Do you understand your situation? Have you ever asked, “Why does God allow this to happen to me, I am a good person?” I have. Do you think you are being blessed by God when things are going well? How about when things are going terribly, do you think God isn’t blessing you? For many years I struggled with these questions. I believed that God was blessing me when I was having good times but not when I had bad times. I was wrong. Let me tell you what I have learned.
Often when things were not going the way I wanted them to go I would ask God why He was allowing bad things to happen to me, in a sense blaming God for the situation. Sometimes I do not blame God but I ask, “Why doesn’t God fix this situation?” I am not really blaming God but I am wanting God to make my situation the way I want it to be and not thinking how God might have a greater plan.
So, am I asking the wrong question when I am having difficulties? Should I be asking, “What is God trying to do for me in this difficulty? James 1:2-4 says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (ESV) I see a great deal of wisdom from James. He starts out and tells us to count, some translations use consider. These words imply that I am to logically evaluate what is going on at the time of our trial and to be joyful. Wait a minute did James say, I am supposed to be joyful during a trial? But I am not I am sometimes angry, disappointed, argumentative, hurting, anguishing, defiant, discouraged, depressed, hopeless, or all of the above and maybe other emotions.
It is important also that I notice that James does not say that I am being tested but rather my faith is being tested. I do not know about you but in these types of situations I do not feel like my faith is being tested but rather I am the one being tested. However, it is not about what I feel in the moment but rather what does God’s Word tell me is true
Thankfully, James does not stop there. He gives me a reason to be joyful. He tells me God uses my circumstances for my benefit. And as I endure my trials that these trials will produce steadfastness in me. So, in other words, trials hone me. They make me stronger. They teach me endurance. In my case my trials drew me back into a closer fellowship with God.
James continues to tell me if I let steadfastness have its full affect. I will be perfect, complete, and lacking in nothing. I do not know about you but I would really like to be perfect, complete, and lacking in nothing. Knowing however, it is impossible for me to achieve any of those things here on earth. I do understand that because I am in Christ, I am a new creation and God sees me as all of those things. I have a hope that when I am in heaven with Jesus that I will be all of those things. However, if you do not know Jesus you must first accept Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord and you too will be a new creation.
I pray you will you join me in asking, “What is God trying to perfect in me?” In doing so, I believe we will have hope and joy in the midst of our everyday trials whether they are tiny or gigantic. Understanding that the holiness of Jesus Christ allows us to access eternal life, “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” John 17:3 (ESV) This will allow us to have hope. At the same time understanding that you will live eternally knowing the only true God and Jesus Christ and this is what brings the greatest hope all because of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross satisfying the penalty for sins. His payment satisfies all my sins from the past, the present and in the future. My penalty and yours was satisfied on the cross by the death of Jesus, God’s greatest act of love and wrath, who became sin for me and you. It was also God’s greatest act of faithfulness because “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8 (ESV) Because holiness shows us, we need to believe in Jesus. I hope that you join me in helping others to choose Jesus.
If you have not read my previous blogs, you can find them here.
You can find my book, Hope Amid Hopelessness: Our Abba Father Provides a Way Through Mental Illness here.
eBook or Audiobook versions can be found at Westbow Press or Christianbook.com at Amazon or Google.
