Many of God’s strongest warriors are now enduring some of the most painful situations in their lives. Pressure from all sides, receiving condemning, judgmental and harsh words from people in the church, emotional abuse from their spouse, disrespect from their children, control and manipulation from their employer, city, state and national government and having all their enemies’ gossip, betray and lie about them, dealing with sickness and having hardly any money left in their bank account. You can do EVERYTHING correct as God has directed you – not thinking that you can endure one more trial – and yet be in God’s perfect will. All the great warriors for Christ suffered and were persecuted, all the while doing exactly what God wanted them to do.
We are all being stretched to our maximum in order to be stronger for the upcoming months of war against the enemy in the world as well as showing God who we really are and what we are made of. It is always important to ask the Lord if there is anything that needs to be loosed from us (pride, unforgiveness towards someone, sexual impurity, etc.) but sometimes you can be doing everything that the Lord has asked and still endure some extreme trials and tribulations that will be used later in your ministry to help others. If you are going to be helping people who struggle in their marriage or have gone through divorce then you will have to struggle in your marriage and go through a divorce so you know what it is like. If you are going to help people who have children who are prodigals then you will have to have a child that is a prodigal.
James 1:2-25 NKJV
Profiting from Trials
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
The Perspective of Rich and Poor
9 Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, 10 but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. 11 For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.
Loving God Under Trials
12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. 14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. 15 Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.
16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. 18 Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.
Qualities Needed in Trials
19 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; 20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
Doers—Not Hearers Only
21 Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
Show God that you trust Him with all of your heart and soul and pursue all things of Christ and come away from the worldly way as there are many in the church who are not right with the Lord and will cause others to stumble. Have no idols before the Lord that would give legal rights to demons to torment you. Do only what God tells you and do not allow yourself to be negatively influenced by anyone. You may even have to choose between your own spouse, family or relatives and God. Always choose the Lord realizing it will never be easy but will always be worth it. Often times God will have you do things that everyone else in the church would come against you on and tell you “God would never tell you to do that.” God does things that man would not do. His ways are not our ways. Listen to God and do what He says.
Thank you Jesus for this word. I was so blessed and encouraged. Thank you brother Neilson this is a right now word for the Body of Christ. I will pray inviting you to speak at a small group.
God bless you