james 1:2-3
Apr. 25th, 2022 04:27 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
prismaticbleedMy brothers and sisters, consider it nothing but joy when you fall into all sorts of trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. (James 1:2-3 NET)
My great suffering from failing health is uniting me to both Christ's Passion and death on the Cross, and to the sufferings of countless human souls enduring starvation, malnutrition, and other health calamities that I have been spared from. Through all this I am being painfully but powerfully trained to detach from the luxuries and comforts of life, even my own preferences and habits, letting go of all earthly affections and securities to instead fix my mind and heart and remaining bodily strength entirely on living for God and serving Him in all facets of my life. Endurance cannot exist in easy, smooth situations.
Endurance is born and thrives in hardship, in struggle, in pain-- but it requires HOPE to survive. How can you endure, if not knowing that God has promised an end to all suffering? Fixing our hearts on heaven, we endure all trials with joy, having been graced with a real opportunity to do so, and realigning our lives to match heaven even now. The sudden recognition of death strips us bare of all superfluous things, leaving only the essential... leaving only our faith in Christ. We endure for the sake of life, yes, but not earthly life! We know that it will end, and there will be pain for as long as it lasts. But we must endure in hope, in faith, until that end-- again, with great joy, for our eternal life in Christ begins even now, as we join Him in His sufferings.
Our faith is tested in order to prove its strength. Be grateful for that test, for even if we stumble, now we see our weak spots and we can point them out to God for fortification. A test is graded to show your progress in learning to live the life of Christ-- a poor grade only invites mercy! It is not the end! You will get more lessons, exactly what you need, for the next test. God is a loving teacher, albeit strict; He wants you to pass (on) with flying colors and He WILL do everything in His (infinite) Power to achieve that in you... but you, student of the Most High, must do your part. Study, practice, review, and never give up-- you cannot fail if you keep trying; God will never abandon you. Just don't drop out, beloved!! No matter how difficult the test-- no matter how severe the suffering-- the end result is guaranteed if you endure: eternal joy.
My great suffering from failing health is uniting me to both Christ's Passion and death on the Cross, and to the sufferings of countless human souls enduring starvation, malnutrition, and other health calamities that I have been spared from. Through all this I am being painfully but powerfully trained to detach from the luxuries and comforts of life, even my own preferences and habits, letting go of all earthly affections and securities to instead fix my mind and heart and remaining bodily strength entirely on living for God and serving Him in all facets of my life. Endurance cannot exist in easy, smooth situations.
Endurance is born and thrives in hardship, in struggle, in pain-- but it requires HOPE to survive. How can you endure, if not knowing that God has promised an end to all suffering? Fixing our hearts on heaven, we endure all trials with joy, having been graced with a real opportunity to do so, and realigning our lives to match heaven even now. The sudden recognition of death strips us bare of all superfluous things, leaving only the essential... leaving only our faith in Christ. We endure for the sake of life, yes, but not earthly life! We know that it will end, and there will be pain for as long as it lasts. But we must endure in hope, in faith, until that end-- again, with great joy, for our eternal life in Christ begins even now, as we join Him in His sufferings.
Our faith is tested in order to prove its strength. Be grateful for that test, for even if we stumble, now we see our weak spots and we can point them out to God for fortification. A test is graded to show your progress in learning to live the life of Christ-- a poor grade only invites mercy! It is not the end! You will get more lessons, exactly what you need, for the next test. God is a loving teacher, albeit strict; He wants you to pass (on) with flying colors and He WILL do everything in His (infinite) Power to achieve that in you... but you, student of the Most High, must do your part. Study, practice, review, and never give up-- you cannot fail if you keep trying; God will never abandon you. Just don't drop out, beloved!! No matter how difficult the test-- no matter how severe the suffering-- the end result is guaranteed if you endure: eternal joy.
