Can We Be
Reflection of God Today?
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever
you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith
produces perseverance. James 1:2-3 (NIV)
Someone asked C.S. Lewis, "Why do the
righteous suffer?" "Why not?" he replied. "They're the only
ones who can take it." Someone once noted that the Christian life is lived either coming out of one trial or going
into another one. Why is that? Simply put, God is in the refining business.
The book of James reads like a how-to
manual for your faith. Fundamentally, the Bible can be divided into two categories.
The first category deals with how to know God, which is the theological aspect,
and the second category deals with how to follow God, which is the
practical aspect.
The book of James largely deals with the how-tos
regarding following God, as James challenges believers to live out their faith
every day. Although James does not say so outright, he is a strong supporter of
the idea that actions speak louder than words. Therefore, Christians should be
loudly proclaiming their faith in God by the way they live their lives.
For the Christian, life in the real world
means that trials are inevitable, and James points out two important and practical
things to remember when we go through trials. The first is perspective, and the
second is purpose.
Outlook determines outcome, and attitude
determines action. If trials are going to produce the proper outcome in our
lives, then we must look at trials with the proper perspective, which means
that we are to have an attitude of joy. James is not saying that trials are
joyful experiences, or even that we should enjoy
going through trials. Rather, we must make the decision to ‘find’ the joy in every
trial. James says we should “count it pure joy.” In other words, we are to make
a careful and deliberate decision to evaluate our trials in light of what God
is doing in and through them.
How long must we endure, and how long will
God keep us in the trial? Let us take a lesson from a silversmith who holds the
silver in the hottest part of the flame. He never lets it go and never takes
his eyes off what he is working on, because if the costly metal is left in the
fire a moment too long, it becomes worthless. How does a silversmith know when
the silver is refined and when he should remove it from the heat? He knows the
silver is refined when he can see his reflection in the silver. God wants to
see His reflection in us, and He will leave us in the heat of a trial for as long
as it takes for us to reflect His image more clearly.
Can we be a reflection of Him today?
No comments:
Post a Comment