Category Archives: Scripture Memory

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Self-Control — Get A Grip

Just Say No

SYNOPSIS: In response to the salvation we received through the cross and will receive when Christ returns, God’s grace teaches us to live self-controlled lives in the present moment. What is self-control? It’s mastering our moods, impulses, and behaviors. It’s not just delayed gratification, like waiting two minutes in the fast-food drive-thru instead of one, it may mean giving something up completely to instead direct my physical desires for God’s glory and not my own gratification. It’s taking care of my body in a God-honoring way. It’s biting my tongue instead of making that sarcastic remark. It’s saying no to what I want but isn’t good for me. It’s making God’s long-range purposes for me more important than what looks and feels good right now. It’s taking dominion over my desires. And the grand prize for developing self-control now will be heaven’s reward and God’s recognition in the life to come.

Project 52—Memorize:
Titus 2:11-13

“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

In response to the salvation we received through the cross and in light of the salvation we will receive when Christ returns, the Apostle Paul says that God’s grace teaches us to live self-controlled lives.

What does he mean by self-control? It means to master your moods, impulses, and behavior. It is not simply speaking of delayed gratification, which in our culture, means waiting two minutes in the fast-food drive-thru instead of one, or giving up Coke for Lent—and drinking Pepsi instead. Biblical self-control may mean giving something up completely. It is the ability to direct my physical desires to fulfill God’s purposes, instead of using them for my own personal gratification. It means taking care of my body in a way that honors God. It means biting my tongue instead of making that sarcastic remark. It means saying  “No” to something I want but isn’t good for me. It means making God’s long-range purposes for my life more important than what looks and feels good right now. It means to take dominion over my desires.

The root word for self-control meant to “take hold of something” or literally, to “get a grip.”  In whatever particular area of life we struggle, Paul would say, “Get a grip on this thing!”  Don’t let anything be out of your control; bring every area of your life under the supervision of the Holy Spirit. Paul talked about bringing his entire body under control.  He even said he would bring every thought captive. That is what God wants of us, too!

There is no area of life where we’re exempt from developing self-control. We need to blanket our lives with this fruit so that the devil can’t get a foothold and distract us from the life God desires us to live.

Now one piece of advice for cultivating self-control in that particularly resistant area of your life is simply this: Start small!

The old adage is true, “you can eat an elephant—one bite at a time!”  Don’t get overwhelmed with how far you may have to go. God is ready to give you just the right amount of grace and strength to gain mastery over that area right now.  He doesn’t give you a reservoir of grace and strength for a month or a year from now. But like the manna in the desert, he gives you the right amount for today. And tomorrow, he’ll give you the right amount for that day. Do what you can today. You don’t become a spiritual giant by praying an hour a day; you begin by praying five minutes a day. Or maybe three or two. You just begin spending time with God. So it is with any area of self-control. Just begin by identifying your area, ask God for help and then begin to take resolute action steps to gain mastery.

Now here is the good news: There is a prize for us who run the race and train our bodies and discipline our minds and partner with the Spirit to develop the fruit of self-control. It is the reward of heaven and recognition of God in the life to come. It is to have God’s final approval that will make every effort you put forth now to develop self-control, as painful and sacrificial as it may be, worth it in the end.

So go ahead and get a grip!

“Prudent, cautious self-control is wisdom’s root” ~Robert Burns

Reflect and Apply: Offer this prayer as you begin to exercise self-control over your area of resistance: “Father, today I would like to take some small steps to bring self-control to my life. By your strength, may the self-control that I exert over my flesh be pleasing to you and take me a step closer to a life full devotion to you.”

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Be Gentle

Let Your Gentleness Be Evident

SYNOPSIS: Two of the greatest heroes of the Bible—the greatest hero in the Old Testament, and the greatest hero in the New Testament—were noted for their gentleness. These two great men, Moses and Jesus, are the only two the Bible describes as being gentle. Yet they were anything but weak and wimpy, which is how our culture defines gentleness. They were incredibly powerful men. They changed their worlds. Jesus was no weakling; Moses was not a wimpy guy. They were strong, charismatic, winsome individuals, but their lives were guided by love, kindness, compassion, understanding, and patience—in a word, gentleness. Make sure yours is, too!

Project 52—Memorize:
Philippians 4:5

“Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.”

When was the last time you prayed, “God, make me a more gentle person”?

Just what I thought!

