Author: Sellers Hickman

 

¹² Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, ¹³ bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ¹⁴ And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵ And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.

Colossians 3:12-15 (ESV)

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A FAMILY OF PEACE

 

Every family wants to experience peace, but not every family understands where peace actually begins. We usually think peace comes from having fewer problems, better communication, or more time together. Each of these things is helpful, but Scripture gives us a different starting point. Peace is not something we manufacture; it is a reality we receive from Christ and then learn to practice with one another.

Colossians 3:12-15 is a passage that is often applied to churches, but it is just as essential for families. Why? Because the family is the first community God places us in. It is the first classroom where we learn forgiveness, practice patience, and form our instincts. If Colossians 3 describes the life of God’s people, then the home is where those verses take root most personally and most deeply.

The family is where we first learn our identity in Christ. Paul begins by saying, “God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved.” Ultimately, before he tells us what to do, he tells us who we are. This is the same for families. As a College Pastor, I spend countless hours listening to students wrestle with identity: feelings of insecurity, fear of failure, uncertainty about their worth. As I dig into those struggles, many of them trace back to childhood wounds, misunderstandings, or the atmosphere they grew up in. But identity issues are not limited to parent-child relationships. A home cannot be a place of peace if husbands and wives forget who they are in Christ. For all of these relationships to thrive, we must remember: “I am chosen. I am loved. I am set apart by God.”

Paul then moves to how we should clothe ourselves with the attributes of God. Clothing is intentional. You choose it every day. Think of a toddler picking out their outfit… sometimes it matches, sometimes it does not. But there is still intention behind every decision. In the same way, we must intentionally put on these attributes of Christ each day. But how do these virtues play out in the home?

• Compassion: See each other’s weariness instead of just their mistakes.

• Kindness: Speak with warmth, not sharpness.

• Humility: Listen rather than insist on being right.

• Gentleness: Correct without crushing someone’s spirit.

• Patience: Give one another space for growth without pressure.

If these virtues are not practiced in the family, where will they be practiced? If they are not displayed in the home, where will they be displayed? The family is God’s training ground for Christlike character.

Paul adds that we should bear with each other and forgive as the Lord has forgiven us. This can be hard to put into practice in any relationship, but we are naturally in the best environment to do this with family. If we refuse to bear with someone or forgive them, the world would tell us to cut them off and leave them. That may be easy to do with friends, coworkers, or acquaintances, but it is much harder to cut off family. So what can we learn from this? That we will be in it with these people for the long haul. That means we must have long-game vision to see that not everything has to be fixed in a day. We should choose to forgive and bear with those God has placed in our family.

Finally, Paul talks about love binding us together. It is that old adage: “You do not have to like each other, but you are going to love each other.” This deep, self-giving love is what keeps relationships alive. We should be people marked by love and filled with peace. Such peace should rule our hearts and our lives so that we become people of peace within our own families.

This holiday season, how can you increase the peace within your own household? This is not the time to point the finger at somebody else: “Well, if my kid would just… If my spouse would just… If my family would just…” No. How can you increase peace this holiday season? I encourage you during the week of Thanksgiving (and Christmas) to wake up each day and read Colossians 3:12-15 again. Pray that God will fill you with these virtues and that it will be evident that you are choosing peace.

 

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Sellers Hickman serves as College & Teaching Pastor at NorthStar Church and loves cheering on his Ole Miss Rebels. He and his wife, Hannah, live in Dallas, Ga. with their two daughters. He also serves as the chaplain for the KSU Men’s Basketball team.

 

 

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

Matthew 5:9 (ESV)

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PEACE IS A PROACTIVE PURSUIT

 

Everyone says they want peace. You can find it in Instagram bios, painted on canvases inside houses, or even on billboards. But wanting peace and making peace are two very different things.

Many of us assume that peace just happens, but it is clear that it is built through intentional choices. The kind of peace God blesses does not grow through avoidance or apathy. It grows when people are willing to step toward the hard areas in their lives with the courage of Christ.

One of the biggest lies we believe is that peace comes naturally. If we just wait long enough, it will happen and things will settle down. But peace does not drift toward us. In a broken world, things remain broken.

