How Should I Respond to Trials?
Notes
Transcript
2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Life! Life comes with many challenges. Every now and again, we just need a simple reminder of how to respond to the trials of life. Particularly a response that we can benefit from and demonstrates we’re blessed.
Servants of the Lord (Who?)
James, the brother of the Lord, calls them MY brothers
Count it joy (What?) (1st response)
Joy - To have joy because of God’s grace (verb - rejoice)
App: Must have an awareness of God’s grace
Count - Careful thought. The leading thought. Also a once and for all decision!!
App: Challenge your first and meditative thoughts
Trials hit (When?)
I just happened to trip into multiple (many and various) troubling life experiences.
App: This means WHEN these things happen, you and I must actively think about it in the light of God’s grace!!
These trials are approving my faith (Why?) (Purposeful)
The knowing is tied to the counting.
The result is endurance
App: Why am looking at this in terms of joy. I understand the grand scheme!
Let Endurance complete its Work (2nd response)
Endurance production is a complete process that we need to allow to finish. It is an ongoing action (vs the one time of count)!!
How do I let endurance finish?
Don’t let your tests convert to temptation to sin! (James 1:13-15 “13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. 15 Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.” )
Avoid responding in anger! (James 1:19-20 “19 This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God.” )
Receive the word and do what it says! (James 1:21-22)
Control what you say! (James 1:26)
Why do I let endurance finish?
So I can reach spiritual goals and not half stepping.
App: Say, I don’t want to be spiritually inferior.
Ultimately - James 1:12 “12 Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.”
Conclusion: Has anybody fallen into some stuff this week. Not all the same. Just different things that bring frustration and anxiety. There’s a way, governed by Christ, to respond that’s beneficial and blessed.