Back in the 1830’s, George Bethune, a Dutch Reformed pastor and hymn writer, said,“Perhaps no grace is less prayed for, or less cultivated than gentleness.  Indeed it is considered rather as belonging to natural disposition or external manners, than as a Christian Virtue; and seldom do we reflect that not to be gentle is a sin.”

Did you catch that? “Seldom do we reflect that not to be gentle is a sin.”

If that’s true, and I believe it is, then we ought to pay greater attention and give greater effort to making God’s call for gentleness the prominent character feature of our lives? Now that may not be so easy to do, since we live in a culture that venerates power and promotes aggressiveness and elevates domination as much higher virtues than gentleness—by far.  Chances are, none of your heroes, and certainly none of mine, would be noted for their gentle natures.

But let me remind you that two of the greatest heroes of the Bible—the greatest hero in the Old Testament, and the greatest hero in the New Testament—were noted for their gentleness. These two great men, Moses and Jesus, are the only two men the Bible describes as being gentle. But these two were anything but weak and wimpy, which is how our culture defines gentleness. They were incredibly powerful men. They changed their worlds. Jesus was no weakling; Moses was not a wimpy guy. They were strong, charismatic, winsome individuals, but their lives were guided by love, kindness, compassion, understanding and patience—in a word, gentleness.

Biblical gentleness has nothing to do with being weak or inferior. A. W. Tozer says,

“The meek man is not a human mouse afflicted with a sense of his own inferiority. Rather, he may be in his moral life as bold as a lion and as strong as Samson; but he has stopped being fooled about himself. He has accepted God’s estimate of his own life. He knows he is as weak and helpless as God has declared him to be, but paradoxically, he knows at the same time that he is, in the sight of God, more important than angels…He knows well that the world will never see him as God sees him and he has stopped caring.”

The secular Greeks used the word for gentleness to describe people or things that had a soothing quality about them. It was used of words that calmed a person who was agitated, bitter, angry or resentful. It also referred to an ointment that soothed the pain of a wound. It even meant to tranquilize. And it referred to a powerful leader, such as a king, who had the power and authority to harm or punish, but could be gentle and forgiving of human errors. Gentleness was power under control: It is being strong enough to be gentle.

It is gentleness, in all of these senses, that Paul says is to be evident in us for all to see. So let me suggest that your gentleness ought to be evident to the following people in your life:

  • Number one, with the people who serve you. Take time to be tender with those who meet your needs.
  • Number two, with the people who disappoint you. Be compassionate and gracious, refuse to be judgmental and harsh.
  • Number three, with the people who disagree with you. Be tender without surrender.
  • Number four, with the people who correct you. Be teachable and submissive, not stubborn and inflexible.
  • Number five, with the people who hurt you. Refuse to react. Respond with acts of love.
  • Number six, with people who don’t share your beliefs. Refuse to be critical.
  • Number seven, with the people that live under your roof and in your own home. Be the embodiment of Biblical gentleness with your own flesh and blood.

The God to whom you belong is by nature gentle. He has given you his Holy Spirit to produce the fruit or character of gentleness within you. Now the only question that remains is, will you clothe yourself with his gentleness?

“Mildness in dealing with others…it is to display a sensitive regard for others and is careful never to be unfeeling for the rights of others.”  ~Billy Graham

Reflect and Apply: Here are a few ideas for putting on gentleness: One, reflect on the gentleness of God toward you. Two, ask God to produce gentleness in your life. And three, pray for a specific person on whom you can bestow gentleness.

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Faithfulness—The Truest Success

It Takes Stick-to-it-iveness

SYNOPSIS: What is faithfulness? Simply put, it is to follow through with a commitment regardless of difficulty. It is to be steadfast, especially under duress. It is to have convictions—and then to live them out no matter what. It is to exhibit relational fidelity—stick-to-it-iveness in relationship—which is arguably the most practical and meaningful faithfulness of all. It is to say, “I will not quit. There may be misunderstandings, there may be disappointments, there may be inconveniences, but I will not quit. I will do what love and faith require of me.”

Project 52—Memorize:
Proverbs 2:7-8

“He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones.”

