Rest in the Wrestleනියැදිය

DAY 3: THE PERSPECTIVE

How would you recommend that I consider a trial as a joyful opportunity for my endurance to grow? This is the question I hope to ask James, the brother of Jesus, one day. For me, it’s been one of the more difficult verses in the Bible to apply and execute. It’s like saying, “I can’t wait to run a marathon today and see what kind of endurance and stamina I can muster up.” Not a chance. However, I can appreciate the final sentence of James Chapter 1, verse 4. “When your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” That doesn’t sound half bad in the middle of a wrestling match with life. Maybe my perspective could use a facelift. Maybe there’s a better way to approach setbacks and discouragement. Again, James suggests that our endurance will, one day, be fully developed, and we will have all we need to make it through to the other side of our struggle. That might be easier said than done. Many times, many of us are so consumed by the toil and torment of adversity that we lose perspective. We forget that no struggle or hardship is new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

I can attest to the misguided energy required to over-analyze problems under a microscope. I understand what it’s like to feel trapped in the tunnel vision of a trying situation. To be overwhelmed by a circumstance and laser-focused on its negativity has been the rule in our culture rather than the exception. Magnifying the problem is a common reflex reaction we have all experienced. It usually builds a barrier and blinds us from focusing on our greater purpose. A balanced perspective keeps God’s bigger plan at the forefront, despite our most difficult challenges. Jesus had the power to prevent his arrest, imprisonment, torture, and crucifixion. He sweated blood in His most intense moment of prayer in the garden of Gethsemane, pleading to the Father to take this cup from Him. However, He accepted his fate and understood His bigger purpose on behalf of mankind. We must remain steadfast in our mission to reach more people and grow God’s Kingdom.

I can really get wrapped around the axle about insignificant matters that have no eternal implications. The lens through which I view my circumstances can be consumed by my wants and desires here and now. My eternal existence rarely enters my mind when all hell breaks loose in my life. Rarely are my decisions made from a long-term perspective, let alone an eternal one. We are best served to remember what matters and that little moments are all pieces to a greater puzzle. We can all learn a lesson from Joseph, who definitely heard from God and was convinced of his purpose. So convinced that he proclaimed to his brothers that they would all be submitted to his authority someday. You know the story. This didn’t work out well for Joseph in the beginning. Sold into slavery and, by all accounts, based on his current circumstance, separated from what he thought was God’s calling for his life. Years go by, and Joseph remained steadfast and faithful to the dream and his convictions of the Lord’s promise to use him mightily. After a life of slavery, bondage, and the recipient of accusatory slander, Joseph became the brains behind the operation that delivered the people from years of famine (Genesis 47). His ability to stay focused on the Lord’s direction and plan enabled Joseph to step into his destiny.

REST AREA

• Write 3 problems or worries you are experiencing and assess whether or not they have eternal ramifications or implications.