Being a peacemaker is choosing to be active in pursuing, protecting, and building peace with others. Think about training for a sport. You cannot hope to improve while sitting in the stands. You have to move, practice, and memorize the plays. In the same way, peace requires daily intentionality.

One of the things I love about Jesus is that He rarely avoids the hard moments. Whether it is the woman touching His garment, the moment with Mary and Martha, or confronting Peter, He leans into discomfort knowing that something better lies on the other side. He entered the mess to write a better story.

When I think about peacemaking, I think about deep cleaning the house. We tidy up consistently by vacuuming, doing the dishes, and wiping down counters, but sometimes you have to take everything out of the junk drawer. When you begin that process, the house actually gets dirtier. All the junk comes out of the drawer you have hidden it in and gets spread around the house. But over the next few hours, as you put things back where they truly belong, the house becomes even cleaner than before.

It is sometimes messy to open old wounds and have hard conversations. But that is where true healing begins. God uses your courage to fight for peace and bring order to what has been broken.

But here is the hard part: it is rarely achieved through just one moment. A single apology or resolution may not lead to consistent peace. Peace is a rhythm of daily decisions to be anchored in God when the world pulls at you.

It is choosing forgiveness again, even after another offense. It is pausing before responding in a moment of frustration. It is staying kind when saying something to stir the pot seems tempting. That is the hidden beauty of peace. It is formed in the small moments. The way you treat people daily is a training ground for peace.

When Jesus called peacemakers “sons of God,” He was not just giving a compliment. He was describing our identity as Christians. Children reflect their Father. When you build peace, you show the world what our Father is truly like. People notice the way you respond. In a culture fueled by outrage and competition, peacemakers stand out.

So let me ask you: where do you need to train for peace today? Maybe you already had a moment and it did not go too well. How can you reflect on that and change your response? Maybe you need to go back and apologize to that person. Lean in and make peace!

 

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Sellers Hickman serves as College & Teaching Pastor at NorthStar Church and loves cheering on his Ole Miss Rebels. He and his wife, Hannah, live in Dallas, Ga. with their two daughters. He also serves as the chaplain for the KSU Men’s Basketball team.

 

 

⁶ do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV)

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PEACE WITH ONE ANOTHER

 

There is a battle going on inside every one of us. Some days it is loud and filled with anxiety, insecurity, and guilt. Other days it is quieter and filled with exhaustion, distraction, and numbness. Even if we look calm on the outside, our hearts and minds may be filled with anything but peace.

The Bible does not ignore this struggle. Philippians is written by someone who understood this deeply. Paul was in prison when he wrote these words. If anybody should have been struggling with peace, it was the man in chains awaiting trial. So how could he possibly write these words?

It is important to remember that the peace of God does not remove the chaos around you, but it protects you from being consumed by it. A danger of our day is that we confuse peace with comfort. Comfort does not always equal peace. Biblical peace rarely has anything to do with our circumstances. It has much more to do with our confidence in God’s view of us. This is an outlook on life that trusts God is in control of all things, even when life may seem out of control.

Peace begins when we release what we were never meant to carry. Philippians 4:6 gives us the ability to do that. We fight anxiety by going to God in prayer and with thanksgiving. This inner peace does not come from pretending we are okay. It comes from praying about what is not okay. When you bring your worries to God, you remind your heart who is really in control.

Prayer is how you hand God the things you cannot fix. Thanksgiving is how you remember what He has already done. Together, they protect your peace.

Another reason we struggle is that we forget who we are in Christ. We compare ourselves by success, appearance, or approval, and that leaves us unsatisfied. But when our identity is in what God says about us, peace follows. Which identity do you need to remember that God speaks over you today?

You are chosen (Ephesians 1:4)
You are forgiven (Colossians 1:14)
You are loved (Romans 8:38–39)
You are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)
You are redeemed (Ephesians 1:7)
You are free (Galatians 5:1)

Peace begins when striving ends. When you finally believe that God’s love for you does not depend on your performance but on who He says you are. If you are struggling with peace today, ask yourself this: What steals my peace most? Is it an identity issue where you need to change what you believe, or is it a circumstance issue where you need to take action?