Jamwa Sizoo writes, 

Let it never be forgotten that glamour is not greatness; applause is not fame; prominence is not eminence. The man of the hour is not apt to be the man of the ages. A stone may sparkle, but that does not make it a diamond; people may have money, but that does not make them a success. It is what the unimportant people do that really counts and determines the course of history. The greatest forces in the universe are never spectacular. Summer showers are more effective than hurricanes, but they get no publicity. The world would soon die but for the fidelity, loyalty, and consecration of those whose names are unhonored and unsung.

As we yield to the Holy Spirit, this same fruit of faithfulness that is at the core of God’s character will be evident in our lives, too. The more we are led by the Spirit, the less fickle, the less vulnerable to discouragement, the less easily distracted by temptation and the less prone to inconsistency we will become.

Plus, the more others will find in us reliability, trustworthiness, and staying power through both good times and bad—a faithfulness the world doesn’t witness all that often. As serious followers of Jesus, we have been called to faithfulness!

What is faithfulness? Simply put, it is to follow through with a commitment regardless of difficulty. It is to be steadfast, especially under duress. It is to have convictions—and then to live them out no matter what. It is to exhibit relational fidelity—stick-to-it-iveness in friendship—which is arguably the most practical and meaningful faithfulness of all. It is to say, “I will not quit. There may be misunderstandings, there may be disappointments, there may be inconveniences, but I will not quit. I will do what love and faith require of me.”

Faithfulness is simply, sticking to it, especially when it would be easier not to.

Here are some of the ways the Bible says God has called us to faithfulness:

  • 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 challenges us to be faithful in stewardship.
  • 1 Timothy 5:9 speaks of being faithful in our marriage.
  • Revelation 2:15 speaks of being a faithful witness.
  • Romans 12:12 says we are to be faithful in prayer.
  • Colossians 1:7 speaks of being faithful in ministry.
  • Revelation 17:14 says we are to be faithful in following Christ.
  • 3 John 3 says we are to be faithful to the truth.
  • Revelation 13:10 speaks of faithfulness in times of persecution.
  • Revelation 2:10 says we are even to be faithful unto death.

God, who is faithful and true, wants to cultivate in you his very own faithfulness.  I hope you are ready for that, because the world is perishing for want of those who are mostly un-honored and unsung, nevertheless are faithful, loyal and consecrated.

“I have known many happy marriages, but never a compatible one. The whole aim of marriage is to fight through and survive the instant when incompatibility becomes unquestionable.” ~G.K. Chesterton

Reflect and Apply: How is your relational faithfulness? If you were somebody else, would you want to have you as a spouse or friend or a partner?  Ask the Lord to develop you into a faithful person.

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Oh My Goodness!

Cultivating Goodness of Character

SYNOPSIS: Ultimately, you will be known for your goodness—before both the world and the Creator of the world. It will be your good character, not your great personality, that eternally defines you. Of course, I am not talking about your moral goodness saving you—only grace can do that. But your goodness matters. In the final analysis, it won’t be how gifted you were, how much you accomplished, how good-looking, how smart or rich or powerful you were; what matters to God and impacts a world is simply the external expression of the Biblical goodness God has worked in your life through Jesus Christ as it freely flows from the internal core of your Christian character.

Project 52—Memorize:
Galatians 6:10

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

Ultimately, you will be known for your goodness—before both the world and the Creator of the world. It will be your good character, not your great personality, that eternally defines you. Of course, I am not talking about your moral goodness saving you—only grace can do that. But your goodness matters. In the final analysis, it won’t be how gifted you were, how much you accomplished, how good-looking, how smart or rich or powerful you were; what matters to God and impacts a world is simply the external expression of the Biblical goodness God has worked in your life through Jesus Christ as it freely flows from the internal core of your Christian character.

Goodness comes from the Greek word, agathos. It referred to a moral and spiritual excellence that was identified by its authentic gentleness and active kindness. Goodness is not moral and spiritual excellence alone; it is married to gentleness and kindness. Biblical goodness has to do with our character.  It is both internal—who we are, and external—what we do. We could just as easily substitute for goodness the word integrity: The outer expression of our inner core.

It is this kind of goodness—our integrity of character—that makes you living proof of a loving God to a lost world. As Paul says in Philippians 2:14-15, “Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night…”

So how can you cultivate integrity of character or Biblical goodness in your life?

To begin with, be firm in your commitments. Goodness begins with resolving in your heart that you will live by your values. Integrity of character doesn’t happen just because you can articulate a set of core values, you have to follow through by making a commitment that those values will drive both your private life and your public behavior.

