangers of dihydrogen monoxide: It can cause excessive sweating and vomiting; It is a major component of acid rain; It causes severe burns when in … Continue reading James on Trials part ten

It’s good to endure trials because of what God will do for those who endure. It’s good to endure because when your trials come to an end, God will reward you, if you have persevered. You will receive a crown of life. Just knowing that our trials are going to have an end helps us endure. Whenever you are in a trial, you need to remember this is only for a short while. Your trial won’t last forever. That thought helped me make it through so many basketball practices growing up, “I won’t have to be running these laps forever. … Continue reading James on Trials part nine

It’s good to endure trials because of what God is doing in those who endure God uses trials help us become more holy. As believers we can rest assured that every single trial that comes into our life has a purpose: to make us more like Jesus. I like how the writer of Hebrews puts it, “…but he disciplines us for our good, that we might share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful but sorrowful, yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” (Hebrews 12:10,11) … Continue reading James on Trials part eight

Sometimes preachers make it sound like if you choose to follow Christ your life will suddenly become easy. When they say things like that, I’m never sure what Bible they are reading because if there’s one thing God’s Word makes crystal clear it’s that life is anything but easy. The apostle James certainly doesn’t pull any punches. He writes, “Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial…” which implies that we will experience trials. And trials by definition are painful. If they weren’t painful, they wouldn’t be a trial. When we experience pain, we often react by becoming bitter and … Continue reading James on trials part seven