Every good and perfect thing

Recently, I had my perspectives a little thrown off. I was wrong and I will admit it. This past school year was a year full of ups and downs. Somedays things couldn't go any better, and others, it was the worst thing ever. Over and over agin that would happen and I never really figure it out. I always thought God was testing because I would like to think I have a pretty strong relationship with him.

There was a particular moment about two-three weeks ago where I was so frustrated and fed up with some people. I had just recovered from food poisoning and all I wanted was to sleep so that my body could rest up but that is not what happened. I love my guys on B3 (the floor I have lived on the past two years at Bethel) but I was frustrated with them. I felt like crap and all I wanted to do was sleep.

Long story short, I eventually got to go to sleep around 2 a.m. and woke up at 7:45 a.m. the next day to meet with a mentor of mine. As we were talking he asked me how I was and I told him about the previous night. I told him that as I was laying in bed, frustrated because of how loud it was, I was trying to take the high road by not reacting and not saying anything that I would regret. I read the text that I sent to me girlfriend, and I was like, here is what I sent to Jennifer.

"As I lay here, sick, tired and frustrated, there are so many wrong ways in which I want to react right now. But I am not going to. I am going to take the high road, and what happens, happens. I think God made me sick and tried to test me when I was at my worst for a reason."

That is where I was wrong. Yes, I believe I did the right thing by not reacting, but I was wrong thinking that God got me sick and tested me when I was at my worst. It really caught me off guard when Red (mentor) corrected me with this one.

He told me that he was proud of me for not reacting but he said I was wrong to an extent. He remained me of a passage in James 1.

When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Them, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. Don't be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us brith through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all he created. (James 1:13-18) 

I was reminded that every good and perfect thing comes from God. What I thought God was using against me was not from God.

So next time you’re being tempted, remember that God is not tempting you.

Every good and perfect thing comes from above.