@FirstChurchofJerusalem
Today's Early Church Wisdom
“The professions and trades of those who are going to be accepted into the community must be examined. The nature and type of each must be established… brothel, sculptors of idols, charioteer, athlete, gladiator…give it up or be rejected. A military constable must be forbidden to kill, neither may he swear; if he is not willing to follow these instructions, he must be rejected. A proconsul or magistrate who wears the purple and governs by the sword shall give it up or be rejected. Anyone taking or already baptized who wants to become a soldier shall be sent away, for he has despised God.”
~ Hippolytus (170AD – 236AD)
This week's Psalm is Psalm 31 'My Rock, My Shield, My Song'

Count It All Joy

Life has many trials and difficulties, and how we face them can have major consequences for us and for our outcomes. From a psychological angle, attitude is a big factor. We have all witnessed those who respond to life situations with a ‘bad’ attitude. Self-help gurus and popular psychology influencers often encourage a positive outlook, but unless that attitude is based on something substantial, it may simply have the status of an illusion. The Bible is a book that never flinches from the reality of life’s struggles and challenges, but instead of offering a cosmetic ‘solution’ it directs its readers to One who is able to guide us and sustain us through even the most difficult of times. For example, James, the brother of Jesus, writes, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:2-4). Without God, it is madness to count trials as joy! Without God, there is no adequate support and resourcing in those trials. Without God, there is no supernatural grace to turn stumbling blocks into stepping stones. Without God, there is only darkness, defeat, and failure. But with Him, the trial of faith generates patience and perseverance, strong qualities of resilience. With Him, souls are progressively transformed by His Spirit into His likeness. With Him, we are finally and ultimately brought to perfection, something that is utterly impossible for us without His aid. This is how we are able to ‘count it all joy’.