Good Morning.

"From James, a servant of God to Jewish Christians scattered abroad, Greetings! 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, you will be ready for anything--strong in character, full and complete." Character is defined as 'the combination of qualities or features that distinguish one person from another--their moral or ethical strength'. The Greek word James uses here for character indicates that it is developed over time, through testings. James barely says 'hello' to his first century Christian converts, and he launches into the whole subject of trials. . . we have to stop and ask ourselves 'why?' 'No pleasantries, no 'glad handing', just count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patiencehave its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. (New King James Version)

What?? Be joyful? Be happy? When you are going through trials? It isn't logical.

We must ask ourselves why James' readership was scattered in the first place. . . Many had left Jerusalem after attending Pentecost to return home--irrevocably changed by their embracing of Christianity. Some had left Palestine by force, some by choice. . . but mostly because of persecution.

Persecution? In today's world there is still 'the persecuted church' in China and other parts of the world--people born into cultures permeated with godless mores, and those that are born into countries with oppressive, corrupt governments--that said, even though our "Morning Briefing" readership includes India, Uganda, and Kenya, I do not know how many of us 21st-century dwellers can relate to the circumstances of these who were poor--suffering and oppressed by their own neighbors. Really, we can't. I have never been imprisoned for my faith or made to feel that I had better not talk about it for fear of what might happen to me or my family. Oh sure, you and I might hesitate to say too much for fear that someone might think we're fanatical or a 'weak person who needs the crutch of religion', but this cannot compare to what these people were up against. (By the way, finding ways to turn ordinary conversations into spiritual ones is oft stimulating and most interesting! One time, I was writing on the subject 'can I really know there is a God?' so it was uppermost in my mind. I was having blood drawn in the hospital, and I asked this wild-haired redhead phlebotomist if she believed there was a God, and how she knew. . . the ensuing conversation was fascinating, as she was a real thinker herself and intrigued by my question. So, take the chance--ask the deeper question of someone; it is a lot fun--no persecution.)

So James encourages his readers by telling them that their trials will produce patience. No, trials do not come our way because God has an ornery streak. They are meant for our growth ~ in our faith, in our character. I don't think there is any disagreement that our times of greatest growth have come in times of greatest testing.

We need to ask ourselves, even as we are going through a tremendous challenge, what possible good might we take from it?

James says to be joyful and JOY really is possible when we know we will be stronger as a result of what we are experiencing.

What is your reaction when a trial is pressing in around you? Are you stressed? Irritable? Worried? What do you do? To whom do you run? Trials are opportunities for us to run to God, my friends. Putting our faith in God during times of great testing creates in us an active steadfastness, staying power, constancy, and a strength in our determination.

So, when life throws you a curveball--which it does and it will--stop and consider surrendering that situation to God, (He is big enough), ask yourself what you may learn from the experience. . . turn to God and ask Him for His wisdom.

Grace and peace to you today. . .

Christine