Rejoicing Through Trials: God's Shaping Purpose

Going to be a short week with the Holiday yesterday and I hope everyone took a minute to reflect on the sacrifice of our fallen men and women of the armed services. Heroes indeed. So over the weekend Valerie was telling me about a friend who was going trough some tough times. Specifically, her brother passed away due to a heart attack at a fairly young age. While I certainly feel empathy I couldn’t help but reflect on the fact the If you live long enough in this world, you will inevitably go through some kind of suffering. But as Christians, you can take comfort in the fact that it is not pointless; God is shaping and pruning you all the while.“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”James 1:2-4 You see, James doesn’t invite us to rejoice because of these hard times so much as during them. Dig?It’s not the trials themselves that are good; it’s the Christian character they produce. Being mature and complete, being someone who loves, rejoices in, and trusts Jesus till the end is absolutely worth going through the trials!If you’re going through a difficult time right now, however difficult, know that His Spirit is working in you to present you blameless and joyful before the throne of Christ. You are not abandoned. You are not alone. In all things, through all circumstances, God is molding, shaping and perfecting you. You lack nothing. Be Nice, Grace wins.