People think: if I just had that ministry, that'd be great. Actually no, when you get there, you'll find there's some tests there, that'll really try you big time. God desires to mature our character, and one of the ways is through prayer and intimacy with Him; and one is through the word of God; but one of the ways that God develops us, is through the trials of life
James 1:2-8 – “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing the testing of your faith produces patience. And let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect, and complete, and lack nothing. If any man lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives liberally without reproach, and it'll be given to him. But let him ask in faith, without doubt, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea tossed by the wind. Don't let that man think he'll receive anything, he is double-minded and unstable”.
Notice here, there's some key insights here on trials. He said: they're going to come. He says: when trials or difficulties, or pressures or obstacles come - don't collapse! He says: praise and worship; celebrate; just turn in towards the Lord. There's a reason for it, he says, knowing that the testing of your faith - it's not to crush you. It's to test whether you really lean on God or not. Usually the tests come where we lean on something else, and then we start to shake when the pressure comes on, and it's to bring us to lean on God.
He says: the testing of your faith, will produce in your character, the quality of endurance. He says: patience, when it's been complete, or done its complete work - it will make you perfect and complete, lacking nothing. Very clearly then, he tells us here, that the first thing we do, when we experience difficulties and pressures is: turn into the Lord, and praise Him for His goodness, and His kindness, and His faithfulness.
What happens, or how you respond, when a pressure comes, reveals what your heart condition is like. If the first response is complaining and blaming, that tells you that unbelief is sitting in the heart. What if life was not random things happening to you? What if God carefully orchestrated every little situation, so it could work to grow in you what He wants to build in you - so you can qualify for eternity? What if your perspective of life was, instead of being fearful of what tomorrow will bring; it's actually: my life is fully in the hands of the Lord, and every situation that comes, He will turn it for my good. It will actually end up benefitting me. Even the painful things, the frightening things, the difficult things – with all of them, God can use it to bring me where He wants to get me.
So instead of seeing the trial as an inconvenience and a burden, I begin to see it as the hand of God preparing me for something bigger. That takes an act of faith to do that! That's why it's called: the trying of your faith! How you look at it, you'll either see: the natural - oh no; or you see: oh God, wow! What's this one? What do I need to learn here? It's just how you view it.
He says: first thing is to rejoice; start to focus on the Lord, knowing that the trying of your faith, or the testing, will cause, or bring about, an endurance. Most people, when they go through tests or difficulties, cry out: God, get me out of here; save me; rescue me; stop this happening; fix it up... They carry on like a victim wanting to be rescued, rather than a son wanting to be grown.
He says: patience is endurance. That's a person who doesn't waver, when the pressure comes on. God tells us: rejoice, because it's going to do good. The second thing He says is: ask for wisdom. That passage there, where it says (in verse 5): “If any man lacks wisdom let him ask God” - is connected to trials. In other words, ‘wisdom’ means understanding what God is doing, and knowing how to respond. God, what are you trying to teach me in this? Give me wisdom. Help me see what the real issue is, not just react to the packaging.
A lot of the work I do now is helping people see the bigger picture of God at work, rather than be caught up in the dramas of badly behaving people. Most of the trials in life come because of setbacks, knockbacks and badly behaving people. Usually we want God to rescue us. He wants you to grow through it.
Think about this... If you're a parent, and you rescue your child from every consequence of their choices, they will grow up totally self-centred and irresponsible. You don't do that! You want to teach them that things have consequences. If you'll face the consequences, then you'll grow through it, and you'll learn. It's similar for God, He wants us to have wisdom, and wisdom is the principle thing. When you're running through a difficult time, the first thing is set your face towards God, and ask for wisdom: God, what are you trying to teach me? How do you want me to respond? What do you want me to learn? What's coming up in my heart, that you're wanting to change? That's the way to look at it, that your first reference point is God