LIVING HOPE - Reading With the People of God: Part 18ಮಾದರಿ

Trials and Lessons

I love James 1. He has so much to say and it really speaks into how we live our lives as Christians.

He says in Verse 2-3 to “Count it all Joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds. For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness” (ESV). My mind goes straight to Joseph; God puts him through these trials, not to punish him, but to teach him. He is made a slave, put in charge of manning a household, then a prison, and finally in charge of all the land of Egypt! God puts us through trials to teach us what He needs us to learn. I love working with kids, but if I hadn’t been given the opportunity to learn and fail, and learn and fail, while first starting, I would have given up. It was through God’s grace and the people around me that I was able to push through and learn what God was trying to teach me.

He also talks about this idea of not just hearing but doing, it is so easy to acknowledge that idea without actually practicing that idea. I mean, how often do we gossip, or fight with each other? How often do we lie, or sin, or fall short on our promises? Not to say that we ever could accomplish never doing any of those things. But God calls us to be examples of Christ, and if we are reading our bibles and digging into His word, how can we read it and then set aside the stuff He wants us to be showing to others? We aren’t called to be perfect, but we are called to show others the love of Jesus Christ.

So choose love and remember that “even though you walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for you are with me, your rod and your staff they comfort me”(Psalm 23:4 ESV).

Primer contributed by Andrew Simon, youth director, member of Cornerstone Community Church of Chowchilla.