Bagatelle: An unimportant or insignificant thing.
Trivial: Of little significance or importance.
Blip: A temporary or insignificant phenomenon.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (Romans 8:18) 

When our focus is on the trivial, the bagatelle, the blip, ourselves, our suffering is even harder.

Joy!

Instead, we are commanded to consider our trials, our suffering, all joy.

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials. (James 1:2) 

We can have a joyful attitude as we go through trials.

Why Joy?

Near Term

James and Paul give near term reasons why trials can be considered joy.

knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:3–4) 

And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope. (Romans 5:3–4) 

Eternal 

In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:6–7) 

Near and eternal

[Persecution] will lead to an opportunity for your testimony. (Luke 21:13) 

Be glad in that day [when persecuted] and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. (Luke 6:23) 

Hebrews 11 gives many examples , both near term and eternal for considering trials as joy.

How Joy?

Look beyond

In order joyfully consider trials, we have to look beyond the trial for the results, both near term and eternal. We have to determine in advance that we will look at the Lord and not ourselves, not our suffering (see The Big Picture). 

Trust God

And… we have to determine, in advance, that we will trust God and do what He says in our difficult situation. (See Mad Enough to Die and Point of View) Remember that, for Christians, God is our loving sovereign. God is in control and promises to bring good out of all things (Romans 8:28).

Obey God

Obedience always, ALWAYS, brings blessing. 

~~~

Father, help me, help us, continually look to You in love and trust. Help us honor You through whatever comes our way.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. At the end of the age, God will create a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth passed away. (Genesis 1:1; Revelation 21:1)

The whole universe is God’s.

Whatever is under the whole heaven is Mine. (Job 41:11)

The world is Mine, and all it contains. (Psalm 50:12)

God knows, creates, and controls, everything from the beginning to the end.

Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, “My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure.” (Isaiah 46:10)

When we grasp, even a little, who God is, when we see the big picture, we can put things in perspective.

In the big picture, God brings glory to those who believe. In our daily lives, God promises He is making us into the image of His Son.

Determine to look at the big picture. The troubles of this world cannot compare.

~~~

Read Job 38-41! God gives Job the big picture!

God asked Jonah if Jonah had reason to be angry. Jonah: “i have good reason to be angry, even to death” (Jonah 4:9).

Whoa!

Last week, Pressing on Together was about me-centered versus God-centered points of view (See Point of View).

Jonah is a great example of me-centeredness.

You know what happened. God told Jonah to preach to the Ninevites, but Jonah fled. God intervened (!), Jonah repented from the belly of the fish, and then Jonah did what God commanded. But Jonah was furious that God saved Jonah’s enemies, the hated gentile Ninevites.

God asked Jonah if Jonah had reason to be angry and Jonah was still furious. “Mad enough to die.”

Well…we know that Jonah was a sign of Jesus’ death and resurrection. (Matthew 12:39-41).

But we don’t know if Jonah ever repented of his anger that God saved the Ninevites.

The question for us: when we are very angry (about whatever), are we able to get out of our me-centeredness, hear God’s point of view, and repent?

It is so easy to let our emotions run ahead of our minds, and stay there. And it can be difficult to stop, take stock, hear our Lord, confess, and walk according to the Spirit and now the flesh.

I am so grateful that God is working in us not only to want to do His will but also to actually do His will (Philippians 2:13).

