May You Grow in Faith
When I was in the 4-H Club, one of my projects was to raise potatoes. I got a 100-pound bag of seed potatoes, cut them so there was an eye present and planted the potatoes. I’d go by every day to see if the potatoes were coming up. To my dismay, day after day there was nothing. My father told me that the “seedling stage” was the most important phase in a plant’s life. This gave me the patience I needed as I watched the progress of my potato patch.
After waiting for several weeks, I finally saw green sprouts coming up everywhere. As the summer progressed I had a massive potato crop. When I dug them up at the end of the season, I had 39 bushels of potatoes. I had potatoes for my family and even enough to sell some and give some away.
Many times in our life, we have struggles. We sometimes get discouraged when instead we need to look at the words in James 1:2 – James tells us to “consider it pure joy” when “we face trials of many kinds.” If you’re like me, you may think – what can be delightful about trials?
The letter of James tells us believers in Jesus that we must grow in wisdom. The Greek word teleios is used which means “mature.” To me “mature” means we need to live a life in which our actions flow from our beliefs. James is drawing attention to any behavior that stands in contrast to what true faith in Christ demands.
God will sometimes allow us to go through challenges and hardships so we can be molded into what we are called to be. God wants us to come out of the trials of life “mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:4) I learned to be patient and wait for the “seedling stage” with my potatoes. God will guide us through our trials as we “mature” in His Word.
Prayer – Father, sometimes the trials I face seem unbearable. Give me the strength to persevere and help me to grow in my faith. Amen.
James 1:4 – “Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
Author: The Rev. Tommy Herndon
Photos: Courtesy of AdobeStock and Unsplash (Eric Prouzet)
