Consider it Pure Joy

Trials and Temptations

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds,3 because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.4 Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.5 If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.6 But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind.7 That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord;

8 he is a double‑minded man, unstable in all he does.

Those who know me, know how much this verse has haunted me over the years. Roughly 5 yrs. ago, our small group did a study of the book of James. I can’t say I remember much of the study other than this particular verse jumping off the page at me.  At the time, I was contemplating a career change and impending fatherhood. (The two don’t seem to go together, do they?)

I would love to say that I have everything in these verses all figured out. To say that would be untruthful. Here are just  a few things that I have learned:

- Being joyful doesn’t necessarily mean that things are going well. Amidst the problems this world brings, I AM joyful in the fact that I am a new man through Christ and that he is working through me to make me more like him everyday. I just have to be willing to let Him.

- Trials aren’t always what they seem. What seems like a big deal today is usually something that seems very small at a later point. Even when things seem their darkest, He has never left us and will not forsake us. This does not mean that life will be all rainbows and roses, it just means if we keep our eye on Him things will work for His glory. (Notice I didn’t say mine, but His, big difference.)

I know there is still much more for me to understand about this verse. I do know this though, when I am able to put my faith and trust in God, I can make it through the hard times.

Some Days are better than others

First off, I have to start out this post by saying Happy Birthday to my wonderful wife. You are definitely the better half of this marriage and have strengthened me in ways you could never imagine.

For those of you who know me and my family, you probably know of the job problems that have plagued my family over the last year and a half or so. Depending on the day you ask, I will tell you that I am at peace with where God has me. Today wasn’t necessarily one of those days.

The financial situation has really come to a head. We have basically wiped out the last of what is in our bank account and I am still having issues with unemployment and my 2nd extension. If you put all of this together,we have only managed to pull in a little under 200 dollars in the last 3 weeks. As you can imagine, this is much less than is needed to take care of a family of four.

I know that God has been stretching my throughout this situation and He has definitely been with my family thus far. Sometimes its just a bit much for a man like me. Someone who wants to be in control of all situations.

For the time being, I will rest on this verse from Matthew:

²⁵“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life^[b]?

²⁸“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ ³²For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Till next time……

Learning to follow God

It’s so easy to start the day off on the wrong foot. I know I’m in trouble if I haven’t started my day off with God. As much as I know this to be true, more times than not I end up starting my day doing my thing.

Today was one of those days. I woke up this morning with a headache to beat the band. I got up and decided to put on a pot of coffee so I could sit down and get my day started.  As I was doing this, I remembered that we were out of coffee cream.  At this point, I decided it was best to get back in bed and pull the covers over my head.  Needless to say, when I awoke 1/2 an hour later I was not in the best of moods. This gave the enemy the perfect chance to speak to me and I was more than willing to buy into what he was feeding me.

Next thing I know it, the pity party has started. I am going over in my head all the things that have gone wrong in my life in the last couple of years.  Then the list started: I must be a failure because of the fact I can’t get a job. This means that I am not a good provider for my family (can you see where I am going here?).

Enter a good friend via IM (instant messaging for you non-techies). This is a person that I have given permission to speak into my life.  I also know that when he asks “How are you doing?”, he expects an honest answer.

So when he asks the question, I pause for a moment and then tell him “not so good today, things are rough”. Then comes the dreaded question. “Have you had quiet time with God today? “. Busted…. ummm…. no… been kinda busy feeling sorry for myself, guess I should get to it.

I am thankful for friends who set me straight. By the way, the day got much better from that point on.