I want to challenge you. As you have read and processed these thoughts, return to our opening passage. Put Philippians 4:6–7 into practice today. Go to God right now and cast your anxieties on Him.

 

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Sellers Hickman serves as College & Teaching Pastor at NorthStar Church and loves cheering on his Ole Miss Rebels. He and his wife, Hannah, live in Dallas, Ga. with their two daughters. He also serves as the chaplain for the KSU Men’s Basketball team.

 

 

T

If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.

Romans 12:18 (ESV)

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PEACE WITH ONE ANOTHER

 

If we’re being honest, this verse can be uncomfortable. Living at peace with all people seems great on paper, but it is much more difficult in practice. Living at peace with all people includes those who hurt you, those who gossip about you, and those who do not own their part of the problem. How can we do this when it seems impossible?

Paul knew this tension. That is why he adds the phrase “so far as it depends on you.” It is a gentle reminder that peace does not always mean agreement. It does not mean pretending that things are fine when they are not. It does not mean everyone will respond the way we want them to. It does mean that we have to take responsibility for our part. Do not wait for someone else to fix the relationship. Ultimately, we pursue peace with others because God first pursued peace with us.

Paul is truly calling us to ownership, not control. We cannot control how someone else will respond, but we can control our effort, our tone, our attitude, and our willingness to forgive.

There is a difference between being a peacekeeper and a peacemaker. Peacekeepers avoid conflict to keep everyone happy. Peacemakers address conflict to bring healing.

Jesus has called us to be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9). That means we step toward tension, not away from it. We do not bury problems under fake smiles or “I’m good” answers. We bring truth and grace to the table because real peace cannot exist where honesty is absent.

Sometimes that means apologizing first. Other times it means confronting others in love. Either way, the goal is not to win the argument but to win the relationship back.

Again, peace sounds simple, but it often costs us something. Whether it is our pride, our comfort, or our desire to get even, peace comes with a cost. But the benefit far outweighs the cost. How many hard conversations have you held back from in life that continually played over and over again in your mind? Did the avoidance of that conversation add peace or rob you of peace? It robbed you. Then, when you finally had the conversation, did it add peace or rob you of peace? It added peace.

Here is the beauty of the peace that God offers us with others. As believers our peace does not depend on the perfection of others. Consider how Jesus offered us peace. He did not wait for us to come to Him; He came to us. When humanity was running from God, Jesus entered the conflict to make a way for us. Even Jesus paid a cost to offer peace. He took on the cross to extend peace so we could be reconciled to God. If Jesus was willing to pursue peace with those who betrayed Him, denied Him, and crucified Him (this is us), then surely we can take a step toward peace in our own relationships.

Today, if there is somebody you have been avoiding (a friend, sibling, teammate, coworker), take a step toward them. You cannot change the past, but you can change your posture toward them going forward. Let us be people who live this verse out and do everything within our control to live at peace with all people. Let us be people who pray for peace to be present on our teams, in our families, and with the neighbors around us.

 

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Sellers Hickman serves as College & Teaching Pastor at NorthStar Church and loves cheering on his Ole Miss Rebels. He and his wife, Hannah, live in Dallas, Ga. with their two daughters. He also serves as the chaplain for the KSU Men’s Basketball team.

 

 

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:1 (ESV)

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PEACE WITH GOD

 

There’s a kind of peace you can’t fake. You can tell when someone truly has it, not because their life is easy, but because their heart is settled. They move through the ups and downs of life with a quiet confidence. That kind of peace isn’t based on personality or positive thinking. It’s something deeper; it’s something spiritual. It’s peace with God.

Before we look at peace with others or peace with ourselves, we have to start here. This is where every other kind of peace begins. If you don’t have peace with God, you’ll always be searching for it somewhere else (relationships, approval, performance, control, etc.).

Peace with God isn’t our default. No matter what family you are born into, you aren’t born Christian. The Bible says that we are born into sin. Not that we occasionally make mistakes, but that we are naturally bent toward doing things our way and for our gain. Romans 3:23 says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” It’s not just a broken rule but a broken relationship. Sin has separated us from the One who made us. Deep down, every human heart feels that separation. That’s why we wrestle with guilt. That’s why we try to prove ourselves. That’s why even after success or happiness, something still feels missing.

