now thats the truth Bill, learning to listen instead of just flapping the gums is one of my most painful flaws ! I heard an old country preacher say one time " it only takes two years for a child to learn how to talk , and the rest of his life to learn to shut up!"
He followed it up with something even funnier regarding a donkey , but he used the old English word.
I wonder if the start of a solution (about finding the joy in trial ) is found in verse 5 where it says , "if any of you lack wisdom he should ask God , who gives generously to all without finding fault , and it will be given him."
Yesterday I kind of tried this at work , granted it was not exactly a huge trial but there was this thing that always happens there that always makes me bitter , so this time instead of spouting off to my brother , I prayed that God would give me wisdom in the situation and calm my sinful heart. I can't say I wasn't angry but my perspective was sure different ... hey maybe its a start.
Thanks for your thoughts Dave.
ReplyDeleteAs I have told you, you are wiser than you want to acknowledge.
(Warning: LONG....)
ReplyDeleteHey y'all,
Boy is this ever relevant in my life right now. The past few days at work have been immensely stressful, and I wish I could say that I have dealt with it in a Godly manner, but I haven't. Well, I did on Tuesday, but yesterday and today I have failed miserably...to the point where all of those condemning voices and pointing fingers inside are crying out "hypocrite! hypocrite!" I've growled, let unsanctified speech come out of my mouth, snapped, and instead of taking a spirit-feeding prayer walk, I took a eat-crud break, I took a feed-the-flesh-crud-food-break, cramming 550 empty calories worth of junk into my body in 10 minutes. Yeah, I definitely did not win the battle today.
And you know what? As I'm going about sinning, inside my regenerated spirit is trying to tell my stubborn flesh, "Praise HIM! Trust HIM! It's not the end of the world!" But, this time, I didn't listen and indulged in all of those deeds of the flesh.
*sigh*
As I read chapter one right now, Verse 4 stands out to me "...so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." Seems to me that if we are being tested in a certain area, maybe it's because we are lacking in that area, and that God is trying to mature us. I suppose in that way, we can give thanks to Him and count it joy, because he only disciplines those that he loves, and he wants us to grow into the full measure of godliness.
And Dave, I think you hit the nail on the head with asking for wisdom (verse 5). I know when I did that on Tuseday at work, I certainly could feel the Shalom (peace/rest) of God descend upon my life, instead of this madness that I faced today. Instead I was tossed about like a wave on the sea (v. 6).
To answer Missy's question of what does it look like to "count it all joy", a few thoughts come to mind:
• to remind ourselves that if we persevere and overcome (overcome is a theme throughout the book of Revelation), we will receive the crown of life promised to those who love God (v. 12). We can continually remind ourselves that our trials are not for nothing...that if we allow God to use them for His glory, we will receive reward in the age to come. I know keeping my eyes looking towards the City whose builder and maker is God (Heb. 11:16) makes this life seem so trivial in comparison. So what if I screwed up the billing worksheet at work? Moreover, trials and persecutions only remind us of the fact that we are strangers and aliens here...longing to be clothed in righteousness and immortality.
• I think about Philippians 3:4-9 (The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which trancends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praiseworthy...think on these things). An example: it took the words of my boss today to remind me that things are not so bad afterall...that unlike poor old Job, I still have family and friends who love me. So, an unbeliever had to remind me that there were still lovely, admirable things that I could have been thinking of, rather than growling about the things that were not going well. The beginning of that passage reminds us that God is near, and so do the Psalms confirm that God is near to all that call upon Him in truth (reminding Him of His word, for example), He is near to the broken hearted and crushed in Spirit, a bruised reed or a smouldering wick He will not snuff out. So we can count it joy in our trials knowing that He is ever near us, desiring to strengthen us and grow us into higher realms of maturity in Him.