God’s Gym – Part III
A Mental Habit

Scripture Reading: James 1:2-4

Key Verse: James 1:4
So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

Lets look at today’s Scripture Reading:

Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing. (James 1:2-4).

It is particularly challenging to consider our troubles as an opportunity for “great joy”, or any level of joy. But this is what the Word of God is saying. We need to take it seriously and understand how to be obedient to it.

In the last two devotionals, I have painted a picture that can help us be obedient to this challenge. If we look at the pain of a good physical workout and relate that pain to the troubles we face in our everyday lives, then I think we could find the joy in our troubles.

Think with me, when does a person who puts themselves through tough workouts find any joy? Their joy is in the results of that workout. Every pound that a person loses during their work out and every muscle that gets stronger is the result that brings the joy from their painful workouts.

James is describing the same process for Christ-followers. We go through pain and suffering in this life. This can make it challenging to keep our faith in God strong.

But when we fight through the doubts and endure the troubles with our trust in God still in place, there are eternal results that bring joy! Now we can understand this Word from James 1:2, and we can consider our troubles as opportunities for great joy.

James goes on to say that your faith will be tested. As a Christ-follower, know this! I say that because I sometimes forget, so I imagine other believers forget it as well.

When troubles come into my life, I find it easy to wonder what I did to deserve them. I sometimes think: Why is God punishing me? It takes mental discipline for me to redirect my thoughts to God’s Word and remember that my faith will be tested. This is a normal part of our walk with God.

Father, thank You for using the troubles I face in this world for my good! In Jesus’s Name I pray, amen.