Until we have peace with God, we will never have lasting peace in life.

Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, God didn’t just offer us forgiveness. He offered us a relationship. Our sin created a debt we couldn’t pay, but Christ stepped in and paid it for us. Now, instead of standing before God as enemies or strangers, we stand before Him as sons and daughters.

That’s why Romans 5:1 starts with “therefore.” Paul spent the first four chapters of Romans explaining how we are justified (declared righteous, just as if we never sinned) by faith, not works. We are unable to earn peace with God. We can only receive it by trusting in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.

Peace with God means you don’t have to fear His rejection. You don’t have to earn His approval. You don’t have to wonder if you’ve done enough to make Him love you. All of that was settled on the cross and sealed at the tomb.

Peace with God produces freedom. Freedom from shame. Freedom from striving. Freedom from the lie that you have to fix yourself before you can come to Him. You are free!

Now here is the hard part. Even after you’ve placed your faith in Jesus, it can be easy to struggle to live in that peace. We slip back into our old habits of self-reliance and guilt. We compare ourselves to others and convince ourselves that God must be disappointed.

Maybe you’ve known about God for a long time, but you’ve never truly trusted Him and received this peace. Cry out to Him today! Or maybe you are a believer who has forgotten what it feels like to rest in this peace. Here is the invitation today: don’t try harder; trust deeper.

If you are wondering how you can do that today, here are a few questions you can ask:

• Am I living like I have peace with God or as if I am still trying to earn it?

• What guilt or fear do I need to lay down at the cross?

• How might my relationships change if I truly believed that God’s love for me is unshakable?

Remember: you are not an outsider trying to earn your way in. You are a beloved child who has already been welcomed home!

 

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Sellers Hickman serves as College & Teaching Pastor at NorthStar Church and loves cheering on his Ole Miss Rebels. He and his wife, Hannah, live in Dallas, Ga. with their two daughters. He also serves as the chaplain for the KSU Men’s Basketball team.

 

 

¹James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings.

²Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, ³for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. ⁴And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

⁵If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. ⁶But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

James 1:1-6 (ESV)

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TRUST GOD

 

The passage we have studied this week all culminates at the end of verse 6.
Why should we remember, wait on, ask, and obey God? Because we do not want to be tossed around by the doubts that creep in. Doubt can do a number on us if we allow ourselves to sit in it, but each of our topics this week has been fuel to help us stand firm when doubts and the pressures of life come our way.

James ends with the picture of a wave being tossed back and forth by the wind. Without trusting God, we become unstable and are pulled in every direction by circumstances and emotions. But trust anchors us. It doesn’t remove the storm, but it keeps us steady in the middle of it.

We all wrestle with doubt at times. We wonder if God is listening, if He cares, if He’ll come through. Doubt isn’t unusual—we all face it. The danger comes when we allow doubt to define us and leave us spiritually adrift. Trust isn’t the absence of doubt or questions; it’s the choice to believe God’s character even when we don’t see His plan. That’s why James urges us to ask in faith, not wavering. Faith doesn’t mean blind optimism; it means steady confidence in the God who has proven Himself faithful time and time again.

This picture of an anchor is such a helpful example of our faith. An anchor keeps us tethered and steady. It does not remove the waves, but it allows us to stand firm through them by holding us to something greater than the storm. Without an anchor, a boat drifts wherever the current takes it. With an anchor, even though the wind blows and the current pulls, the boat stays secure. That’s the difference between a life built on trust in God and a life built on our own strength.

There are countless stories in God’s Word of people who trusted Him when it didn’t make sense—Noah building an ark before there was rain, Daniel praying despite the threat of the lion’s den, Paul proclaiming the gospel while awaiting trial. None of these men (or the many other examples) were confident in their own determination. They were tethered to something greater than the storms they faced. Their stability wasn’t in circumstances but in God’s unshakable promises.