Next, be as flawless in your work. Followers of Christ ought to be the most excellent workers in the work force—wherever your work is, at home, school or in the marketplace. Nothing harms the reputation of Christ like Christians who are chronically late, sloppy, cut corners, and produce an inferior product. Biblical goodness means you are doing your work as if Jesus were your boss or your client.

Then, be faultless in your behavior. Wouldn’t it be a badge of honor if the only criticism people could make about you is that you were a Christian? Someone once said, “if you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?”  If you are criticized, let it be because of Christ in you.

Finally, be as fervent in your faith. Make sure your faith isn’t just a concept; make it a reality in your daily life. Make walking with God number one in your life, with everything else coming in a distant second. When you truly put God first in all that you do, being good and living a life of integrity will naturally, you might even say, supernaturally, follow.

That’s how you cultivate goodness of character: You make a decision, then you live it out in your work before the world and in your walk before God, and you passionately pursue Christ above all else.

Your goodness of character, fleshed out in the real world of your daily life, is the kind of example your world desperately needs. And your Father takes great delight in it, too!

“Every little action of the common day makes or unmakes character … what one has done in the secret chamber [will one day] cry aloud from the house-top.”  ~Oscar Wilde

Reflect and Apply: Firm commitments, excellence in your work, passionate pursuit of God—do any of those need to be shored up in your life?  I know Someone who said he would help if we asked.

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A Competition of Kindness

The Essence of Authentic Christianity

SYNOPSIS: Love is the true essence of Christianity, Jesus taught. But love is no vague notion in the Bible; it’s an action. And there is a word for love-in-action in scripture, and it’s called kindness. Love and kindness go together, and kindness is simply put, love acting out. Furthermore, among other things, kindness is rooted in compassion (to feel in your guts, literally) and it is expressed in the most compelling of ways, through forgiveness. Kindness: your love acting out in compassion and forgiveness. Hebrews 10:24 says, “In response to all God has done for us, let us outdo each other in being helpful and kind…” (TLB) In other words, in gratitude for all that God has done for us, you and I are to engage in a “competition of kindness” with one another. What do you say that go for the gold in that competition!

Project 52—Memorize:
Ephesians 4:32

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

One day a man came to Jesus and said “Lord, what’s the most important verse in the whole Bible.”  Jesus said “Love God and love your neighbor as yourself.  That summarizes the entire Bible.”  (Matthew 22:36-40, Free Translation)

That’s the whole essence of Christianity. Jesus was saying that nothing matters more in life than relationships—with God, first, and with others running a close second. You can be successful in every other area of life, but if you are failing in your relationships, you are in danger of failure in God’s book. Galatians 4:14  puts it succinctly yet powerfully: “For the whole Bible is fulfilled in keeping this one command: ‘love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Jesus said the identifying hallmark of authentic Christianity, is love. John 13:35 says, “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Not that you have Bible knowledge, not that you give money to start churches in the unreached world, not that you are a deacon or teacher or soloist in your church, but that you love.

Now there is a word for love in action in the Bible, and it’s called kindness. Love and kindness go together, and kindness is simply love in action.  Furthermore, Paul indicates that kindness, among other things, is rooted in compassion (to feel in your guts, literally) and expressed in the most compelling way of all, through forgiveness. Love in action: kindness, compassion, forgiveness. Titus 3:4-5 reminds us, “when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us…” 

When you are kind, love moves beyond thought or feeling and you take action in a practical way. There is so much power in kindness because our world knows very little about genuine kindness. It knows a lot about selfishness, violence, and hatred. That’s why what the world needs more than anything else right now is massive doses of kindness, and Christians ought to be leading the way, showing our world this kind of love in action. You and I have the power to change a life, a community, a world—not by political power, not by imposing our will, not by enormous resources—but by Spirit-empowered acts of kindness.

It might be interesting to note that the Greek word for kindness is “chrestos”.  That’s just one letter different from the Greek word for Christ, “Christos”. When the first church began 2000 years ago, chrestos and Christos were often confused in the Roman Empire—they thought Christians were simply people who believed in kindness. It was known as the “kind religion.” What a thing to be confused with! And what a powerful thing their kindness was, In a mere 300 years, this small band of kind ones won over a hostile empire.

