Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4
I don't like tests. I have trouble passing them. Why did God decide it takes trials to grow my faith? David Nasser said, "Tests force us to apply what we learn, or to realize we haven't learned enough." Tests reveal what we know and what we believe. Pain produces character in our lives.
What helps us is the understanding that we live for the next life, not this one. Forward thinking. My head is sometimes so wrapped around this world that my focus is not forward.
I am not afraid to die and I know to be absent from this life is to be present with Christ. But, to count it all joy in the midst of testing, that only happens with a heaven mindset. When trials come as they surely will, I pray I can face them with this kind of Godly perspective.
1 comment:
Thanks for the great reminder, Lori. It's a joy working with you and it's a joy reading your blog. Mark
Post a Comment