Every Friday I join a community of bloggers for Five Minute Friday. One word prompt, five minutes. Unedited. The prompt this week is … Trial.
First thought upon seeing the word prompt was … we do anything to avoid them. No one wants to go through trials in life.
Trials are unavoidable, coming to us all in many and varied ways.
“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-3, NASB)
James reminds me there is a purpose in the trials we go through. Somehow they develop an endurance, making us perfect in our faith.
He also reminds me to to expect trials. Life will not always go smoothly or the way we want. I once read, ” Outlook determines outcome, and attitude determines action” (Warren Wiersbe).
Maybe what I am learning along the way in life is this – look beyond the difficulty. Look to the end result. Look beyond the difficulty, sometimes the pain, to what it is achieving in me. The endurance, or stamina achieved in the present, will develop in me what is needed in the future.
God gives us the grace to endure each step of the way,
as we lean on Him.
Photo by Gary Ellis on Unsplash
Today I am joining …
Wonderful post ma’am. Took me many years to finally understand how to discern between a trial and temptation. The answer is really very easy (who does it point you to), but I had “forest for the trees” syndrome and couldn’t see what God placed in front of me all along. Loved it!
The waves are runnin’ awful high,
and it really seems
I should kiss my…uh, donkey goodbye
along with all my dreams,
or that, at least, is the advice
of grim white-coated men
who really try to be nice
and tell me to ‘remember when’,
for there is not much ahead
‘cept pain which will get worse,
followed soon by being dead,
but I ain’t gonna curse,
for high waves are known for birthing
some really bad…uh, donkey days for surfing!
My family is going through a time of trial due to covid. I am thankful we can go to God and seek His peace.
I haven’t heard this quote before, Joanne, “Outlook determines outcome, and attitude determines action” (Warren Wiersbe).
Love this, Joanne. The looking beyond to the end result. It reminds me of Hebrews 12:2, “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Where would we be if Jesus had not looked beyond to the end result?
I also shared from James today on my blog. I enjoy Warren Wiersbe’s writing and had heard the quote before, love it. Excellent writing, thanks for sharing.
Trails bring blessings!
That’s so true–we would do almost anything to get out of trials. Yet God does things in our hearts through them that aren’t accomplished any other way. I still wince at the thought and hope to have as few as possible, but also try to discern what God wants to teach me in them.
Good post, Joanne.
Thanks for sharing.
I don’t know who first said it so I can give them credit, but the test comes before the testimony
James has been a common feature of blogs this week! Many thanks
Just popped by from FMF #36