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Be Careful!

"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience." (James 1:2-3)

Christians are often told, “Be careful what you pray for!” If we pray for patience, we will likely encounter interruptions, delays, and distractions. If we pray for generosity, we will likely meet with people or situations that could benefit from our resources. And if we pray for perseverance, we will likely experience trials and tribulations. In other words, character traits are only developed by situations which test those traits in our life.

When James wrote his letter to believers who had been scattered abroad, he told them that the testing of their faith would produce patience (or perseverance, in some translations). And that patience has a goal: our spiritual and emotional maturity. Immature people become discouraged easily. Therefore, we need experiences which will teach us not to become discouraged and will make us more mature. Another way of saying “maturity” is Christlikeness. God uses everything in life—especially the hard things—to conform us to the image of Christ (Romans 8:28-29).

If you experience troubles or trials today, look for how you might grow more mature by exercising patience and perseverance. And be careful how you pray!

"We persevere through faith - and never apart from it." (Sinclair Ferguson)

Source: The Daily Encourager
Good morning!

THE NEED TO BE LOVED

"I have loved you with an everlasting love." (Jeremiah 31:3)

Charles Shultz, creator and author of the Peanuts comic strip, often conveys a Christian message in his humor. In one strip, he conveyed through Charlie Brown the need we all have to be loved. Charlie Brown and Lucy are leaning over the fence speaking to one another:

Charlie Brown: "All it would take to make me happy is to have someone say he likes me."

Lucy: "Are you sure?"

Charlie Brown: "Of course I'm sure!"

Lucy: "You mean you'd be happy if someone merely said he or she likes you? Do you mean to tell me that someone has it within his or her power to make you happy merely by doing such a simple thing?"

Charlie Brown: "Yes! That's exactly what I mean."

Lucy: "Well, I don't think that's asking too much. I really don't." Standing face to face, Lucy asks one more time, "But you're sure now? All you want is to have someone say, 'I like you, Charlie Brown,' and then you'll be happy?"

Charlie Brown: "And then I'll be happy!"

Lucy turns and walks away saying, "I can't do it!"

The need expressed by Charlie Brown is one that we all feel -- the need to be liked, the need to be loved, the need to be accepted. As a result, we do a lot of things to try to get those things from people around us, but we often find ourselves rejected.

Fortunately, there is Someone who will say to us, "I love you! Not because of what you've done. Not because of what you're going to do. I love you unconditionally because you are my child. And nothing can ever happen that will ever change that. Even if you mess up, I will still love you. Even if you don't love me in return, I will still love you."

Charles Schultz was right when he put the words in Charlie Brown's mouth. That's all we need to know in order to be happy. What Lucy was unable (or unwilling) to do for Charlie Brown, God has done for us. It makes a difference in how we see ourselves. It makes a difference in how we relate to God. It makes a difference in how we relate to people around us.

"Very few people will die to save the life of someone else. Although perhaps for a good person someone might possibly die. But God shows his great love for us in this way: Christ died for us while we were still sinners. So through Christ we will surely be saved from God's anger, because we have been made right with God by the blood of Christ's death. While we were God's enemies, he made friends with us through the death of his Son. Surely, now that we are his friends, he will save us through his Son's life. And not only that, but now we are also very happy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we are now God's friends again." (Romans 5:7-11)

Source: The Daily Encourager
Good morning!