Patience and a Good Attitude

JAMES 1:1-4

James, A servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes scattered abroad [among the Gentiles in the dispersion]: Greetings (rejoice)!

Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations.

Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience.

But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing. Amplified Translation

We will start with the original Greek.

Joyful - chara (khar-ah'): cheerfulness, calm delight, exceeding joy.

Temptations - peirasmos (pi-ras-mos'): a putting to proof, provocation, adversity, try.

Proving - dokimion (dok-im'-ee-on): a testing, trial, trustworthiness.

Bring Out - katergazomai (kat-er-gad'-zom-ahee): to work fully, accomplish, to finish.

Patience (both verses) hupomone (hoop-om-on-ay): cheerful endurance, constancy.

I think these verses are very interesting. Two things stood out the most for me.

First, in order to get the fruit of patience we must go through trials. The trials are what make us strong and help us to learn patience. The trials are like a training ground. You don't just get patience. You must earn it through experience and endurance.

Second, not only do we have to go through the trials, but we must be calm and have a cheerful enduring attitude. As if the trial itself wasn't enough. LOL.

I don't know too many people that get excited over trials. The first thing that most of us do is ask God to take the trial away. Then we ask Him for patience. That is too funny. I think God has the best sense of humor. He truly is an AWESOME GOD!

What I believe James is trying to explain to us is that in this world we will have trials. There is no way out of it. It is part of life. I guess you can thank Adam and Eve for it. It is just the way it is. James is telling us that even though we must go through these trials, our Wonderful and Mighty God threw in a benefit.

The benefit is that when we go through these trials calmly, with a good attitude, and stand strong in our faith, we will become fully developed and lack nothing. Can you imagine lacking nothing?

I believe that this means we will be so focused on the victory, and the more we find joy in the midst of the trials, they will eventually have no affect on us. That is truly a wonderful gift. To get to a point in your walk that your emotions do not run amuck every time something goes wrong in your life. To get to a place where you have a calmness, and are cheerfully enduring.

That is my goal. I want that kind of faith. I want to lose the emotional upheaval and gain the victorious calm.

Let's Pray,

Daddy God, I come before you with a thankful heart. I am so very thankful that even though I must endure trials and suffering in this life, You have made ways for me to find joy and peace in the midst. You love me so much that You made a way for me to be free of the emotional burden of trials. Lord, I ask that You help me to calmly endure the troubles that I am facing and will face. I ask that You help me to have a good attitude, and remember that it is only for a season and one day I will sit at your feet and never hurt again. I love You, Lord. I love You. Thank You. In Jesus Mighty Name, Amen.

In His Love and Service,
Lara ;)