Messages

Blog entries

About Me

My photo
I want to grow as a leader, and I want to help others grow. Sharing my thoughts on leadership is intended to help us grow together into all God wants for us. I hope you enjoy my blog.

Followers

Monday, September 20, 2010

Bearing Fruit Through Trials

James tells us, "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." It is essential that we have an attitude of joy when we are going through trials. This may seem too difficult, but consider the alternative, an attitude of complaining, and anger, and bitterness. These things lead us on a downward spiral that steals and kills and destroys everything God wants to do in our lives. Through trials, God wants us to develop patience, which is the ability to persevere and endure through hardships. God wants us to not only have patience, but to have fully developed patience. That is the kind of patience that can go through any trial, and still be found lacking nothing. This person will not be lacking any faith, hope, joy, or strength, though they have endured great hardship. Perhaps patience is the character quality that we need the most in our lives. We must have faith, but faith without patience will not be able to endure. Patience is necessary in the life of the farmer, James 5:7,8. The seed brings forth fruit with patience, Luke 8:15. The runner must run with patience in order to win the race, Heb. 12:1-3. Through faith and patience the heroes of faith inherited promises, Heb. 6:12. In fact, even the gifts that God places in our lives can only be sustained with patience. A very gifted person, without any patience, can do great damage. The character of patience is what holds up the gifts. The gifts can not operate very long without the character to hold them up. The gifts are things we can see and watch with our eyes. Character is what we can't see, which is below the surface, holding up the gifts. It is our response through trials, that will determine what kind of people we become. Let us serve God, not only when things are going good, but especially when things are difficult. That is where we will develop the character of Christ in our lives.

No comments:

Post a Comment