Finding Joy and Growth in Life's Trials

Devotional

Day 1: Trials Reveal Our True Beliefs

In life, trials are inevitable, and they serve a profound purpose in our spiritual journey. They test the authenticity of our faith, revealing what we truly believe and exposing the genuineness of our confidence in God. Embracing this testing can lead to a stronger, more mature faith. When we face challenges, it is an opportunity to examine the depth of our trust in God and to grow in our relationship with Him. Trials are not meant to break us but to build us up, refining our faith and making it more resilient. [10:09]

James 1:2-3 (ESV): "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness."

Reflection: Think of a recent trial you faced. How did it challenge your beliefs, and what did it reveal about your faith in God?

Day 2: Perseverance Leads to Spiritual Maturity

Perseverance is developed through trials, and it is essential for spiritual growth. Allowing perseverance to finish its work leads to maturity and completeness in our faith journey. This process requires patience and trust in God's timing, knowing that He is at work even when we cannot see it. As we persevere, we become more like Christ, growing in character and strength. The trials we endure are not random; they are opportunities for growth and deeper faith. [14:14]

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

Reflection: Identify an area in your life where you need to develop perseverance. How can you actively allow God to work in this area to bring about spiritual maturity?

Day 3: God Refines Our Faith Through Trials

God uses the trials we face to refine our faith. The tension and challenges we experience are at the epicenter of God's activity in our lives. We should ask God to use these trials until He chooses to remove them. This perspective helps us to see our struggles as part of God's divine plan for our growth and transformation. By trusting in His sovereignty, we can find peace and purpose in the midst of our difficulties. [15:49]

1 Peter 1:6-7 (ESV): "In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

Reflection: Consider a current challenge you are facing. How can you invite God to use this trial to refine your faith and draw you closer to Him?

Day 4: Seeking Wisdom in Trials

When we struggle to see the purpose in our trials, we should ask God for wisdom. This prayer for perspective is one that God will always answer, helping us to see our circumstances through His eyes. By seeking His wisdom, we gain clarity and understanding, allowing us to navigate our challenges with grace and confidence. God's wisdom provides the guidance we need to make decisions that align with His will and purpose for our lives. [18:06]

James 1:5 (ESV): "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him."

Reflection: Think of a situation where you need God's wisdom. How can you intentionally seek His guidance and perspective in this area today?

Day 5: The Impact of Persevering Faith

Persevering faith leaves a lasting impact on the world and those around us. It inspires others and demonstrates the reality of our confidence in God, even when our prayers go unanswered. By living out our faith with perseverance, we become a testimony of God's faithfulness and love. Our steadfastness in trials can encourage others to trust in God and seek Him in their own lives. [29:36]

Hebrews 10:36 (ESV): "For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised."

Reflection: Reflect on someone in your life who has demonstrated persevering faith. How can their example inspire you to live out your faith more boldly and impact those around you?

Sermon Summary

In our journey through life, we often find ourselves avoiding things we dislike, whether it's vegetables, exercise, or even certain people. While some of these aversions are harmless, others can be detrimental. Today, I want to address a challenging statement from the Bible that I don't particularly like, but it's crucial because it answers a pressing question: What do we do when there's nothing we can do? This question resonates with many of us, especially in times of uncertainty and loss.

James, the brother of Jesus, offers guidance that may seem passive or insensitive at first. He tells us to consider it pure joy when we face trials of many kinds. This isn't about ignoring our struggles but reframing them. Trials test the authenticity of our faith, revealing what we truly believe. They expose the genuineness of our confidence in God, and through this testing, our faith is strengthened.

James encourages us to let perseverance finish its work so that we may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. This means allowing the process to unfold, trusting that God is at work even when we can't see it. The trials we face are not random; they are opportunities for growth and deeper faith. When we struggle to see the good in our trials, James advises us to ask God for wisdom. This prayer for perspective is one that God will always answer.

I shared the story of my friend Regi Campbell, who faced his own mortality with unwavering faith. His life exemplified the kind of persevering faith that James speaks of. Regi's faith didn't change his circumstances, but it gave him courage and peace. His story reminds us that God uses our trials to refine our faith and that persevering faith leaves a lasting impact on the world.

