Ripening

James 1:² “… when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. ³ For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. ⁴ So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”

The greater your threshold for pain, the greater your capacity for leadership. In positions of leadership, expect people to will say horrible things about you, can you take it? People will stab you in the back and in the chest, do you have the bandwidth for that level of betrayal? God says, it is in the face of such pain that your endurance gets a chance to grow. When your boss bullies you or treats you unfairly so much so that it is clear to even those around you, he is just wicked, God says your endurance has a chance to grow. it has a chance to grow so let it grow! The Bible says, “So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing” [with emphasis]. Perfect here means you will be mature.

God needs you on the table of life mature because an immature fruit is not useful to the world. Your immaturity does not help anyone and for God to mature you and I, He puts us through the grind. Sometimes we suffer because of our own foolishness, sometimes because of our own choices, sometimes we suffer because of the choices of others, yet sometimes we do not know why we are suffering. Take note that James says nothing about the source of the trials. Apparently, God is more concerned about our response to trials than the reason for trials. Unfortunately, most people are more focused and concerned about the reason for trials and they allow their responses to become sour. That is when you see people behaving like children whose toys have been taken from them. Meanwhile, God is more interested in our responses to trials of any kind.

In everything that is happening to you, God is watching how you are responding, and watching what you are saying. I urge you to make a shift today, take your focus from the reason for the trial and focus on God’s wisdom and strength. While man is overly concerned with the reason for the trial, God ignores the source of trials completely. Regardless of the source of the trial, God says, it is an opportunity for you to grow, to become strong. God watched your responses because it is your responses that determine whether you get promoted or get a carryover. This is why it seems like some people are stuck, going around the same mountain over and over again for years. It is a carryover. I pray you will not have carryovers, in Jesus Name.

Prayer: Holy Spirit, You are my teacher, I open my life and I submit to You. Teach me, grow me, help me rejoice no matter what and have the God responses, in Jesus Name. Amen!