Running A Race Is Not All Fun But, We Should Have Joy?

James 1:2-5 2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

James is saying we should have joy when we go through trials or test that God allows us to go through. The Greek word for temptation means just that, trials or test. Divers means, many. So, you could translate like this....count it a joy when you go through many trials or test that God allows in your life.

Trials should not be seen as a punishment, a curse, or a calamity but something that should cause rejoicing through it.

One important thing to note that James did not say that a believer should be joyous for the trials but, in the trials.

Another thing to notice is that James said " when ye fall into" It's not that we may have troubles or we may have trials or test but, when we do.

How does those trials help us in our Christian life? Answer is: they teach us patience James says. What is patience?

Patience means endurance....endurance as in running the race that God has before us.

Let's look in Hebrews 12:1Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us

You see here that you don't set and wait patiently for your competitors if you're in a running a foot race. You endure, strive to finish....you are looking for the finish line with joy.

What is God’s purpose in trials? It is the perfection of Christian character in His children. He wants His children to be mature (perfect), and maturity is developed only by God's way.

When God’s people go through personal trials, they discover what kind of faith they really have. Trials not only reveal our faith.... they also develop our faith and Christian character. What is Christian character? It is the fruit of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, tem-perance: against such there is no law.

How are we to have joy during our trial or test that God allows to happen in our life? Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose...Also Paul said in Romans 5:3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

There is no gain in endurance without some investment in trials.

James said in verse 5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, Assistance is always on hand for Gods children.

I sometimes say that the greatest privilege that a Christian has is prayer. An open line to the throne of Heaven.

We can ask God for strength to help us get through those trials and test we will go through.

We don't always understand God’s purposes, and often Satan tempts us to ask, “Does God really care?” This is where prayer comes in: we can ask our God for wisdom, ask Him for strength to endure and He is faithful in doing so.

Running the race of life as a Christian is not always fun but, when we realize that God is our personal trainer, it is a joy to be on the winning side and to know the outcome is worth it all.

Love in Christ Jesus, Ronnie Miller www.themillersbiblestudy.com