Has anyone ever confused your Christianity with kindness? The truth is, our lives will be evaluated not just on what we said we believed, but on how we treated other people. This isn’t just some minor issue, it’s the heart of Christianity.  The core of our faith is this love in action. And at the nucleus of love in action is kindness. In the Living Bible, Hebrews 10:24 says, “In response to all God has done for us, let us outdo each other in being helpful and kind…” 

God says in light of what He’s done for us, we are to engage in a “competition of kindness” with one another.

I hope you go for the gold in that competition.

“Because of God’s deep love and concern for you, you should practice tenderhearted mercy and kindness to others…” ~Colossians 3:12 (LB)

Who needs your proactive and practical kindness today? Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “You cannot do kindness too soon, for you never know how soon it will be too late.” So, get after it!

A part of kindness consists in loving people more than they deserve. —Joseph Joubert.

Reflect and Apply:  The more understanding you are of a person, the kinder you’re going to be to them.  That is why it is so easy to be unkind to strangers. Reflect on Hebrews 4:15-16—one of the most comforting truths about how Christ perceives us, “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same temptations we do, yet he did not sin.” Now, work on gaining a greater understanding of the people in your life with whom you have the greatest difficulty being kind.

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Grace For Your Weakness

Cling To Grace Like Your Life Depends On It - Because It Does

SYNOPSIS: Ever wonder why God allows you to struggle with certain things? Perhaps there is a physical limitation from which you have asked God time and again to heal you, but to no avail. Maybe there is a limitation in your ability to learn or speak or a lack of confidence in interacting with others that holds you back vocationally or relationally, and you have desperately sought for God to give you victory over it, but to no avail. Perhaps there has been a struggle with a particular sin over the years, and you have agonized in prayer that God would remove it, but your prayers seem to have fallen on deaf ears. The truth is, God allows you to struggle so you can learn to cling to his grace as if your life depended on it—because it does.

Project 52—Memorize:
2 Corinthians 12:9

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

Do you ever wonder why God allows you to struggle with certain things? Perhaps there is a physical limitation from which you have asked God time and again to heal you, but to no avail. Maybe there is a limitation in your ability to learn or speak or a lack of confidence in interacting with others that holds you back vocationally or relationally, and you have desperately sought for God to give you victory over it, but to no avail. Perhaps there has been a struggle with a particular sin over the years, and you have agonized in prayer that God would remove it, but your prayers seem to have fallen on deaf ears.

The Apostle Paul had something like that going on in his life, too. He called it a “thorn in my flesh”. He saw it as a direct assault from Satan. And he prayed intensely that God would deliver him from whatever it was. There has been speculation as to what the thorn in the flesh actually was. Many think it was a physical malady. Tradition tells us that Paul had plenty of physical limitations. Some think the “thorn” was a person who was opposing Paul and his work. Then there are a few who surmise that it was a temptation to which Paul was particularly susceptible. Who knows for sure, but what we do know is that it was really bugging Paul—to the point that he felt frustrated enough to get really serious before God about it.

One of the things I appreciate about Paul is his ability to gain an eternal perspective on things. He was able to re-theologize the negative circumstances in his life to where he could see the mighty hand of God aligning things for his benefit. Such was the case here. If God saw fit to leave this pesky thorn in Paul’s side, then God must have a purpose. And the purpose in this case, he finally figured out, was to keep him from conceit, since throughout his ministry he had been given so many unusual experiences in the supernatural dimension that it would have been easy to become spiritually prideful. Paul needed a little humility, and God gave him a thorn to keep him weak, and therefore humble, in a particular area.

But it wasn’t just humility for humility’s sake that Paul needed, God wanted Paul to come into a much more important understanding of how the Kingdom of God works. God wanted Paul to have a firsthand experience of grace. Paul was the Apostle of grace, so through this experience where all he could do to survive was depend on God’s unmerited favor, he learned to hang on to grace for dear life. Paul learned one of the most important lessons a Christian can ever learn: Through grace, our weaknesses are parlayed into God’s supernatural strength, which enables us to achieve kingdom success that result in all the credit going to God.

That’s why Paul could be grateful for his weakness. That’s why he could tolerate his thorn. That’s why he could turn his disadvantage into an advantage. Satan afflicted him with a thorn, but God watered it with grace and it budded into a rose. Charles Spurgeon wrote,

Soar back through all your own experiences. Think of how the Lord has led you in the wilderness and has fed and clothed you every day. How God has borne with your ill manners, and put up with all your murmurings and all your longings after the ‘sensual pleasures of Egypt!’ Think of how the Lord’s grace has been sufficient for you in all your troubles.

