Friday, March 18
When My Faith is Challenged
My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing. —James 1:2-4 (NRSV)
I am always amazed at the perseverance shown by individuals impacted by disasters. Statements are usually given on camera by victims standing amongst the rubble of what was once their home. Following the December 2021 tornadoes that ravaged Kentucky, not one person that I saw interviewed expressed hopelessness or despair. Quite the contrary. Their conversations were filled with expressions of faith, hope and gratitude. There was much sadness and frustration, but so many openly expressed their faith in God and hope for a brighter day; gratitude that they (and family/friends) had been spared, that their material losses did not matter in the big picture and that God had been good. They were eager to get back to work and onto the road to recovery.
As I marveled at their resilience, I was forced to think about how I would respond to such a trial in my life. Would I be able to say how grateful I was if my home and all my material things were literally blown away by a hurricane or tornado and/or a family member or friend was killed? Would my faith be strong enough to produce the kind of endurance that James speaks of? Would that sustain me as I was faced with that long, rough road ahead?
How would you respond?
We might also think about how friends and family of Jesus responded following His crucifixion. Some acted immediately. Joseph of Arimathea boldly asked for, and received from Pilate, Jesus’ body. He then placed Him in his own personal tomb. Though distraught, Mary Magdalene and the other women wasted no time in returning to the tomb to care for Jesus’ body. On a broader scale, we know that the remaining 11 disciples followed Jesus’ directive to “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
Dear Heavenly Father, as I face trials in my life, let my faith in You produce patience and endurance so that I can respond in a manner that will allow me to grow from the experience. AMEN.
Claudia Fowler