God Did Not Send This To Improve You

Count it all joy sounds like something written by someone who has never had a hard month. It is easy to read that verse and feel slightly lied to.

James 1:2 to 4 says, "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." Read it slowly. He never says enjoy the trouble.

And notice what he does not say. He does not say God sent this. When you fall into it, is how he puts it. God is not handing out hardship as a training programme.

What is true is that something comes out of it when you stay. Two people can go through the same year and come out differently, and the difference is rarely the size of the trouble. It is what they kept holding onto while it lasted.

So patience here is not gritted teeth. It is staying put on what God said while nothing has changed yet, which sounds small and is actually the whole thing. You are not doing that on your own strength either. The Holy Spirit is the one holding you there, and He does not get tired halfway through your situation.

You are not being put through something to become worth more to God. You already are. You are just being carried through something that came at you.