Friday, August 13, 2021
Greetings, Dear Friends in Christ –
It’s good to connect with you once again! I want to begin today’s blog with a question:
Wouldn’t we all enjoy experiencing times of ease—you know, those times where it’s simply easy to live . . . easy to accomplish the greatest (or simplest) things . . . easy to just, well, be? I recall times in my life when I’ve had to live through very painful situations. During one of those situations, I remember saying to the Lord, “I know I have to go through this; I just need to know that You are with me.” In response to whatever I was dealing with in that moment, a friend said to me, “Looks like someone is on the fast-track to spiritual growth!” Much of my life seems to have been this way! I can tell you (as I am sure many of you are already aware), spiritual growth does not always feel very good! But, I believe it is a gift.
James 1:2-8 has some very powerful words concerning perfection and our ability to endure, and Matthew 5:48 closes with an admonishment to us:
James 1:2-8 –
Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that person ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
Matthew 5:48 –
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
These Scriptures are packed with a lot of substance, but for today, I want to focus on these words in James 1:4:
“And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
There is a cost for reaching this perfect result to which James is challenging us to pursue when the trial comes to us. In essence, going through trials and tests are instruments the Lord allows or uses to mature us. There IS a cost! We don’t have the ability to go around or escape the hard things in life. We have to go through them—one situation at a time. Each time we are challenged with a new trial, we have the ability to engage the wisdom of God to learn the lesson that He is teaching. Learning through and exercising wisdom, “the ability to live life skillfully,” allows us to navigate life God’s way. We cling to His plan, and trust all things to work together for our good.
I wish there were a simpler way to move on to perfection—that is, maturity in Christ, which makes us complete. But, there isn’t!!! In this way, we lack absolutely nothing!
We are called to be perfect because God is perfect; God is complete; God lacks nothing. He is always moving us from faith to faith, and we are able to count it all joy to know the outcome—greater maturity and deeper roots in Christ Jesus! Even though it might hurt, we can still have joy about perfection that is being formed.
As we all navigate this Christian life, we do so trusting God to “grow us up”—to mature us as we endure. In faith, we ask God for His wisdom to know what to do with the things He allows to be presented to us—or the things He sends our way directly. We will grow. We will mature. There IS a cost; but we will be complete, mature, whole, and perfect. Lacking nothing. Faith feeds us. Whatever we feed will grow.
Until next time, My Friend,
Selah