James 1: 2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.
Challenging moments of our lives are the hardest times to actually stay focused but the Bible is saying, it’s an opportunity to be joyful. How can you be joyful when things are going against you? It’s difficult to stay focused because a lot of the time, we’re confused and wondering, “What’s going on in my life?“
The reason why we usually are disturbed and frustrated in such times is that we focus on the problem. Focusing on the problem would make you see how devastating, hopeless and frustrating the situation is. In other words,
the more you think and meditate on a problem, the more blinded you are to the way out of that challenge.
When you fix your mind on the problem, it’s much more magnified than what it really is. That is why we are reminded to look unto Jesus, the author, and finisher of our faith. See what He did: He endured the cross and despised its shame because of the joy that was set before Him. He looked at the glory ahead, he saw a positive aspect to the challenge.
When you’re really focused on looking at one thing, you can’t see what’s going on around you. So what you fix your eyes on in such moments is vital. For instance, you lose a job. It’s painful because you’re thinking: How am I going to survive? What am I to do next? And all other questions. As you continue to think about it, you get to see that you’re doomed. But taking your mind off the issue gives you a reason to see that this is actually not a problem and you refuse to budge. You begin to thank God that at least, you have life and you’re not on the streets begging.
Then you treat the problem like nothing happened and the devil is confused. “Why isn’t he/she sad but moving around unperturbed by the problem?”
In James 1:3, the Bible says, For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. A lot of people are easily blown away by challenges because they didn’t have faith in God in the first place. And the absence of faith is an indication that you don’t value and study God’s word because Romans 10:17 says faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Faith is based on what God has told you by His Word. It’s not just a matter of positive thinking or vim.
A time of crisis is not a time to be blaming people. It’s a time for analysis. Anytime I’m faced with a challenge, I think about the problem to see whether I have played a role in bringing that problem and if I do realize that, it guides me even in prayer. A lot of people only pray when faced with a challenge. You have to know the cause of something to deal with it thoroughly. When you know the cause, finding a solution is easier. You don’t just pray without knowing the details of the problem.
I remember when I performed so bad in my first mock exam in senior high school, I was so sad and I broke down because I saw disgrace coming. In my school, getting a certain score and below in 2 or more subjects would make you miss the midterm break and I had fallen into that trap. When I realized the intensity of the problem I saw how doomed I was because a lot of people knew me to be intelligent. I decided to analyze.
Yes, the devil may have had a hand in it but when I did my analysis honestly, I saw that I caused this failure. I began to remember how complacent I had become. I thought I was intelligent. I thought I could pass this exam and so I did not put in much effort. After coming to this awareness, I began by praying to God to forgive me for being lazy and depending on my abilities. I didn’t begin by saying, “God let this problem disappear” or ” I bind every spirit behind this failure”. Then I wept and prayed with all my heart that my name should be taken off the list so I would go for midterms. I vowed to God that I would sow a seed to Him when He did it.
It was going to be an embarrassing situation and so I couldn’t eat, I was depressed but I still trusted that God would help me out. This is how bad it was: To be honest, suicide crossed my mind.
Finally, my prayer was answered and I was relieved. That failure, I later realized, enabled me excel in the final exam, WASSCE. If I had not failed the mock, it would have been the WASSCE. This challenge taught me that sometimes, we can also cause problems. Not every challenge is from the devil.
When your mind is fixed on God and what He has said about you, you have perfect peace, no matter the challenge. Isaiah 26:3
The opening scripture mentions that we ought to count it all joy in such times. Joy is not the same as happiness. Happiness is based on achievement but joy is based on fulfillment.
Some challenges are a way God will have to break you and remove things that would stand in the way of His purpose for you. And purpose brings a sense of fulfillment rather than achievement.
In achievement, it’s all about you but in fulfillment, others are blessed because of your story.
The Word In Clarity 