Whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy!
Several months ago, I found this particular phrasing of James 1:2 quite profound. I was familiar with the verse, but it was spoken in a new way. I cannot remember if I read this in a Bible translation (I couldn't find it any translation when I looked later), if it was someone else's paraphrase, or if this is how God formed the words in my head as I read it, but I love the gentle reminder that trouble doesn't have to be earth-shattering--we can choose to see it through a different light.
I don't know about you, but I know I have difficulty getting my feelings to change when they're negative. Like when I ask our boys to do something and it becomes a battle and I get frustrated. It's hard for me to say, "It's alright. Let's just move on," and mean it. Sometimes I do say something like that and although I'm not feeling it, my actions eventually change my attitude.
A few years back, while still in youth ministry, my husband came to a profound realization: If we expect that bad things may happen, we're not quite so surprised when they do and we can deal with them in a healthier way. I'm NOT saying we should live in fear that bad things will "certainly" happen to us. It worked out like this...We leave for a youth trip with 50 high schoolers, so we prep ourselves by saying, "You know what, someone may get hurt, a couple may break up, one (or more) of our kids may choose to break our rules, BUT we'll deal with each scenario as it comes and we'll still have a great trip!" It was more of an attitude shift--instead of allowing one or two incidents to ruin our trip in our own minds, we were choosing to enjoy the trip, even with its hiccups.
Many of us can look around and see how we are facing trials of various kinds (and to various degrees). May we choose joy in each trial and allow ourselves to be teachable as each scenario allows us to learn something more about our God, His children and ourselves.
Audrey, Ohio
James 1:2-4 ESV
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.
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