Good Morning Everyone,
Our theme for this month: “Worry”
Our Bible verse for today: “Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.” James 1:2- 4 (HCSB)
Our thought for today: “Thank God for your problems.”
I want to apologize in advance. I’m going to start your day off by telling you something you don’t want to hear. Ready? Here it is: “Your problems are good for you.” Yes, you read that right, your problems are good for you.
I don’t mean that the problem itself is necessarily good, many problems are bad, but the fact that you have problems to work through is actually a good thing because it makes you stronger, it makes you better.
Former Navy Seal Eric Greitens (a Christian), in his book “Resilience”, offers some interesting insight about this. He writes:
“We need challenges to master and problems to solve. If we are trapped in a life where everything is provided for us, our minds fail to grow, our relationships atrophy, and our spirits deteriorate … In the long run deprivation of purpose is as destructive as deprivation of sleep. Without a purpose we can survive, but we cannot flourish … You need a worthy struggle in your life.”
This is what James meant in James 1:2- 4. God uses our struggles and trials to make us stronger and better. In fact, God allows struggles and trials into our lives specifically so that He can then use them to train us and grow us and mature us into the men and women He wants us to be.
When we experience problems and challenges the natural human tendency is to worry about the outcome. A better response would be to consider what we can learn through the experience and how dealing with the situation can make us a better person, a better Christian.
So today, as you encounter the problems and challenges that will inevitably come your way, rather than worrying about them, try learning from them. Ask God to show you what He wants to teach you through this situation.
And please, if someone tells you the story of their flat tire don’t respond, “Well, Jim said it’s good for you.” Be sure to explain “why” Jim said it was good for them.
God Bless,
Pastor Jim
Oak Hill Baptist Church 