Are You Ready for Anything!?

I have friends who are going through troubles that seem more than they can bear. Maybe that’s how you feel too. Think about this: the only reason we consider them to be ‘trouble’ is that they are beyond our ‘natural’ ability. In the spiritual realm, increased spiritual life is directly proportional to decreased natural life. And in order to be decreased in our natural abilities, we must be challenged beyond what we think we can endure. When we’ve reached the end of our resources, we’ll be eager for His.

Every ‘proven’ person knows it is not easy times, but hard times that provide the most opportunity for growth. This is why James calls these troubles “opportunities for joy” (James 1:2 NLT). Without the conflict and pressure produced by these troubles, we would become spiritually passive and ambivalent. James goes on to say: “For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything” (James 1:3-4 NLT).