Sunday, October 26, 2014

Tried & Tested

Dear brothers, is your life full of difficulties and temptations? Then be happy, for when the way is rough, your patience has a chance to grow.  So let it grow, and don’t try to squirm out of your problems. For when your patience is finally in full bloom, then you will be ready for anything, strong in character, full and complete. (James 1:2-4, Living Bible)

This is one of the Scriptures that is hard to accept. Brother James was not sarcastic or ironical when stating it. It ought to be all joy when we fall into various trials. This testing produces patience which works to make us perfect and complete. In fact, James went ahead to tell us that this was the manner of life for the prophets and the saints before us.

My brethren, take the prophets, who spoke in the name of the Lord, as an example of suffering and patience. Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful. (James 5:10-11)

Apostle Peter too while writing to the elect pilgrims who were dispersed because of persecution emphasized the same even more. 


In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. (1 Peter 1:6-8)

So far you can see the main purpose of trials is to unite you more to God. The most popular method God has appointed for our preparation to mature in Him is suffering and affliction. Those of us who endure and persevere through, graduate to new heights of knowing and walking with Jesus Christ. How else would you learn of His comfort, His sufficient grace, His mercies that are always new, His provision, unless you were in a position to experience them?

I have heard many people talk about the predicaments of Job. Perhaps you are one of them! Did you know when the three friends came to comfort him, they sat with him on the ground seven days and nights without saying a word because they saw how great his suffering was! Job's troubles were grave than you can imagine. But this man endured the fire and the heat. In the end the righteous and upright Job who had been more transformed said, "My ears had heard about You (God), but now my eyes have seen you. Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes." He had a more elevated knowledge, understanding and experience of God. He had a better off latter life than the former.

This space may not allow me to write about the sufferings of Apostle Paul on account of the Gospel. He was in prison often, beaten, accused falsely, in dangerous journeys, in hunger and thirst, in cold and naked but all for the joy of having Christ.

Peter and the apostles too were beaten and put in prison. One time when they were released it is thus written:

So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His Name. (Acts 5:41)

In conclusion, I pray to God that He will help you and me to endure and persevere through troubles and to go through them with the right attitude of joy. To see it as a privilege especially when the main reason you are suffering is because of  Christ and the Gospel. May be, modernization may have altered the the meaning of suffering for the sake of the Gospel. There are many causes of suffering. One may suffer because of their boyfriends and girlfriends, spouses etc. But the suffering we are emphasizing here is the suffering because of your Christian Faith. We have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood or death!

For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake. (Philippians 1:29)

We must be tried and tested. Shalom.