Embracing Trials: The Stewardship of Suffering

 

Summary

In today's reflection, we delved into the profound concept of stewardship, particularly focusing on the stewardship of suffering. We explored the idea that every aspect of our lives, including our trials and tribulations, is a form of stewardship entrusted to us by God. This stewardship is not merely about managing resources or responsibilities but is deeply intertwined with how we respond to life's challenges. James 1:2 encourages us to "count it all joy" when we face various trials, not because the trials themselves are joyful, but because they serve a greater purpose in our spiritual growth and maturity.

The trials we face are akin to the winds that strengthen trees. Without these challenges, we remain untested and unprepared for the future. God uses these hardships to develop patience and maturity within us, shaping us into stronger individuals. It's crucial to understand that while we may not always comprehend the reasons behind our suffering, God is fully aware and has a plan for our growth and ultimate good.

We are reminded to seek wisdom from God during these times, asking in faith without doubting. This wisdom is not about finding a way out of our trials but about navigating through them with grace and understanding. Trusting in God, rather than in worldly solutions or wealth, is essential. Our faith should be unwavering, recognizing that God limits our suffering and promises eternal rewards for our perseverance.

Ultimately, our trials are opportunities to deepen our faith and trust in God. They are not just burdens to bear but are integral to our spiritual journey. As we endure, we are promised the crown of life, a testament to God's faithfulness and our steadfastness.

Key Takeaways:

1. Stewardship of Suffering: Our trials are a form of stewardship, entrusted to us by God to see how we will respond. They are not just burdens but opportunities for growth and maturity. Embracing this perspective allows us to find joy even in hardship, knowing that God is working in us for a greater purpose. [37:22]

2. Trials as Strengtheners: Just as trees need wind to grow strong, we need trials to develop patience and maturity. These challenges prepare us for future difficulties and help us become more resilient. Trust that God uses these experiences to shape us into stronger individuals. [39:49]

3. Seeking Wisdom in Trials: During hardships, we are encouraged to ask God for wisdom, trusting that He will provide the guidance we need. This wisdom helps us navigate our trials with grace and understanding, rather than seeking worldly solutions. [43:03]

4. Trusting in God Over Wealth: Our faith should be in God, not in material wealth or worldly solutions. Wealth can fade away, but God's promises are eternal. Trusting in Him ensures that we are not double-minded and that our faith remains steadfast. [54:05]

5. Anticipating God's Reward: Perseverance through trials leads to the crown of life, a reward promised to those who love God. This eternal perspective helps us endure present hardships, knowing that greater things await us in God's kingdom. [57:43]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [35:30] - Understanding Stewardship
- [37:22] - The Stewardship of Suffering
- [38:23] - Finding Joy in Trials
- [39:49] - Trials as Strengtheners
- [40:43] - Trusting God's Plan
- [41:29] - Witnessing Through Trials
- [43:03] - Seeking Wisdom in Trials
- [45:06] - Faith Without Doubt
- [47:01] - Trusting God Over Wealth
- [50:03] - God's Limit on Suffering
- [52:17] - Humility and Trust
- [54:05] - The Rich and the Poor
- [55:19] - The Fleeting Nature of Wealth
- [56:25] - Anticipating God's Reward
- [57:43] - The Crown of Life
- [01:00:10] - Enduring with Faith
- [01:01:11] - Closing Prayer and Announcements

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
- James 1:2-12
- 1 Corinthians 9:24-25
- Revelation 2:10

#### Observation Questions
1. According to James 1:2, what attitude should we have when facing trials, and why is this perspective important? [37:22]
2. How does the sermon describe the role of trials in our spiritual growth, using the analogy of trees and wind? [39:49]
3. What does the pastor say about the importance of asking God for wisdom during trials? [43:03]
4. How does the sermon explain the concept of stewardship in relation to suffering? [37:22]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. What does it mean to "count it all joy" when facing trials, and how can this perspective change one's approach to suffering? [37:22]
2. How does the analogy of trees needing wind to grow strong relate to the development of patience and maturity in believers? [39:49]
3. In what ways does the sermon suggest that wealth can be a distraction from trusting in God, and how does this relate to the concept of stewardship? [54:05]
4. How does the promise of the "crown of life" in James 1:12 provide hope and motivation for enduring trials? [57:43]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a recent trial you faced. How did you respond, and in what ways could you have embraced the concept of stewardship of suffering more fully? [37:22]
2. Consider a current challenge in your life. How can you actively seek God's wisdom to navigate this trial with grace and understanding? [43:03]
3. In what areas of your life are you tempted to rely on worldly solutions or wealth instead of trusting in God? How can you shift your focus to rely more on Him? [54:05]
4. Think about a time when you felt your faith was tested. How did that experience strengthen your relationship with God, and what did you learn from it? [39:49]
5. How can you cultivate an attitude of joy in the midst of trials, knowing that God is using these experiences for your growth and maturity? [37:22]
6. Identify one specific way you can encourage someone else who is going through a trial, helping them to see it as an opportunity for spiritual growth.
7. What steps can you take to remind yourself of the eternal rewards promised by God, especially during difficult times? [57:43]

Devotional

Day 1: Embracing Suffering as Stewardship
In life, we often encounter trials and tribulations that challenge our faith and resilience. These moments of suffering are not merely burdens to bear but are opportunities for spiritual growth and maturity. The concept of stewardship extends beyond managing resources; it includes how we handle the difficulties entrusted to us by God. By viewing our trials as a form of stewardship, we can find joy even in hardship, knowing that God is working in us for a greater purpose. This perspective allows us to transform our suffering into a journey of faith and trust in God's plan. [37:22]

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (James 1:2-4, ESV)

Reflection: Think of a current challenge you are facing. How can you view this trial as an opportunity for spiritual growth and stewardship?