Trust is not passive; it’s active. It looks like choosing prayer over panic, Scripture over spiraling thoughts, and worship over worry. Trust is strengthened not by avoiding storms but by walking with God through them. Every storm we endure with Him becomes a testimony for the next time the waves rise in our lives.

It all comes back to trust. Trust produces stability. Instead of being tossed by every wave of fear, we stand firm on God’s promises. Instead of spiraling in anxiety, we rest in His presence. Trust transforms storms into shelters where God’s faithfulness is revealed.

So let me ask you again: what area of your life feels most unstable right now? Name it. In that place, choose to trust God today despite the waves that seem to be crashing around you. Don’t let doubt write the story. Anchor your heart in the One who never changes.

When you do, you’ll find that the waves that once terrified you are no longer pulling you under. Instead, they are drawing you closer to the God who holds you fast. And in that closeness, you’ll discover a peace the storm cannot shake and a hope the wind cannot steal.

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Sellers Hickman serves as College & Teaching Pastor at NorthStar Church and loves cheering on his Ole Miss Rebels. He and his wife, Hannah, live in Dallas, Ga. with their two daughters. He also serves as the chaplain for the KSU Men’s Basketball team.

 

 

⁶But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

James 1:6 (ESV)

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OBEY GOD

 

It’s one thing to ask God for wisdom, but it’s another to act when He grants it.
In this passage, James connects asking with believing, because true asking assumes obedience. If you’re unwilling to obey, then your asking is just lip service. Obedience stretches our faith because it requires trust. It’s easy to agree with God in theory. It’s much harder to put His Word into practice—especially when it challenges our comfort zones or calls us to give up control.

Obedience costs us. Forgiving someone means releasing bitterness. Serving others means sacrificing time and energy. Speaking truth means risking rejection. Saying no to temptation means denying desire. But true obedience is where faith becomes real. It’s the bridge between hearing and living, between belief and practice. Without it, faith is just an idea that never leaves our heads.

Think back to Peter stepping out of the boat in Matthew 14. Peter asked Jesus to call him. We don’t know his true intention—maybe he was just testing Jesus, trying to sound more spiritual than the other disciples. Regardless, Jesus responded to Peter’s request and told him to come out on the water. Peter then had a choice to make. He might have believed that Jesus could enable him to walk on water, but there was a moment where he had to act on that belief and climb out of the boat. That one step turned belief into obedience.

Sometimes we imagine obedience only in big, dramatic decisions. But often it’s the small, daily steps of obedience that stretch our faith the most. It stretches us to be honest at work when it will cost us. It stretches us to show kindness to a neighbor when it’s inconvenient. It stretches us to be faithful in prayer when life feels busy. See, obedience is a posture of the heart that shows up in the details of life.

How can you grow in obedience today?

1. Start with what you know — God has made His Word clear. It won’t necessarily answer every decision you face, but there is enough in Scripture to guide you to love God, love people, and live sent.

2. Obey quickly — You know as well as I do: the longer you wait to obey, the harder it gets. We rationalize disobedience the more we put it off.

3. Obey fully — I’ve heard it said before: partial obedience is disobedience. God’s call on our lives is not to pick and choose the parts we like or find easy. He calls us to total surrender.

4. Obey joyfully — If I haven’t lost you yet, this is the most important part. These four steps get harder as they go, but this last one is often the most difficult. It requires a shift in perspective to see that obedience isn’t a burden but an opportunity to honor God.

Let me remind you: obedience feels costly in the moment, but it always leads to blessing in the long run. This blessing may not be material or immediate, but obedience brings peace, intimacy with God, and freedom from guilt.

So where has God been clearly calling you—and where have you been putting Him off? How can you take a step toward obedience today? Don’t just ask for wisdom. Act on it. That’s where faith becomes sight.

 

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Sellers Hickman serves as College & Teaching Pastor at NorthStar Church and loves cheering on his Ole Miss Rebels. He and his wife, Hannah, live in Dallas, Ga. with their two daughters. He also serves as the chaplain for the KSU Men’s Basketball team.

 

 

⁵If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.

