James 1:2-4 – “Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
I was recently sharing a testimony with a friend of how God had moved powerfully in someone’s life in a Sunday service and they asked me, ‘how do you stay humble?’ Immediately, God brought revelation to me through that question. I am so aware and paranoid about where I am lacking and it dawned on me that awareness of my weakness is a gift from God.
I have failed so many times along the way, that I know the only good ever coming from me has been God using those failures to get me more dependent on Him. Trials bring things out of us that we are not otherwise aware of. Trials reveal where our confidence lies. Trials teach us where we are lacking skills, where we are lacking character, where we need Jesus’ help and the help of others. In other words, we learn humility through trials. In humility we learn that Jesus is who He says He is.
No one naturally rejoices in trials and no one likes failures. If we hold on and endure in our faith, hindsight brings a testimony that God indeed uses all things for the good of those who love Him.
Do not give up and abandon Jesus when the going gets tough. Jesus Christ will complete the good work that He has started in you. Consider it all joy because the potter is molding the clay into the Image of the Son so that you can share in His glory. Hindsight will be 20/20.