I was surprised and amused to see our stuffed cat doll, Garfield, smiling cheerfully with only his head protruding from the garbage can.
We have a container for everyone in the office to pay for hot and cold beverages stocked in the break room. As you may know this is commonly called the ‘kitty.’ Therefore, one of the ladies in the office brought in Garfield to remind everyone to “feed the kitty” when they take refreshments.
Unfortunately for Garfield, some anonymous employees good-naturedly persecute the stuffed feline. It is not uncommon to enter the break room to find poor Garfield taped to the wall, stuffed inside a glass vase or peering from the depths of the trash can.
As I and other employees chuckle at the latest plight of poor Garfield finds himself in, I notice that at least Felix appears to take his trails well; a beaming smile always stretches from ear to ear. Perhaps we could all gain a lesson from Garfield’s ability to cheerfully endure.
We are begotten children of God, potential members of the soon to expand God Family. And our trails are correspondingly far more important – and more severe – than the amusing mild persecution inflicted on Garfield.
Perhaps you haven’t thought about the full importance of the trails you face. I suspect that all of us would agree with the Apostle Paul’s remark that “for the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant” (Hebrews 12:11). Perhaps we would term his remark as one of the great understatements in the Bible.
But Paul underscores the importance of that godly discipline: “later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (verse 11).
Let’s think about that. As mortal humans, we don’t like pain. Humanity’s progress is often virtually immobilized by the desire to be comfortable.
And when pain comes, we immediately react to reduce it, whether physical or mental.
But consider this: The trails we endure after surrendering our wills to the great God have a different portent than those suffered by the unconverted. God Himself fashions His divine righteous character within us.
I’m sure God prefers that we be self correcting. After reading His commands in personal Bible study or hearing them expounded in sermons, we should be spiritually conditioned to immediately change wherever we differ from God’s ways.
But let’s be honest. How often have you and I, after learning more of how our ways differ from God’s been a little slow to apply these principles in our lives? Perhaps we had good intentions. Perhaps we didn’t even realize at the time how much we differed from God’s way. But we practiced spiritual procrastination.
God doesn’t have time for us to spiritually procrastinate. Even as you read this, He is busy preparing the Church, making us ready as its members to become the Bride of Christ (Revelation 19:7). He thus uses our trails to teach us vitally important lessons.
We should therefore have a different attitude about our earthly afflictions. Notice the comments of James in 1:2-3.
But if you try to resist and wiggle out of God’s correction and discipline, you might miss an important lesson. See what James says in verse 4.
Understand that this doesn’t mean that you should ask for trails and persecutions. Instead, when you find yourself in torment, ask God not only for deliverance but for wisdom to understand the lesson He’s trying to teach you.
Appreciate that the great God of the universe is indeed personally working with you. If you’re in the full blown fury of a trail, use your prayer time, on your knees, to read and meditate on the 12th chapter of Hebrews. This is a simple principal that I have failed to follow far too often during my life.
Realizing the purpose of our trails helps greatly. You will then find yourself smiling in the face of great adversity.
Pleasantly enduring until the end in complete comfort was not promised by God. On the contrary, God say that “through many tribulations we must enter the Kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22).
But we have God’s incredible promise of salvation (read I Peter 1:6-7).
