Trial… That’s a word most of us would like to avoid. Trials aren’t fun, yet look what James advises: count it all joy. If you stopped there, you’d think James needed to have his head examined. But when you read on, you understand. When we face trials, we have an opportunity to lean into Jesus’ strength. When we lean into His strength, our faith is bolstered. The greater our faith, the greater our patience in times of trial. So the next time hardship strikes, ask Jesus for the strength to endure, and choose to focus on what you will gain: a deeper faith and greater patience. Those are both desirable traits.
You May Also Like
A marvelous cycle
Teaching means to give instruction, instill doctrine, or explain or expound on something. To make disciples but fail to give practical instruction on what it means to be a disciple doesn’t make a great deal of sense. We often speak of evangelism and discipleship as separate functions but, honestly, the…
Hymn day: “I Love to Tell the Story”
“I Love to Tell the Story” by A. Kate Hankey was my mom’s absolute favorite hymn. She sang it on her deathbed. I sure hope you’ve heard the story of Jesus and His love, and I hope you’re sharing it with others. I love to tell the story of unseen…
Spread the Good News
Once Jesus established His authority, he gave a direct command to those who followed Him: make disciples of all nations. In this case, “make” doesn’t mean strong-arm or compel. No one can be forced into Christianity; believing is a choice made by the individual. But believers are to teach other…