The storm on the horizon

The clouds are gathering. And what was the faint sound of thunder, is now much louder and lightning can be seen with it.

There is no doubt that when the storm arrives, it’s gonna get nasty.

The timing and stature of the writer of the book of James indicates it was likely Jesus’ half-brother, the son of Joseph and Mary. But whoever he was, he didn’t waste any time getting to the point. After a one-line greeting, he starts right in.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” ~ James 1:2

No vacation-based greetings from this guy. He gets right to the point and tells us, point blank, that we will face trials as Christians. No ifs, ands or buts about it.

As I perused other translations of this passage, it was interesting that the word ‘when’ was almost exclusively used to let us know what lies ahead. That’s not exactly recruiting poster material now, is it?

But that statement about trials and tribulations is just the setup for what can be obtained by following Christ and making it through to the other side. And the first reward is perseverance.

OK, so to get to the end of the trail, you need the thing you get at the end of the trial?

Think of it this way, those muscles you want to impress the girls with only come as you develop them through weight lifting.

But just as improved muscle tone allows you to run faster, throw harder and be healthier, perseverance has its own set of benefits.

“Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” ~ James 1:4

What do you lack right now? And we’re talking things that matter, not stuff like a house, car or cash.

Do you lack wisdom? It’s OK to nod, no one else is looking. Besides, all of us do.

And if you think that wisdom is a weird thing to ask for, consider this: Israel’s King Solomon, son of King David, asked not for riches, wealth, or glory, or for the life of those who hated him or even long life. (2 Chronicles 1:1-13) He asked for wisdom so that might accurately judge the people God gave him to rule. He could have asked for the world, and he chose to be wise.

The storms are coming and God wants you to weather them so that you will be better for it afterward.

Understand that He never gives us a challenge without the proper tools or skills to get through it, we just have to be wise enough to know that our ways aren’t always His ways

Understanding that increases our wisdom and gives us the mental fortitude to push through whatever circumstances are ahead, further developing perseverance.

And those will be valuable to have, as there is always another storm coming.