Kidzablaze Devotions

James 1:1-4

1 James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.

2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,

3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Do you ever wish you were more patient? Most of us would say yes! But how do we acquire a calm, gentle heart? And what can we do to help strengthen this attribute over time?

Let’s start by thinking of patience as a muscle that has to be used in order to become stronger. Toward that end, believers should recognize difficulty as an opportunity to develop their patience. The human instinct is to cry out to God in bewilderment when tribulation comes. We blame. We resist. We complain. But what we should do instead is say, “Thank You, Father—it’s time to grow in patience!”

James tells us to consider trials a joy (1:2). But we often fail at this, don’t we? Humanly speaking, praising the Lord for tribulation feels unnatural. However, doing so begins to make sense to believers when they cling to God’s promise that good comes from hardship (Romans 8:28). We are not waiting on the Lord in vain. We can praise Him for the solution He will bring, the lives He will change, or the spiritual fruit He will develop in us.

Accepting hardship as a means of growth is a radical concept. But God’s followers have cause to rejoice. Tribulation increases our patience so that we can stand firm on His promises and await His good timing.