Father, please help me, help us, listen to You when I, when we, are “mad enough to die.”

~~~

P.S. Here is more encouragement. After Jonah’s initial rebellion, God still used him! (See Encouragement)

We see the world through our own points of view. “You are the window through which you see the world.”

For the self-righteous, narcissist, and self-centered, it is me-centered. “My truth.” “How does this affect me?” “Me, Myself, and I.” They are the main characters in their own play.

For the Christian

For the Christian, as we grow in the Lord, we know His truth more and more, and increasingly see the world through God’s word, through sanctified spiritual eyes. We increasingly want to see ourselves, our situations, and the world, through God’s eyes, with eternity in mind.

In our relationships with others, we are more apt to consider their points of view. We are more apt to feel compassion, empathy, and learn from others.

We have the responsibility to recognize when we are thinking/feeling/acting from our own me-centered point of view and deliberately seek our Lord’s guidance. For example: “I am really really REALLY angry.” We must learn how to stop (sometimes that isn’t easy!) and ask the Lord for help. And then do what He says! And then, confess.

This is a process.

Our role in developing a God-centered point of view is to:

1. Study God’s word. Reflect on His word. Apply His word to our lives. Believe Him!
2. Pray.
3. Ask ourselves: What does God’s word say about this? What should I think about this situation? Is there something I should do?
4. And do what He says. We learn as we obey.

Press on!

We can be in a fix, with the only remedy being time.

What do we do in the meantime?

It is easy to spend out time regretting the choices or events that got us here. “If only I’d left a new minutes earlier.” “If only I hadn’t…” If only that bug hadn’t been going around in my school, my workplace.” “If only we weren’t stuck here until the weather improved.” “If only we hadn’t lost power.” Those are examples of being stuck for a period of time.

It is possible to lose opportunities by looking to the past, ignoring the present, and wasting the future.

Instead, let’s look how to use the unexpected “downtime” doing something that will matter later.

How can we best use this unexpected time? What does this make possible?

This is AWFUL!

Yet You are holy (Psalm 22:3)

This is HORRIBLE!

Yet You are Creator, Sovereign, Faithful, Loving.

Father, help me, help us, rejoice in who You are. Help us rejoice in Your holy, loving faithfulness.

The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished (Exodus 34:6-7).

Father, help me, help us, trust in Your righteousness, and trust that You are fulfilling Your holy plan.

Father, help me, help us, know, really know, that You are bringing Your children, those of us who have received Christ as Lord and Savior, to glory.

Praise Your holy name.

Do you love Jesus with the highest, self-sacrificing (agape) love?

Do you seek the Kingdom of God first?

Do you love God with your whole heart, soul, mind, and strength?

I certainly fall short.

Be encouraged!

Jesus asked Peter if Peter agape loved Him, and Peter said that he phileo loved Him (was affectionate toward Him). (John 21)

And Jesus gave him a ministry!

We don’t deserve our salvation, our spiritual growth, God’s forgiveness, or the ways God gives us to serve Him. But God’s love for us, His children, we who have received Christ as Lord and Savior, is infinite and everlasting.

Ask Him

Ask God for greater love for Him.

Praise Him

Praise Him for His love, His mercy, His grace. Know that glory awaits.

Be Encouraged

The world is noisy. And family, friends, co-workers, fellow students, bosses, media, entertainment, etc., etc., etc. have a lot to say, not all of which is helpful (but some is). Some of which is wrong. Some of which is evil.

Some of these sources are from the world, and are not of God.

They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them (1 John 4:5).

We have to be careful who and what we listen to. What we heed. What we act on. What we obey.

Take care how you listen (Luke 8:18).

Listen to Me! Listen to God’s Son!

Oh that My people would listen to Me! (Psalm 81:13)

This is My Son, My chosen One; listen to Him! (Luke 9:35)

How to Listen

We are to hear with a good and honest heart.

Hear the word in a honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance (Luke 8:15).

Let these words sink into your ears (Luke 9:44).

Hear and Believe

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life (John 5:24).

In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation–having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise (Ephesians 1:13)

Hear and Obey

Everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock (Matthew 7:24).

Some cannot hear. Some hear and reject.

Pharisees, scribes, chief priests, Herodians listened, plotted, and tried to catch Him, trap Him, in something He said so they might accuse Him, might destroy Him (Luke 11:54, Luke 20:20, Mark 3:6, Mark 12:13).

Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things and were scoffing at Him (Luke 16:14).

For the time will cone when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths (2 Timothy 4:3-4)

Self-Assessment

How good are we at listening to the Lord?

Do we know how to discern truth from error?

How well do we know what God says to us?

Do we know who and what to listen to… and who and what to ignore?

~~~

Father, please help us long for Your word, study Your word, and apply Your word to our lives. Please help us distinguish truth from error. Please help us obey You.

~~~

I had a glitch with emailing last week’s blog. Here it is: Everywhere I Look.

We have choices everyday about where we look/gaze/stare. And we have choices about our interpretations. We are responsible.

Where we look can lead us astray. Achan saw something beautiful that God had prohibited. Then Achan coveted them and took them. And then he concealed them in the earth inside his tent. Then he was killed for his rebellion against God. (Joshua 7)

On the other hand, Job determined not to fall into lust: I have made a covenant with my eyes; How then could I gaze at a virgin? (Job 31:1)

We are to:

Look to the Holy One (Isaiah 31:1).

Look to the eternal things not seen (2 Corinthians 4:18).

Look for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus (Titus 2:13).

Look for the eternal city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God (Hebrews 11:10).

Look intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abide by it (James 1:25).

Look for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3:13).

We are to fix our eyes on Jesus

In order for us to run our Christian race with endurance, we are to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:1-2).

~~~

Father, help us notice what You want us to see, and help us see and think and act with eternity in mind. Please help us turn our eyes away from our fears and worries to Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ.