Consider it all joy? uh,ok

Ever been in that place where you don't want to be? A place where things just aren't going your way...kinda like i wish i could have just stayed in bed kind of day...or week!

Coming to God and asking whats going on then expecting immediate help or relief is what we think how it should be. Ok, maybe i'm the only one ! The point is regardless if we're having a rough time there is a unseen reason. You and i know that all our lives we were told to be strong and take control of our lives, our destiny and make our own choices in life. Then one day we come to a place where we realize we might have made some bad decisions and that doesn't help matters. There are others that don't seem to have that problem and aren't doing bad at all. That really doesn't change anything!

Why? Because regardless what we may think of ourselves, when we come to that place where we finally accept Jesus Christ into our life and begin to see how much he cares and has plans for us... everything changes. WE change! Good, Bad, or Whatever!

Theres only one problem and that is that we now begin to learn to depend on him for everything as he would want it. Our choices, decisions, strength, control and destiny are now from Our Father, Our God and Savior. Everything we learned in that sense now has to be unlearned then learned from him. Ouch! Not something we're good at doing or even letting go of and understandably so. But to really learn His Ways we simple must!

This scripture is one of those that hit home in both a good and bad way. It is very self - explanatory.
I don't like how it begins but see why it happens. God always has a reason even if we don't quite get it! Sometimes stepping back aways helps to trust that God is in control not us. Sometimes stepping back helps to see the picture a little more clearly.

This says alot about how it is and how its gonna be....
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JAMES 1 :2-8

New American Standard says it this way...

v. 2 - Consider it all joy my brothers, when you encounter various trials.
v.3 - Knowing that the testing of you faith produces endurance
v.4 - And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete lacking in nothing.
v.5 - But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
v.6 - BUT let him ask in faith without ANY doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
v.7 - For let not that man expect that he will receive ANTHING from the Lord,
v.8 - being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

King James Version puts it like this...

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.
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Either way you read it you see the expectation, how to deal with it and why. You see the assurance and the instruction along with the promise and to learn and possibly mature by it as a person... IF.

Here you see that God understands us and how we might not be "prepared" so he also offers wisdom to help us understand and see the whole picture never holding it against us (reproach).

He also in all fairness warns us too. God can teach us many things about Him, ourselves and life BUT we have to be serious about wanting to learn, wanting to believe and practice that belief, that faith.

There is no magic lamp to rub here! Either we are real and sincere or not. This is what our faith is about and with it we can move mountains within our own lives! Without it we are a shipwreck waiting to happen!!

Ever met someone who has a hard time committing to something? Theres no rocket formula to it. Its either a simple yes or no right? Ever met people who are afraid to say NO and actually lie at that moment knowing they aren't going to do whatever they agreed to. Some will flip-flop back and forth from one minute to the next, never dependable, never reliable.

The few bible verses say alot don't they?
Lets see what we say now. And let us see how God handles it!
Interesting verses to read and to learn.

I will admit i been guilty of all this myself , so now i know what this means to me and how to deal with it more His way than mine. We will learn. Or should i say...will we learn.
Food for thought