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 NIV
Trials are never fun. Nor are they pain-free. But they’re still necessary.
When people speak of trials, they might mean anything from sleep deprivation to the loss of a loved one—or anything in between. How can we “consider it pure joy” when we face such trials? It’s not the trial itself that we celebrate, but the personal growth and expansion of our faith that can lead to joy. Unfortunately, our attitude in the midst of the trial often leaves us empty and hurting.
Trials don’t get easier from one to the next. But when we get through one—battered but not broken—we can look back to see growth and strength, which we can take into the next. We have become better equipped to face the next trial with perseverance, comfort, and hope. And we can walk straight ahead, knowing that in the end we will be mature and complete, lacking absolutely nothing in Christ Jesus.
Abba Father, I know You go with me through these trials. I know that any perseverance or strength I have is only because of You and Your faithfulness to me. Help me to find joy through trials and to remember the purpose of them—that I may not lack any good thing.
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Today’s reading was adapted from Daily Wisdom for Women: 2013 Devotional Collection with permission from Barbour Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reading was written by Kimm Reid-Matchett.