Fear of Weakness

Among the various rules Jeremy Taylor has, the one that comes easiest for me has to be the thirteenth rule that says: “take an active part in the praising of others, entertaining their good with delight”. This rule is easiest for me because, I take joy in praising others or encouraging them with words. I believe that the affirmation of words are vital to the confidence we all have, so if there is a way I could help make someone feel better or have just a bit more confidence, I want to do whatever that is, and it is often just a simple praise for their good.

The hardest rule of them all has to be the seventeenth rule: “give God thanks for every weakness, fault and imperfection you have”. Praising God for my weakness is almost unfathomable, I know that when we are weak he is strong, but the reality of embracing the fact that I am continually with fault is sickening. I hate the pride that I carry around as I desire to be righteous enough on my own power. It is hard to ‘nurse humility’ when you fear so much to be weak. 

Trials-Endurance

James 1:2-4, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 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 nothing.”

Within the first few words of this passage, I find it hard sometimes to not get angry. Taking joy in a trial seems so barbaric in first thought… Who wants to rejoice in suffering? I know that is not my first thought when times are hard. Testing is hard; even naturally as one grows there is pain. But continuing through these few lines, the hope of a production of endurance is promised as faith is tested. Then I wonder, what is this endurance for, just to go through harder times? Then you get to the latter section of this passage and the endurance produced through the testing of faith will have a perfect result so that we may be perfect and lack nothing. After reading these few verses several times, I am still left to wonder why it is that we must rejoice in these trials to have endurance to continue and be perfected lacking nothing, for I am guessing what would be the next trial. I have not had a peaceful heart reading through these scriptures, but I have only prayed that the Lord may guide my heart to see a future hope, so that I may endure with joy through this trial as well as the ones to come.