fill in the blank

[Pamelasv]

James1:2-4

 

Consider it all joy my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your _____ produces endurance.  And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

 

Ok.  I know that word is supposed to be 'faith'.  How could you put it into different words tho?  I picture this scripture as molding our character by these trials.  What does that have to do with faith then?  Perhaps it has to do with the more trials you go thru the more you see God working things out, the more you have faith that He will work out the next one.  So how then does that make you perfect and complete lacking nothing.

[Guest]

 

IMO

As A Growing Child

The More Time Spent With Him

The More One's Love And Adoration Will Grow

 

For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith. Romans 1:17

[Fez]

James1:2-4

 

Consider it all joy my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your _____ produces endurance.  And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

 

Ok.  I know that word is supposed to be 'faith'.  How could you put it into different words tho?  I picture this scripture as molding our character by these trials.  What does that have to do with faith then?  Perhaps it has to do with the more trials you go thru the more you see God working things out, the more you have faith that He will work out the next one.  So how then does that make you perfect and complete lacking nothing.

Martin Luther said, "Patience is not in the waiting, it is in how one waits". 

 

One waits in faith.

[turtletwo]

 Excellent topic! Thought provoking and one that I relate to. Faith is such a vital part of being a Christian. It helps keep us alive, spiritually... Much like the air we breathe helps keep us alive physically.

 

Good idea, this is. Not trying to add to the Scripture or rewrite (change) it...but sort of like the Amplified Bible does and digging more meaning out of a verse. But adding descriptive terms that shed more light on it.

 

I would say something like this for filling in the blank: "heart" While I know our heart is not the same as faith, there is a connection...for faith flows from the heart. Also, we make a conscious choice when we move forth in faith so the word 'will'...as in 'free will', comes to mind. 

 

Of course, faith runs deeper than these... but the heart and the will are both involved. 'Strong believing/clinging to' are other attributes that I see as being associated with faith. Hope that this is helpful.

[turtletwo]

 

James1:2-4

 

Consider it all joy my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your _____ produces endurance.  And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

 

Ok.  I know that word is supposed to be 'faith'.  How could you put it into different words tho?  I picture this scripture as molding our character by these trials.  What does that have to do with faith then?  Perhaps it has to do with the more trials you go thru the more you see God working things out, the more you have faith that He will work out the next one.  So how then does that make you perfect and complete lacking nothing.

Martin Luther said, "Patience is not in the waiting, it is in how one waits". 

 

One waits in faith.

 

Thanks for sharing that quote by Martin Luther, Fez. I had never heard it before now and it is a really good one. Patience and the way one waits... definitely a component of faith! Btw,I happen to collect inspirational quotes ( to help strengthen my own faith when it is wavering. ) And I'll be adding this one that you shared to those.   Just wanted you to know that.

[Fez]

 Excellent topic! Thought provoking and one that I relate to. Faith is such a vital part of being a Christian. It helps keep us alive, spiritually... Much like the air we breathe helps keep us alive physically.

 

Good idea, this is. Not trying to add to the Scripture or rewrite (change) it...but sort of like the Amplified Bible does and digging more meaning out of a verse. But adding descriptive terms that shed more light on it.

 

I would say something like this for filling in the blank: "heart" While I know our heart is not the same as faith, there is a connection...for faith flows from the heart. Also, we make a conscious choice when we move forth in faith so the word 'will'...as in 'free will', comes to mind. 

 

Of course, faith runs deeper than these... but the heart and the will are both involved. 'Strong believing/clinging to' are other attributes that I see as being associated with faith. Hope that this is helpful.

Amen Turtle, well said!

[Marilyn C]

Hi Pamelasv,

 

Good, thought provoking subject. I would say .....the testing of .....`our plumbline of life` & `the substance & direction & foundation of our life` ...produces endurance. Are we off course, trusting something, someone else, the trials & testings will show where our hope & trust & faith is. It is the fine tuning in every area of our lives, all our lives till we are fully mature, content in all things, having let go of the pull of anything on our heart.

 

Marilyn.

[Guest Butero]

If you were going to enter a marathon, you can't reasonably think that you can be out of shape, and run 25 miles.  You have to work up to it gradually.  You start out small and add to the distance you are able to run.  The same thing applies here.  As your faith is tested, you gradually get stronger and you are able to stand up to greater trials. 

[turtletwo]

If you were going to enter a marathon, you can't reasonably think that you can be out of shape, and run 25 miles.  You have to work up to it gradually.  You start out small and add to the distance you are able to run.  The same thing applies here.  As your faith is tested, you gradually get stronger and you are able to stand up to greater trials. 

A good comparison. I hope this topic will be kept as 'hot', for I feel God could use it to speak to those who are in the midst of trials right now. Perhaps it will reveal things that they need to know. Amen?

[Willa]

One way I exercise faith is to pray about the little things, especially for help finding the things I have lost, for cars that won't start, before attempts to do household repairs, and for those every day annoyances. Chances are that nothing goes right till we pray about them. But as God is faithful about these things, He reminds us that He cares about us, and will be faithful to help us in the big things. He wants us to depend on and rely on Him. That is one way that believe is defined. That is why some of His names are The Lord Who Heals, the Lord Our Peace, the Lord Our Rightousness, and the Lord will Provide.

1 Peter 1:6b-7 you have been grieved by various trials that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor and glory and the revelation of Jesus Christ.

2 Peter 1:5-8 But also for this reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to your virtue knowledge, to knowledge self control, to self control perserverance, to perserverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The point of these scriptures is that we are to continue to grow in our dependance on God and not rest on our laurals. Having a religious experience when we were at church camp doesn't count for much if we haven't continued to grow in applying God's word to our lives and continuded to pray and depend on Him. Trials establish and stregthen our faith. They keep the seed of the word from dieing because it does not have root. They insure that our works are not burned and we are not just saved as by fire. They eventually produce the abundant life that Jesus came to give us, and produce fruit of the Spirit in our lives like faithfulness and patient endurance.

However, I have to admit that rarely think to add trials to the list of "joys". They just don't feel joyful at the time when my first reaction is usually fear, sadness or discouragement. I have to remind myself that God loves us and has been faithful to help us for years. That is why He sometimes lovingly chides me saying Willa, oh you of little faith.