Day 2: Trials as Catalysts for Strength
Just as trees require wind to grow strong, our lives need trials to develop patience and resilience. These challenges are not meant to break us but to prepare us for future difficulties, shaping us into stronger individuals. God uses these experiences to build our character and maturity, ensuring we are equipped for what lies ahead. Trusting in this process allows us to embrace our trials, knowing they serve a greater purpose in our spiritual journey. [39:49]

"Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope." (Romans 5:3-4, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on a past trial that strengthened you. How can you apply the lessons learned to your current situation?


Day 3: Seeking Divine Wisdom in Hardships
During times of hardship, it is essential to seek wisdom from God, trusting that He will provide the guidance needed to navigate through our trials. This wisdom is not about finding an escape but about understanding and enduring with grace. By asking in faith without doubting, we open ourselves to divine insight that helps us grow spiritually and handle our challenges with a deeper understanding. [43:03]

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind." (James 1:5-6, ESV)

Reflection: In what area of your life do you need God's wisdom today? How can you actively seek His guidance in this matter?


Day 4: Trusting in God's Eternal Promises
Our faith should be anchored in God rather than in material wealth or worldly solutions. While wealth can fade away, God's promises are eternal and unchanging. Trusting in Him ensures that our faith remains steadfast, even amidst life's uncertainties. By focusing on God's eternal promises, we can navigate our trials with confidence, knowing that He is in control and has a plan for our ultimate good. [54:05]

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal." (Matthew 6:19-20, ESV)

Reflection: Identify an area where you are relying on worldly solutions. How can you shift your trust to God's eternal promises today?


Day 5: Perseverance and the Promise of the Crown of Life
Enduring trials with faith leads to the promise of the crown of life, a reward for those who love God. This eternal perspective helps us endure present hardships, knowing that greater things await us in God's kingdom. Our perseverance is a testament to God's faithfulness and our steadfastness, reminding us that our trials are not in vain but are integral to our spiritual journey. [57:43]

"Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him." (James 1:12, ESV)

Reflection: How does the promise of the crown of life influence your perspective on current challenges? What steps can you take to remain steadfast in your faith?

Quotes



Among the stewardships that we have, I think some people think, well, pastor's preaching on stewardship. He wants us to give more, and that sermon's coming, but actually, I don't want anything that's yours, and I don't think God needs your stuff, but He wants your heart, and He's put these things in your stewardship to see how you will respond. [00:36:37] (26 seconds)


And so James is writing to the 12 tribes which are scattered abroad. He greets them, and James 1 .1, and then, verse 2, he says something very difficult. He says, count it all joy when you fall into various kinds of trials. And so this isn't just one kind. It's not just money. It's not just health. It's not just relationships. [00:37:49] (24 seconds)


It's whatever trial you find yourself in that you can't just snap your fingers and you're out of it, that you should consider it a situation to be joyful. It's not like, well, I'm going to make myself hurt so I can be happy kind of a thing. It's not like, well, I should be giddy. Yahoo, I'm sick. [00:38:52] (20 seconds)


You see, God's bringing about in you a positive result, and so we consider it with joy, knowing that this, the trying of our faith works patience, and that patience brings maturity. And so that was the second consideration we looked at, and that is the hardships of our life make us stronger. [00:39:32] (20 seconds)


Those trees had never faced the trials of wind, the hardship of life, and they weren't ready to handle what was ahead. Well, God does bring these things our way to strengthen us, to harden us, to mature us. The hard part about that is the amount of time that some of these trials take. [00:39:49] (19 seconds)


And so we're told, let patience have her perfect work, that you might be perfect and entire, lacking nothing. And so God's doing a work through us, undergirded by all of that is that God knows things we don't know. We couldn't possibly know everything about every trial. I don't know everything that God has done in my life because of the hardships I've seen, but I do know that He knows, and God knows what you're going through. God understands. [00:39:55] (31 seconds)


And so, I would say it's the case for all of us, or maybe almost all of us, that when we enter in a trial, that we need to ask God for wisdom. By the way, this idea carries through this whole paragraph. Don't just take this, this verse and say, well, this verse is isolated in itself. [00:42:13] (21 seconds)


It's important for us to know that the idea of asking God for wisdom prevails through this section, because it says, if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God that gives to all men liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering, for he that wavereth is like the wave of the sea, driven with the wind and tossed. [00:42:33] (25 seconds)


But God is the one who gives us the wisdom to navigate it. He gives us the wisdom in his word and through his people, through the empowering of his Holy Spirit. He does give us wisdom on how to act, how to respond through that trial. You see, he's asking us to have faith in him, to trust in him. [00:45:06] (22 seconds)


But when it comes to suffering, you need to trust in God, right? At the end of the day, did you trust in God? So let him ask in faith, nothing wavering, for he that wavereth is like the wave of the sea driven in the wind and tossed. Do you feel seasick? [00:49:33] (23 seconds)


But all of us need to get to this point where the last consideration is that we anticipate God's reward for our perseverance. Blessed is the man who is the Lord. Who remains steadfast under trial. For when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. By the way, this crown of life is for every child of God, and you will persevere if you are a child of God. [00:57:25] (29 seconds)


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Transcript
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