Taken From James 1:1-4 ESV
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James 1:1-4 ESV
1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus
Christ,
To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion:
Greetings.
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when
you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for
you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that
you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
James
1:1-4 ESV
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I, Jerry Grugin, a sinner and a commoner, a fallen creature,
a person who fails often, one who strives for betterment by longing for new
knowledge in Christ, one who seeks the integration of Christianity with all
endeavors, a man wishing to transmit a message of application, one who seeks to
be an angled mirror to reflect God's character out into the world, and a humble
servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,
To all people, especially the youth, struggling with fear,
anger, resentment, and a sense of hopelessness, and especially to those who are
oppressed, victimized, or discriminated against, and to those who cannot
advocate for themselves,
Hello to all,
When things happen in this world which test your faith, or
when things happen that anger you or hurt you, do not let these things get you
down. Be joyful when these things happen
because you know that these things are only temporary. If you are a cashier at Wal-Mart and a customer
curses you or says derogatory comments, ignore the person and be joyful in the
Lord. This kind of thing will not happen
in heaven. If you fall and break your
arm or leg, even though you may curse, keep in mind that these kinds of things
will not happen in heaven. Be joyful in
the Lord. If you are a student who has
studied and you are confident that you will get an "A," only to
receive a "B" or even a "C," be joyful in the Lord. If you crash your car and total it out, be
joyful in the Lord. After all, you are
still alive and life is a gift from God.
Things can be replaced, but people cannot. If a family member angers you by speaking
against you, realize that these things must happen on this earth. In this world, even families speak against each
other. These things will not happen in
heaven. If someone posts a hurtful
Facebook response to your post, then do not reply in anger for all to see. If your boss seems to have it out for you,
say a prayer to the Lord and be joyful.
It is temporary situation on earth.
If you are a youth and are being bullied at school or anywhere else,
ignore the bully if you can and let a person of authority like a parent or
teacher know about the bullying. Do not
let the bullying get you down. You can
stop the bullying and it is only temporary.
The bullying says much more about the person who is bullying than it
does about the person being bullied. These
kinds of things will not happen in heaven.
Further, these kinds of things will be unimportant or non existent in
heaven. The things which test our faith
are only temporary. On this earth, the
testing of our faith does not last long.
In heaven, our faith will not be tested.
So, look forward to things that are not of this world. This world passes by quickly, but heaven
lasts forever. Look up, praise the Lord,
and be joyful in the Lord.
Remember, we will all have trouble in this world. This is fact.
We cannot escape trouble. Trouble
will find us. When it does, though, you
have to go along with the process in order to learn. Be joyful in the Lord, though, and remember
that in times of trouble which test your faith, you can be a reflection of
God's character. You can maintain a positive
attitude and be the better for it. You
can be the one that people notice because of your good actions. You can be the standout. A good standout which reflects God's
character can be the shining light on a hill, helping to spread God's Kingdom
here on this earth. You can be a light
in the darkness, one that spreads a joyful message of Jesus Christ. So, the testing of your faith is good. It makes you a better person.
Remember, if you make a mistake while your faith is being
tested, do not use that as an excuse to continue the mistakes. Pick up and go on with your life and do not
repeat the mistake you made while your faith was being tested. Be joyful in the Lord that you have learned
from your mistake. Even Christians sin
and make mistakes.
If you are not a Christian, and you want to become one, and
if you want to change your life, you can do so today. Sit down, close your eyes and ask Jesus to
come into your heart and forgive you for your mistakes. There is nothing in this world that you have
done for which Christ Jesus will not forgive.
Remember, you will still make mistakes as a Christian. You will still sin against God. It is the only way to learn and to become
more perfect and complete. You will
never reach perfection, but you can strive for it. This process is how we human beings
learn. When you do fail, be patient with
yourself. Sometimes, learning is a
process that takes a very long time.
