Day 33: A complete joy?

James 1:2-4
Consider it a great joy, my brothers, whenever you experience various trials, KNOWING that the testing of your faith produces endurance, BUT endurance must do its COMPLETE work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.

when I read that 1st thought is . . man I have some growing up to do, because many times when going through hard stuff I don't consider it a joy, and I don't think of it as something that's going to produce endurance. This scripture says KNOWING that the testing of your faith produces endurance. Let me be honest many times here lately i haven't consider harsh moments of my life a joy. I haven't thought about the fact that they bring about endurance when I stay faithful through these times. Lately I'll go as far as to say I've allowed myself to slip into depression. I noticed this a few days ago and have taken steps to move forward, but this scripture is convicting, yet encouraging.

Convicting because it shows me that I have been going about things the wrong way, and encouraging because of the reassurance that even when things are happening that are rough God is still working with me through these things. If I continue to be faithful to Him and stand upon His word and ENDURE I will only become a stronger man of God.

God's word doesn't just tell us what's bad for us
God's word tells us his heart for us
and His heart isn't for us just to be good
but for us to be Holy
and the awesome part is that He works on us when we trust Him

My big prayer and honestly prayer request
. . .

I miss my old warrior spirit
I don't know what happened
I let things creep into my life and suddenly it was gone

Some days I feel like a Sampson with no hair
Please be in prayer for me
because I'm taking steps to move forward
and there are days
when at the middle of the day
I feel like a champ
and then at the end of the night
I feel depressed
and I don't like this
I don't like it at all

Pray for me to show up!