James 1:2-4 – Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunityfor joy.  For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.  So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and read for anything.

Trials are not always pleasant and most of us strive to avoid them at any cost.  They are inconvenient, uncomfortable, and difficult to endure sometimes.  But they are a part of everyday life and we are not immune to them.

Soldiers, mixed martial arts fighters, or a football team must go through vigorous training to get ready to meet the demands of their objectives.  Their training is hard, but it helps to expose weaknesses or blind spots in their skill set.  If they chose pursue their mission, they will lose in utter defeat.  But as they train, they grow in their skills, enduring the hardship their training brings.

Christians and their journey in their walk with Christ are no different.  Our journey will require trials and hardships.  We will face uncomfortable situations, inconvenient truths, and difficult circumstances.  The trials we face will expose our weaknesses and our blind spots.

When we learn to adapt to our trials, we need to look up at our Lord, who is working in us.  We should be joyful when God allows us to go through difficult circumstances.  Because as we go through trials, we can know that God has promoted us to a new level in spiritual maturity and growth.  He knows we are ready for what comes next.