James 1:2-4 AMP
“Consider it nothing but joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into various trials.  Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace].  And let endurance have its perfect result and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfect and completely developed [in your faith], lacking in nothing.”

Face it, nobody wants trials and troubles, but we also have to face facts that most of the time we do not grow when everything is going smoothly. When someone chooses to work out, if they choose the easy weights, they can’t build muscle strength. Same way for cardio, If someone rides a bike or walks for cardio, they can’t get their heart rate up unless they go faster and longer.

It’s the same way in the Spirit, if everything is easy, we tend not to grow spiritually strong. We ask God to remove the hard stuff in our lives because we want to be comfortable but when tough times come and we work through those tough times and we ask God to help us through and make us wiser, we get stronger in the Spirit.

The best advice from James? “…let endurance have its perfect result and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfect and completely developed [in your faith], lacking in nothing.” Remember the results, three words that makes it all worth it; “lacking in nothing.” That’s the reward!

Prayer:
Lord, I lean on You, I trust You in good times and hard times. You will never leave me or forsake me or let me bare my burdens alone.