… whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may mature and complete, lacking for nothing. — James 1:2-4.
James sounds like a football coach or a personal trainer telling us to enjoy our workout and exhaustion — the more we are tested the stronger we become, etc. When I read the scripture this morning I wanted to say, “James, that’s easy for you to say.” I used to think something similar when my football coach used to push me to run up and down stadium steps until I passed out.
Truth is the coach was right, I did become stronger, and so is James. Every person is going through a trial right now with the pandemic, and it’s hard to see any joy or good result out of this tragedy. Yet, we will become stronger as individuals, and a nation, and as a world. The virus has already caused us to appreciate health care workers and others who provide us basic service, and it has drawn us together in a common cause to defeat the virus.
I look forward to the day, and let’s hope it comes soon, when we all can say the virus is gone, and we are more “mature and complete, lacking for nothing.”
Leave a Reply +