Celebrate the Storm
- Jan 17
- 7 min read
Life is a wild ride. One minute we're riding high and the next minute we feel like we've hit rock bottom. It's full of ebbs and flows; ups and downs. There is never one without the other. I know I've gotten caught up in the back and forth before. The rock bottom usually hits the hardest and seems to never end. If that resonates with you, take a walk with me through James 1:2-8.
"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,"
James 1:2 ESV
Wait...what? James is suggesting that we should see hardships as a good thing. How does that even make sense? I know for me, there have been many trials and hardships that definitely didn't bring me joy. How can I count something that seems to be beating me down as a good thing?
"for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness."
James 1:3 ESV
Hold up. So this hard thing is testing my faith? Kind of like when I'm at the gym and am testing to see how much weight I can lift. Okay. I can work with that. But what does it mean to be steadfast?
To be steadfast means to be dutifully firm and unwavering. When your faith is tested, you are having to choose to stand strong in God's promises and faithfullness. Each time your faith is tested (or you add more weight to that bar) and you come out the otherside, your faith grows and your trust in God grows deeper.
"And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."
James 1:4 ESV
Because your faith has grown and you've become steadfast in God, you won't lack anything. The reason you won't lack anything is because God will fill the gap for you. You don't have to have the strength or the power to do it yourself. Where you are weak, He is made strong.
"But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 ESV
Here Paul is stating the importance of relying on God through our hardships. We could never fully experience God's strength if we didn't have weaknesses or hardships. You never really understand how important something is until you need it and don't have it.
"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. "
James 1:5 ESV
If you are in need of guidance or wisdom in a situation, ask God for help. He is a generous God. If you ask for wisdom, He will give you wisdom (Matthew 7:9-11). After all, He knows all things. If you seek understanding and understanding is needed for the situation, He will give it to you.
"But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."
James 1:6-8 ESV
If you are asking for wisdom or guidance, you need to be coming from a place of faith. If we are continually doubting and playing the 'what-if' game, we will never find solid ground. It's a constant back and forth in our mind of whether or not that's the direction we should go. We don't trust in one way or another. God will never steer you wrong. So when you are asking God for wisdom, you need to have full faith that His way is better than your way (Isaiah 55:8-9).
If you are being tossed by the waves of life, you need to set your eyes on God. He is the lighthouse to get you to safety. If you're putting your attention on the waves, you will never be able to grasp the wisdom, guidance, and stability God has for you.
Life is a beautiful journey. We enter into this world having to be taught. How to walk, how to talk, and every other basic life skill. Somewhere along the line we start to think we've learned it all. The fact of the matter is, there is always something for us to learn. The best way to learn is through failure and hardships.
If we can shift our perspective in the hard times to look for areas to grow, the hardships might actually become things we celebrate. Instead of looking at it as a bad thing, let's look at it as a learning opportunity. Practice with me. I'm going to use a simple example from my life.
I'm going to set the stage:
There are moving parts in my life; motherhood, managing people, managing businesses, writing, basic human needs, trying to have a social life, and honestly the list could go on. (I'm sure each of you can relate) Trying to find time in the day to fit it all in isn't always easy and sometimes it feels impossible.
I got really frustrated one day, arguably angry, because I had so much to do and everything seemed to be taking way longer than it should have. It was piling up and I couldn't see an end. So that night, I took it to God. I told Him all the feelings I was having. This felt wrong because I was angry and I don't operate in that space, however, God already knew how I was feeling. It's important to be honest with yourself and with God because, again, He already knows. God ever so gently prompted me to get curious about my feelings and why I had them. I discovered I had put my own personal expectations on things. How they should be done and when they should be done. Once that came to the surface, I was able to ask Him for guidance. I expressed that I didn't know how I was supposed to do it all and where I was supposed to fit it in my schedule.
His ways are not my ways. He reminded me that the time I have is not actually mine. I gave my life to Jesus which means that my time is actually His time. Silly me was trying to do things my way and in my time. Then he convinced me to cut things out of my life and reassess systems I had in place. At the time I did not understand what in the world any of that had to do with giving me more time because everything seemed to be as efficient as possible. But I listened and did what He told me to do. As an example, I minimized social media in my life (the amount of time as well as the number of apps I use). The only time I'm really on it is to handle business matters. I also set a timer for all of the apps to lock after a certain amount of usage. He also had me "pre-plan" some of my days in accordance to things He has called me to do.
When I tell you, I had time I didn't know what to do with, I genuinely was confused. God maximized my day. With things I cut out and the things I began implementing, my days expanded. It was the craziest thing. It didn't even dawn on me until a few weeks passed and I wasn't stressing about things getting done. Praise the Lord!
God really does want to help us. He doesn't want us to be stressed. If He has called you to do something, He will make a way for you to do it. We just have to be obedient in the direction He gives us. It won't always make sense in the moment and it may not be easy to do. Just have faith that His way is better and He will see you through.
I know the example I gave was not a "big" life event. Everyone deals with different things and some of you may be dealing with BIG storms right now. I provided a simple example in hopes it could ease you into the perspective God wants us to have.
My encouragement for you with this post:
I'm sure throughout this post, a specific hardship or situation came to mind. It may feel big or it could feel like it isn't that important. The fact that it is a stress to you, means that it matters to God. There isn't anything too big or too small for God to handle. Whatever it may be, I want you to take it to Him.
I want you to be honest with yourself and with God. About how you feel with it, what is stressing you out about it, anything that comes to mind. Share it with Him. Allow yourself to be vulnerable and look at the situation from all angles.
Allow God to guide you through this journey. Ask Him to help you see it from a new angle, or ask Him to show you the light to guide you through the storm and the waves. Ask Him for any wisdom you may need. Whether it's for decisions, changes, or conversations. If you ask, he will give it to you.
The next step is probably the hardest one.
Be obedient and leave it at His feet. Trusting Him with all of it is a scary thing. Especially when it's something we love and care about or is near to our heart. In our human nature we are going to want to pick it up again to try to take control. We need to practice doing what God is directing us to do and let Him do His thing with it. If you do pick it back up (and I can almost bet you will), give it back to God. Acknowledge that you took it back and then actively give it back to Him and ask Him to help you leave it there.
Dear Lord,
Storms in life can be scary and challenging. Thank you for being the lighthouse on the shore to guide us to safety. You know the things each person is going through and dealing with. I pray The Holy Spirit fills each situation and your hand can be seen throughout the journey. You provide a peace that this world can't offer. I pray they can feel your peace and comfort as they go about their day. Help us seek you first.
In Jesus' name. Amen.
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