BY GREG CRUM

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptation; 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.” James 1:2-4

“Consider trial and temptation a joy? What are you thinking James?” You can imagine that may have been the thought of many that first day these words were read to the Christians of the first century, and you definitely know that is the reaction of many modern believers to the encouragement to count life’s difficulties as a joyful steppingstone to better days ahead. Nevertheless, the fact remains that these are not just words opined by an old-time follower of Jesus. These are the very words of God! The Lord commands us to use joy as a weapon against the onslaught of the enemy in our lives and to allow what’s on the inside of us to surface in the most difficult of life’s circumstances.

The last several weeks we have written of developing the character traits of God in our lives. This country as a whole, and our community specifically, would be in less of a mess if believers thought and acted more like Jesus. The call to conform to the image of Christ is not without strategic application. God desires that we look and sound more like His Son so that others may see concrete examples of what He has to offer humanity. Sadly, up to this point we’ve been poor “floor models” for the Lord in this generation, but that can change. We can determine to develop the characteristics of Jesus in our lives by growing what’s already in our hearts and allowing those divine deposits to dominate what we think, say and do.