As a sequel to yesterday's blog on suffering among Christians, I just finished writing a blog, which promptly disappeared and now I am having to write it over from memory. I am trying to remain joyful. I think I just felt the corner of one side of my mouth turn up in a weak smile.
Nonetheless, I wanted to introduce James encouragement to "count it all all joy, my brothers when you face trials of many kinds....so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything" (Js 1:2-4). He affirms that suffering can be life giving.
In nature, the cone of the Jack Pine remains closed until the awesome heat of a forrest fire, which destroys the adult trees, opens it and allows the charred cone to seed the burnt forrest floor. The trial of fire produces new life in the Jack Pine.
Imagine a gym whose only equipment were comfy couches, and it's trainers served your favorite desserts. Or a college that had no reading assignments, no papers to write and no finals. We expect our gyms and colleges to test us and try us and apply enough pressure to produce new muscle, new knowledge, new life.
Whatever trial we may go through in life, in Christ we have the victory. In Him we overcome and develop spiritual muscle and one day receive our eternal reward in Heaven. Trials are not fun but can produce reason for joy, if we remain faithful. Jus' Sayn.
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