Pastor Barry's  "Chapter & Verse"  Day 8

January 8;      James 1:4;       217/260(III);        ‘Perfect and Complete’

James 1:4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

Verses 2-4 seem like they are the opposite things that you would ever want.  Why should we be glad when we experience various trials?  Verse 3 tells us that trials produce patience.  Patience means cheerful endurance.  In other words, we are to be cheerful when challenges come our way.  Could the Lord be a masochist?  Not at all, here is what these verses mean.  First of all the Lord does not bring trials your way.  Jesus told us that in the world we will have tribulation, but we could be of good cheer because He has overcome the world (John 16:33).  The sin of Adam cursed the earth.  The trials we face, we face simply because this earth is cursed and crummy stuff happens.  The very trials we seek to avoid, if handled in a biblical manner, will mature us so that we can face any circumstance and come out stronger.  If every time I face a trial, I become frustrated and complain to the Lord saying, “why me?”  If I do this I never grow spiritually.  If on the other hand, I face each trial ‘cheerfully’ knowing that the Lord Jesus has already overcome the challenge I face, what the devil or this fallen world does to discourage me, will turn into an opportunity for me to mature spiritually.  It is not what happens to me that counts, it is what happens in me that will turn a trial into a maturing event.  The Lord created us to be strong and free so that we could do His work.  If we face trials cheerfully, knowing we won, the Lord can use us mightily.