Today’s New Covenant nugget is from James 1:2 (NLT)
‘Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.’
How do you CONSIDER things to be? In other words, when you are challenged, do you see your challenges as opportunities, or do you see them negatively, and just want them to go away?
James says, “When troubles of any kind come your way, CONSIDER IT an opportunity for great joy”. When we consider something, we are processing what we are facing emotionally, mentally, circumstantially, and in the light of what we know… as we consider things, we are trying to prepare ourselves for possible outcomes and we are attempting to come up with strategies to bring about the best possible outcome.
Let me ask you a question… as you mill things around in your mind, as you consider things, are you considering what you are facing in the light of the Word, or in the light of the world around you? Is your consideration purely circumstance based, logic based, based upon your ability and based upon the experience of others, or is your consideration based upon the Word, and on faith in Jesus?
The Word says that in the New Covenant ALL things work together for the GOOD to those in Christ Jesus… to those that are called according to His purpose! The Word says that the GRACE given to us in Christ is sufficient and is more than enough for us, and the Word says that as believers who walk by faith. we ALWAYS stand triumphant in Christ Jesus.
As things are coming our way, it is our job to process all things through our renewed minds according to our New Covenant in Christ, and not to according to the mind of the flesh.
Process things by grace through faith and according to the Word… take all negative, unscriptural thoughts captive and do not let them run wild in your imagination. See every challenge as an opportunity, a testimony in the making, and as something that, no matter how bad it is, will be turned around and used for your good.
When you consider things in the light of your New Covenant in Christ… when you consider things in the light of the Word, you will consider what you are facing as an opportunity for pure joy… selah!
In His amazing love, Nick
