Be Unafraid To Be You!Sample

Trample the Negatives

Have you ever considered the tough seasons and situations God allows in your life are for a reason? That they have a divine purpose? 

The truth is that the Lord isn’t as concerned with your comfort as much as He’s concerned with your character. God is always in relentless pursuit of your heart and healing. And that sometimes means He allows hard things, knowing He can use them in powerful ways to accomplish His plans in you. But it requires us to find the grit and grace to trample the negatives and trust God’s plan, even when we can’t fully understand it. 

In today’s scripture, James is asking us to do hard things. Not only that, he’s reminding us that God made us with a built-in ability to actually do them. And then he finishes by telling us the end result if we persevere. We must…

1) Stand in the mess 

James is encouraging us to face the tricky situations life brings our way rather than finding a way out. While it may feel unbearable, we have the gumption to dig deep and stick with it. Persevering will eventually produce joy. 

2) Embrace the test 

James is asking us to be present in our mess. We’re to grab onto God and walk into it. And if we choose to accept what He has allowed to come our way—knowing it’s for our benefit and His glory—then our faith will mature. 

3) Remember endurance is the quest 

James then shares the why, encouraging us that God will give all we need to get through it. And as a result of standing in the mess and embracing the test, our faith will prove authentic. The goal isn’t avoiding pain, but instead allowing it to make us complete. 

Sometimes it’s just a tweak in our perspective that can help tame negativity. Seeing our situation from a divine viewpoint can usher in peace, knowing that God has us in His sights. Because when we face tough situations, our response often reveals our faith. So will we complain and be negative, or choose to rely on God’s help? Will we grumble and protest, or ask God for strength and wisdom? Will we find the grit and grace to be the joyful and hopeful woman we were made to be, or not? Will we trample the negatives, or adopt them?