“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face
trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops
perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and
complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4).
A building block in a Christian’s DNA is trials and
hardships. However, as James explains, there is a purpose—maturity and
perfection or completion.
One of my favorite Bible stories is Joseph. Joseph’s life
started out well—he was his father’s favorite, and received dreams from God of
his eleven brothers and even his parents bowing down to him. However, his dream
life quickly turned into a nightmare.
Joseph’s brothers were jealous of their father’s favoritism
and these dreams of superiority. So, one day, one day when Joseph went to check
on them as they were working in the field, they beat him up, stole his coat,
and sold him to be a slave in Egypt. His troubles continued in Egypt, there, he
was enslaved, falsely accused and imprisoned. He was abandoned and forgotten by
those he helped.
However, not everything that happened to him was bad. God’s
hand was on Joseph while he served as a slave and in prison and “the Lord
caused all that he did to prosper in his hand” (Gen. 39:3). And eventually he
was elevated to second in command of the most powerful nation in the world at
that time, Egypt. And the dreams that he had had years ago came true.
Through ALL of these experiences, God was accomplishing
maturity and perfection in Joseph’s life. And Joseph was able to come to terms
with this fact (see Gen. 45:5-8). Even though Joseph’s brothers had intended on
harming him, and he encountered numerous hardships by no fault of his own, God
was able to accomplish the saving of Joseph’s family from famine (Gen. 50:20).
God is working the same in our lives as Christians; He
takes the building blocks of our trials to accomplish His purpose of maturity
in our walk with the Lord (Rom. 8:28).
Corrie ten Boom explained this process of maturity well:
“My life is but a weaving between my God and me. I cannot choose the colors He
weaveth steadily. Oft’ times He weaveth sorrow; and I in foolish pride forget
He sees the upper, And I the underside. Not ’til the loom is silent and the
shuttles cease to fly will God unroll the canvas, And reveal the reason why.
The dark threads are as needful in the weaver’s skillful hand as the threads of
gold and silver in the pattern He has planned. He knows, He loves, He cares;
nothing this truth can dim. He gives the very best to those, Who leave the
choice to Him.”
Ravi Zachrias said, “Accepting and celebrating the thread
of your own personality is the first grasp of the Grand Weaver’s design in your
life. You are not a number. He knows you by name. Every stage of the process
may not look picturesque, but every detail will come into focus and possess its
share of beauty (The Grand Weaver). Thus, as you go through various
trials, be encouraged that God is weaving maturity into your life and quite
possibly the salvation of those around you.
In His service,
Matt
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