Key Takeaways

1. Trials are inevitable, and they test the authenticity of our faith. They reveal what we truly believe and expose the genuineness of our confidence in God. Embracing this testing can lead to a stronger, more mature faith. [10:09]
2. Perseverance is developed through trials, and it is essential for spiritual growth. Allowing perseverance to finish its work leads to maturity and completeness in our faith journey. [14:14]
3. God uses the trials we face to refine our faith. The tension and challenges we experience are at the epicenter of God's activity in our lives. We should ask God to use these trials until He chooses to remove them. [15:49]
4. When we struggle to see the purpose in our trials, we should ask God for wisdom. This prayer for perspective is one that God will always answer, helping us to see our circumstances through His eyes. [18:06]
5. Persevering faith leaves a lasting impact on the world and those around us. It inspires others and demonstrates the reality of our confidence in God, even when our prayers go unanswered. [29:36]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:09] - Human Nature and Avoidance
[00:27] - Things We Avoid
[01:22] - Avoiding What Hurts
[02:15] - The Question We All Ask
[03:08] - Confronting Our Sinister Selves
[04:26] - James' Surprising Advice
[05:21] - James' Credibility
[06:03] - The Church in Crisis
[07:17] - James' Instruction
[08:01] - Trials and Testing
[09:15] - Reframing Trials as Joy
[10:09] - Testing the Authenticity of Faith
[11:43] - The Joy of Discovery
[13:16] - Perseverance and Growth
[15:49] - God's Activity in Our Trials
[18:06] - Asking for Wisdom
[20:24] - Inspiring Faith in Trials
[22:03] - Regi Campbell's Story
[25:40] - Regi's Commitment
[29:12] - Faith in a Fallen World
[31:23] - Persevering Under Trial
[32:56] - Opportunity in Current Events
[33:15] - A Prayer for Wisdom

Sermon Clips

"Whenever you face trials, not if ever, whenever, you can't pray them away, you can't obey them away, you can't faith them away. Trials are going to come. Whenever you face trials, because it's just the nature of things as we talked about before, when sin entered the world, sin held the door, sorrow, death, disappointment and illness walked right in." [00:07:54]

"James says, 'I want you to reframe your trial as pure joy my brothers and sisters.' Reframe or rethink your trial in such a way that you can begin to see it as a, this isn't me talking, as a source of joy. And how can he say this without knowing the circumstances of our lives?" [00:09:07]

"Trials expose the authenticity of our confidence in God. Don't they, right? I mean, this just happens. This is a decision you make, this is a decision I make when I'm surprised by a trial immediately, I discover something about my faith. When you're facing a trial of any kind, using James' terminology, immediately you discover something about your faith." [00:11:03]

"James says there is joy in discovering how real our faith really is. There is joy in discovering that even though I wouldn't sign up for what's happening in the midst of my trial, I'm discovering something about myself, I could not discover any other way, you're discovering something about yourself, you could not discover any other way." [00:11:55]

"Faith is not how we get God to do stuff. That's not the point of faith. Faith isn't a superpower, faith is simply confidence that God already did something. Faith is simply confidence that God is who God reveals himself to be in the New Testament and that he will do everything he's promised." [00:12:42]

"Let perseverance complete its work so that you will be complete. So that you will have grown up faith. And let's face it, the only way to have grown up faith is to face a trial and to experience God's faithfulness in the trial. So ask God to use this until God chooses to remove this." [00:16:48]

"If any of you lacks wisdom, specifically, if any of you lacks the perspective you need to see this the way that God sees it, if any of you lacks the perspective to see that God is doing something in you and through you, he says, 'Here's what I want you to do. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God.'" [00:18:06]

"Have you ever met someone or known somebody, maybe you're related to somebody, who faced trials of many kinds, trials that, they're facing the trial and you're thinking, 'How would I respond if I were going through that?' And you watch them walk through the trial with extraordinary faith and confidence in God." [00:20:28]

"Regi's faith did not reverse the consequences of life in a fallen world and he was wide open to that, we all prayed for a miracle, you should pray for a miracle. But Regi's faith did not reverse the consequences of life in a fallen world, and he did not expect it to because he understood what faith is." [00:29:09]

"God will use this until God chooses to remove this. And this is kind of the bottom line, that God will use whatever he chooses not to remove. Regi understood this. You know people who understand that. And James words, James instructions are an invitation for all of us to step into this." [00:30:22]

"Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial, not praise it away, obeys it away, or faiths it away. 'Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because having stood the test and having discovered that their faith is real, that person...' listen to what he promises, 'that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him.'" [00:31:17]

"Because here's what we know with confidence, persevering faith, leaves its mark on the world, and it leaves its mark on the people around us. We don't choose the trials, the trials choose us. We don't choose the trials, we simply choose our response to these trials." [00:32:25]

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

Transcript

What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?

Were there any personal stories shared?