How Do You View Your Trials?

James 1:2 (KJV)
² My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;

Life has a way of making a swift transition without any signs or warnings.  It is interesting how one day you are perfectly well and the next day terminally ill.  One day you are on top of the world and then the next day you are looking up from the bottom.  One event can change the course of our life forever.  The reality of life is we do not know what will happen in our lives from day to day.   None of us can control what happens to us, but we can control how we respond to what happens.

James writes this letter to encourage believers who were suffering great trials.  Many of them had become discouraged because of the trials they were suffering.  Often times we become discouraged because of what we experience.  James says that in the midst of trials we can be encouraged if we look at our situation the right way.  How do you view your situation?  Do feel like God is picking on you?  Do you feel like a victim?  James says to count it all joy.  We need to have the right attitude about our situation.  What is your attitude concerning your situation?  Are you negative in the midst of your trial?  Are you difficult to deal with? 

James said to have joy.  Joy is an internal condition not based on our external conditions.  True joy can only be found through a relationship with Christ.  Do you have real joy?  If you don’t have true joy in the midst of your trial, it may be your relationship with Christ is out of place.  James also expresses we are not exempt from trials.  There are some things we have to go through to grow.  Trials are designed for us to grow.  When we are going through it, we need to seek to discover what God is trying to teach us.  We need to thank God for the opportunity to grow.  Do you thank God in the midst of the pressure, pain, and plethora of perplexities? 

God bless and keep you is my prayer.