God’s grace is sufficient—always. It was sufficient for Paul. And because God is the same yesterday, today and forever, and because he loves you just as much as he did Paul, God’s grace will be sufficient for you! Start looking at your thorn from a different perspective. It might hurt a little—or a lot—but God is going to use your present struggle to achieve an eternal glory that will far outweigh any discomfort you feel in the present.

In that sense, go ahead and glory in your weakness, for when you are weak, God is strong.

“To all who find their days declining, to all upon whom age is creeping with its infirmities, to all whose strength seems steadily to ebb…God seems to take our last things, and as it were, pack them up for our journey. These are tokens that you are approaching land. They are signs that the troubles of the sea are almost over.”  ~Henry Ward Beecher

Reflect and Apply: Do something a little unusual today: Thank God for your weakness. Then re-imagine that weakness as an avenue for you to receive his strength! Once you have done that, allow God to reveal his grace in your “thorn in the flesh.” Finally, do a little boasting that in that weakness; you are being made strong in God’s strength. This exercise might seem a bit weird, but you are in good company—it’s what Paul did!

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Redemptive Patience

Try Enjoying Your Trials

SYNOPSIS: Benjamin Franklin said, “those things that hurt, instruct.” In review of the growth in your life, you have probably found that to be true, as I have. The best lessons in life have come from the things we wouldn’t have chosen for ourselves: a failure on a test, the break-up of a romance, the loss of a job, the denial of a dream. Of course, at every one of life’s speedbumps there is a choice either to get bitter or to get better. It all depends on our response to these difficulties. If we choose the better route of patiently and joyfully enduring our trials, God promises to give us maturity, wisdom, lasting riches, eternal reward, and a variety of other divine gifts. So, if you’re going through a trial, think about this spiritual principle: bad happens to me so that good things can happen in me so that eternal things can happen through me.

Project 52—Memorize:
James 1:2-3

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”

Benjamin Franklin said, “those things that hurt, instruct.” In review of the growth in your life, you have probably found that to be true, as I have. The best lessons in life have come from the things we wouldn’t have chosen for ourselves: a failure on a test, the break-up of a romance, the loss of a job, the denial of a dream.

Of course, at every one of life’s speedbumps there is a choice either to get bitter or to get better. It all depends on our response to these difficulties. If we choose the better route of patiently and joyfully enduring our trials, here are a few of the God-ordained growth outcomes that James mentions:

  • Maturity—Verses 2-4: Patiently and redemptively enduring trials takes us through a cycle from pain to patience to perfection.
  • Wisdom—Verses 5-8: Painful trials always cause us to scratch our heads and seek guidance for a way forward. For the believer, this is always an opportunity to go to God—through prayer, by his Word, and through his people—to ask for wisdom. And God will always give it in liberal amounts.
  • True Riches—Verses 9-11: Trials have a way of reminding both poor and rich that wealth and material things are fleeting, but our relationship with God isn’t. When everything else fades from view, the true richness of belonging to God is all the more appreciated.
  • Eternal Reward— Verses 12-15: Patience in suffering will be rewarded with the crown of life on the day we stand in eternity before God. This life will soon pass, and eternal life will begin. Enduring suffering for a season—even if it is an entire season of life—will seem like a blip on the radar a billion years into our eternal life. Bad happens to me so that good things can happen in me so that eternal things can happen through me.
  • Sundry Gifts— Verses 16-18: Suffering redemptively also has a way of helping us to appreciate the variety of God’s gifts that we might otherwise overlook. We become much more sensitive to life, and thus, much more grateful to God.

Suffering is never much fun. No one in his or her right mind would purposely choose it. But when pain finds us, if we dedicate ourselves to going through it redemptively, the reward will be the joy of our spiritual transformation.

“Don’t you realize that someday you won’t have anything to try you, or anyone to annoy you again?  There will be no opportunity in heaven to learn or to show the spirit of patience…If you are to practice patience, it must be now.” ~A.B. Simpson

Reflect and Apply:  Take a moment to thank God for those things that you have suffered—or are currently suffering. They hurt, but better yet, they have been instructive. They are helping you, causing you to move closer to the Father., who is standing by you, sustaining, strengthening and perfecting your character.  For that, you can, in faith, express heartfelt gratitude.