Notice on a slight format change:

Except for July 2012, these are mostly a collection of current devotional notes.

July 2012 is a re-write of old quiet times. My second child was born Nov 11, 1987 with multiple birth defects. I've been re-reading my QT notes from that time in my life, and have included them here. They cover the time before the birth and the few years immediately after the birth. They are tagged "historical." I added new insights and labeled them: ((TODAY, dd mmm yy)).

Friday, May 12, 2023

QT 5/12/2023 James 1:19-21, Responding to trials

James 1:19–21 (ESV) —

19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

 

NOTE: There are many ways that people respond to trials. The most common is to complain (slow to hear and quick to speak), and to get upset and mad (quick to anger). Complaining and getting mad is the opposite of the response that God seeks. Having said that, let me add to James in the very slightest sense. God gave us emotions and it is not correct to suppress them and put on a stoic face. Stoicism (a form of dishonesty) is not a Christian response to trials, although most Christians seem to think that it is. We need to let our emotions out, but we need to let them out to God (in prayer), and we also need to let go of the anger (it cannot run for months upon years). Some people never let go, because they do not go to God in prayer. The other key is the word of God, but again, a person must go to God and meet with him in his word. Quite frankly, again slipping away from James in a slight way, sharing the word of God with someone deep and raw in pain is the most unhelpful thing in the world. Even worst are some of the trite Christian statements. When the trial is new and raw and hurting, just cry with them. There will come time to share truth, but it is never at that point. Ultimately, every person must individually meet with God in prayer (total honesty) and in the word (quick to hear).

 

PONDER:

  1. How do I respond to trials?
  2. Do I put on a stoic face? Am I fake? Am I unwilling to admit my hurts? Do I understand what true feelings are? I will never be compassionate and empathetic if I can't understand my own emotions.

 

PRAYER: Father, these lessons have come through many years of trials. Even now, it is hard to thank you for the trials, but I do thank you for the results.

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