Dericka Canada Cunningham, GBW Founder
July 10, 2023
This Week's Anchor
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers [and sisters/people], whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
James 1:2-4 (NIV)
Is your faith tank empty? If I’m honest with myself, even my tank has been running a bit low recently. With the combination of the exhaustion of finally crawling out of a pandemic, the ongoing challenge of moving about spaces as a Black woman, and a barrel full of uncertainty in several areas of my life right now, it can be hard to keep the faith. I mean, I have that “at-the-end-of-the-day-I-trust-God” faith, but during the day I find myself sometimes absorbed in the whirlwind of anxiety that comes from the ominous unknown of the future. If you can relate, this week’s devotion is certainly for you. Let’s get faith-filled together!
Our anchor scripture for this week encourages us to consider it pure joy when we encounter challenges. There’s something about this scripture that always strikes me when I read it. The idea that we should take delight in trials seems counterintuitive. However, after reading this scripture over and over again, and asking God to make it make sense, I realized that it isn’t the trials themselves that we are expected to experience joy about, it’s being complete, evolving into God’s purpose, and not lacking anything that is worth the joy. The trials test our faith in a way that builds the perseverance that becomes the vehicle to joy. So, because we know the joy of being fulfilled in God’s purpose is on the other side of our life trials, we don’t have to wait until we get there to experience it.
As I shared in last week’s devotion when I was a young girl, someone explained to me the difference between happiness and joy from a spiritual perspective, and it has stayed with me: Happiness is based on what happens (and doesn’t happen) to you, but joy exists despite what happens (and doesn’t happen) to you. That’s why we embrace last week’s anchor scripture and say the “joy of the Lord is our strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). When we find ourselves against the wall with many trials on our shoulders, we can ask God to help us connect with this joy—the joy that only God can give us in the middle of our struggle so that we can carry on in our faith and trust in Him.
James 1 begins by calling us into this radical joy as a component of being faith-filled. It also reminds us of the power of perseverance. Our good friend, Dictionary, defines perseverance as: “steady persistence in a purpose, especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.” Both the dictionary and the Word of God agree that there will be trials that take on many forms throughout our lives, yet when we connect and reconnect with being grounded, anchored, and rooted in what sustains us, we are able to continue in the direction we are called. Even when fear leads us to slightly veer from our faith-filled course, if we reconnect with the preserving presence of the Holy Trinity, we will always be headed in the right direction.
So, how do we intentionally and consistently fill our faith tanks? I want to offer to you that being faithFULL requires a two-part process: Releasing and Remembering.
Releasing (Pouring Out)—Before we can fill our tanks with what is going to sustain us, we have to empty them of what hinders us. A Black mama and auntie proverb that many of us hold honor states “You can’t fill a cup that is already full.” To apply this here and put it simply, if our tanks are full of worry, there isn’t room for faith. Trust me, as someone who is well versed in the musing of anxiety, I share this with the least bit of judgment. I understand eeeeevery reason to worry because there is an abundance of them. However, if we want our tanks to be filled with faith more than fear, we must make room. In addition to this, it doesn’t make sense to come to God with our cares if we don’t leave them there. Our faith walk is a huge surrendering act. Getting in God’s presence isn’t just about receiving, it’s also about releasing. When we come to God, we hand over the worry, the fear, and the anxiety caused by uncertainty because holding onto the worry won’t change a thing but releasing it to God will change everything. [Click here for more inspiration on releasing worry]
Remembering (Pouring In)—Our faith walk is also a huge remembering act. It’s so easy to forget. Worry and anxiety can cloud our minds and vision in ways that make remembering what God has done (and continues to do) for us, our families, and our ancestors very difficult. Yet, we have to remember that God is faithful so that we can be faith-filled. God is the same God of yesterday, today, and forever. If you’ve lived a life anything like mine, you probably shouldn’t even be here reading this devotion. And yet, you are, and by the grace of God! That is enough to trust Him with our future. Not only do we need to remember what He has done (and is doing), but we also need to remember who He is and what He has told us. For every ounce of worry, there are pounds of scriptures that remind us that God is sovereign and that we can trust Him with our lives. We can call out those scriptures, sing their messages in songs, and post them around us as reminders. [Click here for more inspiration on remembering through gratitude]
Today, I challenge us all to release what holds us back and grab onto what will move us forward in our faith. I call us in to remember what and Who fills us so that we can persevere, be sustained, and continue God’s purpose for us—remembering that God is faithful and trustworthy and that He holds our future with intention and care. As you finish this devotion, take a moment to pause, breathe deeply, and invite the presence of God into your space and your day so that you can be faith FULL!
Reflection
What resonates for you about this scripture and/or this devotion?
What do you need from the Holy Trinity to help you fill your faith tank? What would you like to consistently remind yourself of this week to keep your faith tank full?
What intention(s) do you want to set to connect and/or reconnect with being grounded this week?
Related Scriptures to Ground You Through this Week
Nehemiah 8: 9-12
Job 13: 15
Psalms 119: 116-117
2 Corinthians 12:9-10
Hebrews 11
James 1:1-18
My Through-the-Week Reflection Guide
A Song of Inspiration
Quote of Love & Liberation
“You can never lose by letting go. No matter what leaves, God is still there.”
Maryam Hasnaa
Comments