Scripture
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
JAMES 1:2-4
Quotes/Color
“From time to time in the years to come, I hope you will be treated unfairly, so that you will come to know the value of justice. I hope that you will suffer betrayal because that will teach you the importance of loyalty. Sorry to say, but I hope you will be lonely from time to time so that you don’t take friends for granted. I wish you bad luck, again, from time to time so that you will be conscious of the role of chance in life and understand that your success is not completely deserved and that the failure of others is not completely deserved either. And when you lose, as you will from time to time, I hope every now and then, your opponent will gloat over your failure. It is a way for you to understand the importance of sportsmanship. I hope you’ll be ignored so you know the importance of listening to others, and I hope you will have just enough pain to learn compassion. Whether I wish these things or not, they’re going to happen. And whether you benefit from them or not will depend upon your ability to see the message in your misfortunes.”
Chief Justice John Roberts
“I’d not ask a life that’s easy,
Gold and pearls so little meaning.
Rather seek a heart that’s joyful,
Heart that’s honest, heart that’s clean.”
From a Celtic Hymn called “Calon Lan”
“The burned hand teaches best. After that, advice about fire goes to the heart.”
Gandalf the White
Context
Welcome to your morning devotional today. It is entitled, “Have a Terrible Day” (just as you had hoped, I’m sure).
I got a bit carried away with the quotes today… But those really do paint a great picture, don’t they?
Get out in front of this… life is not easy, don’t be surprised when it’s not.
Application
A few things to note from the Scripture and quotes from above that changed the way I view people and adversity entirely in my life.
Think about the people you admire in your life. People who model resilience, wisdom, strength, grace under pressure, humor when it’s not easy to find the light in things, wisdom and clear eyed thinking in the monotony of the every day. Really think about it – a person or group of people.
- If this Scripture from James 1 is true. And if this quote from Chief Justice John Roberts is true (read it all the way through if you haven’t, I promise it is worth your time)… Is it possible that that person is the way they are because they first faced much pain and many trials?
Perhaps that wise sage in your life always has the right thing to say because they were so often discouraged and at a loss for words in their own life first. Maybe that person that is always able to bring laughter and levity in your life found out the hard way that you can’t take life too seriously or it will tear you down. Perhaps that person that treats you with such careful kindness has had a friend or family that was hurt by someone in a similar position.
I don’t know this for certain. But I think nearly all of the people I dearly admire in life have gone through a great deal. I learned that from the passage and quotes above. How else could they have built such wisdom/perspective/kindheartedness?
2. Further… is it possible that that same person doesn’t avoid and fear trials with every fiber of their being? But they perhaps have an entirely different way of handling trials than you or I naturally do? They look at trials, as they come, differently than you and I do? They don’t run away from them, but instead take them as they come and ask themselves, “What can I take away from this trial/struggle so it doesn’t pass me by and go to waste?”
Again, I don’t know this for certain. But I think that the people I dearly admire in life have gone through alot… And have reflected a great deal on those struggles with God, learning from each and every one of them.
The Christian is called to not fear trials (discomfort, failure, unfair treatment, all the rest). They’re called to embrace it… AND? Not let it go to waste. Allow it to build perseverance and strength. Which leads to wisdom, putting them in the place to pour into others.
James 1 tells me that trials are actually awfully useful (they lead to godly maturity) if we allow them to be… So it’d be an awful shame to let them pass us by unobserved and not make use of them.
Opposition builds strength. Ask the dumbbell in the weight room. (I don’t know this from personal experience… But I have seen strong guys before and I’m pretty sure that’s true.) Not facing a real opponent or a real struggle robs us from profoundness in life. And robs us from growing wisdom, completeness and maturity under God.
Something to Chew On:
- What trials in your life have you let pass you by and go to waste? What can you do to learn from them now?
- Make an honest assessment – what is your natural response to something not going your way? What is your heart’s first inclination? Self-pity? Exhaustion? Defeat?
Great Value Proverb:
Have a terrible day… It’s okay. Just don’t let it go to waste.