Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,
knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance, and let
endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect
and complete, lacking in nothing.
James 1:2-4
Our church is going through small group Bible studies on the book of James. I was very excited about going through the book, and being in the small groups. We finished the first 3 Bible studies, covering the whole first chapter. I felt like I had some great opportunities to count it all joy, and rejoice in the fact that God was working to bring me closer to him through those "hard" times.
Then God decided to really give me a test in thanking Him for my trials.
It's a long story, but I got terminated from my job. While specifics aren't necessary, I will say that I did make a mistake, but that it was also a fairly common and easily corrected mistake. And for some reason, God allowed me the one who got reported, and the one who got fired.
This post isn't to try to make you feel bad for me, or tell me how hard it must be for me, but rather to inform you all about how great my God is!
I had wanted to learn about James, and God gave a me great opportunity to really understand better the first chapter.
James 1:12 says that "...a man who perseveres under trail...he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him."
God desires me to be close to Him, but as the human I am, I'm usually not seeking Him if things are going really well. Sometimes it takes things like getting fired to make me fall on my face and ask for His wonderful grace.
James 1:17 says that "Every good gift is from above coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow."
Something I had pray that God would help me remember is that every good gift comes from Him - and those gifts are necessarily things that I consider good, but they are good for God's glory. And God does everything for His glory.
I am still working on being thankful for being fired, but am so thankful that God is working to bring me closer to Him through it!
