ARE WE GOING TO HAVE TROUBLES?

"My brothers and sisters, when you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience. Let your patience show itself perfectly in what you do. Then you will be perfect and complete and will have everything you need." James 1:2-4 (NCV)

Rewind to Blog post December 9, 2008...
I was going through a situation that I was having to wait on happening and was having a hard time being patient.

Fast forward to February 24, 2009...
Still having to wait on the same situation. Was it hard? Is it hard? Yes, very much so!!

We recently began a study on the book of James in Sunday School on February 1st so I'm reading these same verses again. Do they say IF we go through trials or troubles? No, they say WHEN. It's a guarantee. WE WILL GO THROUGH TROUBLES!! So what do we do when we have disappointments and difficult times? What do we do when bad things happen to us? How do we handle it?

Sometimes people hurt my feelings. Sometimes I feel like I totally missed God. Sometimes I even feel like He let me down. I just want to throw in the towel and give up. This is too hard. I want to walk away, go in another direction. Well...this is how I have felt recently. Have you ever felt this way? It's a battle sometimes, isn't it? Deep in my soul, I felt like if I gave into this though, I would drown. That's the only way I can describe the battle that was raging in my spirit. I literally felt like a part of me would die and my relationship with God would never be the same.

I'm so thankful God wouldn't let go of me and let me go the way I wanted. I'm so thankful, instead, He drew me close to Him and gave me this verse..."Through Christ, God gave me the special work of an apostle, which was to lead people of all nations to believe and obey. I do this work for Him." Romans 1:5 (NCV)

I'm not saying I think I'm an apostle. What I am saying is God reminded me that EVERYTHING I DO IS FOR HIM...not anyone else, not only when things are going good, not when my feeling are NOT hurt. He has called me for a special work, and I do it for Him. God reminded me why I do anything I do. I can never give up.

So remember, when it doesn't go the way we think it should have, when people let you down, when life gives us disappointments, when troubles come our way...OR when life is great and we're on top of the world...whatever situation we're in, don't foget IT'S ALL ABOUT JESUS!!

Keep your eyes on HIM and don't give up!!