James 4:13: How to Endure Suffering

James 4:13.. "Is anyone amoung you suffering? Let him pray."

Today, I have another question for you: Are you suffering? Now, let me define what I mean. The Bible most commonly uses the word "suffering" to describe a painful circumstance that someone is going through that usually isn't their fault. In the story of Job, Job went through much suffering even though none of it was his fault. In the book of 1 Peter, Peter encourages Christians to endure the suffering of persecution even though it was not their fault. In our lives, many times painful things happen to us that simply are not our fault. A friend betrays us, a loved one dies, we lose our job. How do we get past these horrible life circumstances? How do we endure suffering?

James has a simple and to-the-point answer to this question: prayer. "Is anyone amoung you suffering," James asks, "Let him pray." James could not be more straight forward. The application here is to do what Peter commands in 1 Peter 5:7, that is, to "cast your anxieties upon [the Lord] because he cares for you." Amidst suffering, we pray. Amidst suffering, we cast our anxieties upon the Lord. We do not let our suffering cause us to be anxious and worried, but rather we lift our troubles up to God, knowing that he can and will take care of us.

When I read James 4:13, I get an overwhelming picture of a mirror. You all know what a mirror does--it simply reflects an image. What if we did that with our sufferings? What if ever suffering or anxiety that came our way, we simply reflected back to God in prayer? Did a friend betray you today? Well, don't fret, simply reflect that suffering back to God in prayer. Lose a loved one? Reflect it back to God in prayer. Lose your job? Reflect it back to God. Be a spiritual mirror that casts all its anxieties upon the Lord in prayer.

So, how are you doing enduring suffering? Do you pray when you are troubled, or do you try to bear it on your own? I encourage you today to be a spiritual mirror that immediately reflects its troubles back to God in prayer. Go and do likewise today.