Daily Devotional: To endure … or not

"My brothers and sisters, whenever you face various trials, consider it all joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance complete its work, so that you may be complete and whole, lacking in nothing." — James 1:2-4. NRSVUE

This passage is true, I just don’t like it much!

In the midst of troubles, I just want them to end.

I recall sitting with a Pastor who was in a difficult Church. He was not a hard or mean man. He had a great Pastor’s heart and his heart was being grieved. After we spent much time in prayerful consideration, he determined that it was God’s will for him to stay at that Church. He felt he was there to give a stubborn, rebellious church a chance to discover the true Grace of God.

I have learned that when working with unreasonable people or just facing a difficult task, it doesn’t mean we are doing the wrong things or are in the wrong place. Sometimes, the difficulty is part of the very thing we are intended to experience. Personally, I don’t like it much, but there you go.

Prayer: Lord, give me the wisdom to know when to endure and when to make a change — even if that change is in me.

Rev. Dr. Michael Sanders has books of Devotions available at Ken’s Village Market in Indian River as well as Brewed Awakenings in Saline.

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Daily Devotional: To endure … or not