Patient Perfection

James 1:1-8

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus
Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered
abroad, greeting.
2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into
divers temptations;
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith
worketh patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye
may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God,
that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth
not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For
he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven
with the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive
any thing of the Lord.
8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.

The book of James was written around 44AD to 62AD. Many of the early followers of Jesus Christ in faith were afflicted with trials of their faith. But James says 'count it all joy' that their faith is in trial.

"count it all joy" - literally: do it now; not as
some joy mixed with much grief, but whole joy

count - to lead, i.e. command (with official
authority), to deem, consider

To 'count it all joy' is to take command of the situation, to remember your faith and God's fullness of faith to overcome your trials and to know that from your trials you will gain wisdom and understanding.

Psalm 119:75

75 I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right, and
that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.

God uses our trials and afflictions to test our faith and to develop it further that we may gain wisdom and understanding. The Test is for my Best. Knowing this, have patience through your trials and wait on the Lord's solutions. Impatient believers want all of the blessings and none of the trials, but it is many times that through the trials come the greatest blessings.

Psalm 46:1

1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present
help in trouble.

1 Peter 1:7-9

7 That the trial of your faith, being much more
precious than of gold that perisheth, though it
be tried with fire, might be found unto praise
and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus
Christ:
8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though
now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice
with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the
salvation of your souls.

You think you know what you want, but God knows what you need. To develop your faith to more fullness practice patience - waiting on the Lord to persevere through your trials.

Deuteronomy 8:5

5 Thou shalt also consider in thine heart, that,
as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God
chasteneth thee.

"The way most persons accept misfortune is the
greatest misfortune of all; while nothing is a
misfortune if patience be allowed to have its
perfect work."
~ Edward John Hardy, Christian scholar

The Grim Reaper Preacher says, "Try reading the Bible from cover to cover - you'll like it."