The Culture of Hope Founded on Faith
Perfect and Entire
Among the very last verses of Hebrews, the writer of Hebrews declares God’s sovereignty in the individual lives of believers and blesses his readers with the desire for God’s perfecting work in their lives:
“Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever…” (Heb. 13:20-21).
This is like praying for patience for someone and then being surprised when catastrophe follows that person around. God uses testing, trials, and temptations to bring us to maturity and “perfection” in faith. How far we grow because of the hard things we encounter in life, depends largely on our response to those hard times. I don’t know of anyone who is happy with trials when they happen, but God calls us to choose joy when, humanly speaking, things go wrong. As Christians we are called to joy no matter what is going on around us:
“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations knowing that the trying of your faith works patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing” (James 1:2-4).
We hinder God’s perfecting work in our lives when we refuse to accept whatever comes into our lives with patient thanksgiving and joy. When we cave to the enemy’s prompts to despair and self-pity during difficult times in our lives, we deny the work of God and the comfort of the Holy Spirit within us.
1 Peter 5:10 reiterates the benefits of trials that God allows in our lives:
“But the God of all grace, who has called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that you have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, and settle you.”
The story of Joseph comes to mind. He was roughed up and sold as a slave by his own brothers. For no fault of his own, he ended up in an Egyptian prison. When his interpretations of the dreams of two high officials from Pharoah’s court proved true, he was forgotten for two years by the one who lived. Then Joseph became a ruler in Egypt, second only to Pharoah himself, and was the means of survival for his entire family, all of Egypt, and the known world. The key to all this is Genesis 39:2a, “And the LORD was with Joseph.” There is no complaining or discouragement mentioned on Joseph’s part. He went through the trials knowing and serving God without compromise. Through his faith and patience, God tested and tried him until he was mature enough to handle the task he was born for.
We, too, go through long training at the hands of God, not knowing what it is He is equipping us for. But we are assured that, with God, nothing in our lives is wasted. It all goes towards growing us into the people God created us to be.
