Hard Times

What if we gave up when things got too hard? There are plenty of times I've been ready to do just that.

But isn't it the hard things in life that make us better people?

James says, "Count it all joy...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."

Trials, hard times, and struggles will test our faith. If we say we trust in God, our faith should be strengthened through these circumstances in our lives. Then through that strengthening, steadfastness is produced. If we are steadfast, we will be unwavering, fixed in our direction, firm in our purpose.

Here's the problem. We say we believe a lot of things about God. Only our lives don't prove it.

What we really believe is what we actually live. I don't mean what others see us live. I mean what God sees us live.

If we say we believe He is in control, why don't we trust Him to take care of us? Why do we try to control so much ourselves?

If we say we believe He is sovereign, why don't we trust that he has a purpose for everything - the loss of a job, an unexpected pregnancy, the passing of a loved one. He works all things together for good for those who love Him. We say that. But do we believe it?

My child can say he trusts me to catch him if he jumps into the pool, but he doesn't prove he trusts me until he jumps.

Proof of our faith comes in trials, hard times.

If you admire someone because of their strong faith, know they got it because God allowed circumstances in their lives that were not easy. And maybe they didn't always pass with flying colors but they learned from what they went through. They learned that God had a purpose for every instance.

You see we all have trials, but not all of us learn from them. We either don't take responsibility for our part - blame others or society - or we don't run to Him to show us His purpose. We don't seek to grow through it.

Think about the biggest brat you've ever seen on one of those nanny shows. Aren't they that way because they got everything they wanted? They didn't have to suffer by doing chores, by putting others first, by using self-control to do what was right even if they didn't want to. Kids who are great, have learned to do what is right even when it's hard.

My oldest doesn't care for math. She's good at it but doesn't like it. I tell her at this point in her life, this is her hard thing. And if she can learn to do it without complaining (aloud or in her heart), then she will be a better person. She can learn that the next hard thing will make her even stronger. Then when something really hard comes along, she'll be able to face it with steadfastness, with unwavering faith in her loving Creator.

Life is hard. It is okay. If it was easy, think of what worthless people we would be. We get to learn patience, perseverance, trust, contentment, all kinds of great qualities that ultimately make us more like Christ.

Isn't that what it's really all about anyway? Who wants to stay the way they are? We can look at hard times as an inconvenience, a bump in the road, a time to wallow in self-pity, or we can "count it all joy" and ask God to show us how we can come out looking more like His Son, "perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."