Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.
James 1:2–3 NLT
The Greek philosopher Epictetus said, “Life is not what happens to you; it’s how you react to it that matters.” These profound words carry biblical truth. Yes, Jesus brings us hope and joy and peace, but He never said there wouldn’t be trouble. In fact, in John 16:33, as He says His good byes to the disciples, Jesus guarantees that we will have trouble. So often in life, our goal is to eliminate the problems completely. We look for ways to avoid troubles of any kind. We see troubles as inconvenient, a bump in the road, an obstacle preventing us from going where we want to go.
However, the author of James offers a different perspective. What would happen if we saw troubles—of any kind—as an opportunity for growth, rather than a roadblock? What if we responded eagerly to trouble, grateful for an opportunity to have our faith tested and our endurance grown?
When troubles come your way, don’t resist. Consider them joy, for you can be sure that growth is ahead.
Father, it’s difficult for me to thank You for my troubles, but I can say that I’m grateful for an opportunity to grow. Help me to respond appropriately to trouble and to squeeze every ounce of learning from it that I can. Amen.
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Today’s reading was adapted from Daily Wisdom for Women: 2016 Devotional Collection with permission from Barbour Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Reading was written by Joanna Bloss.