| Good Morning Everyone, Our theme for this month: “Stay strong” Our Bible verse for today: “Consider it great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4 (CSB) Our thought for today: “Learn to be calm and stay tough” This morning I want to continue thinking about our example from yesterday regarding Prince Philip and the fact that everyone who knew him considered him to be a pillar of strength, fortitude, and calmness. How did he get that way? How did he achieve the ability to handle trials, troubles, and tough situations with a in a calm, cool, clear-headed way? He learned it. It was a developed and nurtured character trait. Part of it was the old British “stiff upper lip” thing. Part of it also came from his training as a military officer. In the military, officers are trained in the technique of “command presence”. It’s the ability to project a calm and cool demeanor and a sense of being in control in the middle of difficult and even crisis situations. So as a young officer Philip would have been trained to think and act that way. But of course, the primary source of that calm, cool, clear-headed sense of confidence and control came from his faith in God. Prince Philip was a man of deep faith. He committed those situations to God in prayer and then he resolved to “stay calm and carry on”. Another important insight comes from the Apostle James in James 1:2-4 (above). James teaches that we learn to be calm and tough by being calm and tough. In other words, when we’re faced with difficult situations and we handle them well, we will then handle such situations even better in the future. Those experiences make us stronger. That’s why James begins that lesson by telling us to “Consider it great joy … when you experience various trials …” It’s because the experience of that trial can and will make you stronger and tougher. That then will make you even more confident in handling similar situations in the future. We learn to be calm and tough by being calm and tough when it matters most. That happens when you face your problems head-on, commit them to the Lord in prayer, and then just deal with it. We can all learn to be calm and tough even in the most difficult of situations. God Bless, Pastor Jim |
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