James 1:5 (ESV)

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ASK GOD

 

Have you ever thought to yourself, “Is this wise?”
It’s a very valid question we often ask—when making big purchases, planning trips, navigating friendships, or deciding what food to eat. Some choices are small and seemingly insignificant, while others carry long-term impact. Either way, we often pause and wonder, “Is this the best thing to do?”

James 1:5 gives us a simple yet profound answer: Why don’t you just ask God?

One of the simplest commands in Scripture is also one of the most life-changing: ask God. James says if we lack wisdom, we should simply ask—because God gives generously. Not reluctantly. Not sparingly. Generously.

Think about that for a moment. The Creator of the universe—the same God who spoke galaxies into existence—invites you to bring Him your questions, your confusion, your decisions, and your needs. He promises not to scold you for asking. He won’t shame you for your uncertainty. Instead, He will give generously. What a picture of grace!

Now here’s the tension: if the invitation to ask God for wisdom is so clear, and if He promises to give generously, why do we often struggle to ask? Maybe it’s pride—we want to prove we can handle things on our own. Maybe it’s fear—what if God’s wisdom leads us somewhere uncomfortable? Maybe it’s doubt—we’re not sure if God really cares about the details of our lives.

In our heads, there are a million reasons not to ask, but James pushes us past all of them. He reminds us that God’s character isn’t stingy or reluctant. He delights to give His children wisdom when they ask.

It’s worth noting that James doesn’t say God will give us information. At the click of a button, you can learn how to fix a sink, change a tire, cook a gourmet meal, or even plan your retirement. There are blogs, podcasts, YouTube videos, and endless “expert” opinions on every topic under the sun. Information is easy to come by.

But wisdom is something far deeper. Information can tell you what to do, but wisdom helps you discern when and how to do it. Wisdom applies God’s truth to real-life situations. It takes knowledge and transforms it into righteous action. It helps you hold your tongue instead of stirring up division. It teaches you to forgive even when bitterness feels easier. It guides you to be patient when everything in life is pushing you faster.

Here’s the beauty of wisdom: it isn’t reserved for the super-spiritual. It’s not locked away behind a seminary degree or a certain number of years following the Lord. James says it is available to anyone who asks. That means you—right now—in whatever situation you’re facing.

But here’s the catch: wisdom doesn’t always come with the answer we want. Sometimes God calls us to things we would rather not do. Wisdom doesn’t always align with our instincts. But it always leads us closer to His heart.

So where do you need wisdom right now? Identify one specific area—family, work, finances, relationships—and bring it before God. Stop trying to figure it all out on your own. Stop carrying the weight of every decision as if it’s all on your shoulders. The God who knows the end from the beginning is inviting you to ask Him.

And when you do, trust His answer. It may not be what you expect, but it will be exactly what you need.

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Sellers Hickman serves as College & Teaching Pastor at NorthStar Church and loves cheering on his Ole Miss Rebels. He and his wife, Hannah, live in Dallas, Ga. with their two daughters. He also serves as the chaplain for the KSU Men’s Basketball team.

 

 

⁴And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

James 1:4 (ESV)

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WAIT ON GOD

 

Waiting does not come easy nowadays. Amazon Prime one-day shipping doesn’t feel fast enough sometimes. The drive-through takes too long. I-75 South was too slow, so you got a Peach Pass—and now even that isn’t as fast as you’d like. We live in a culture of instant gratification, and when things don’t happen in our timing, it’s easy to get frustrated. Waiting stretches us in unusual ways because it is so countercultural simply to wait.

James tells us in verse 4 that steadfastness must have its full effect. Can I be honest? That doesn’t sound quick. But James is saying that in order for us to grow, it will take time. Waiting is not wasted time. In fact, it may be the very place where God wants to do His best work in you.

None of us like to wait. But God sees something bigger. Think back to Genesis and the story of Abram. God promised him descendants who would outnumber the stars. There was only one problem: he had no children, and he was 75 years old. This was a promise God had made to him, but it did not begin to materialize for another 25 years! (God must not have believed in Amazon Prime.) Abram even became impatient with God and tried to take matters into his own hands through his servant Hagar.

This is the reality of waiting—it reveals who we trust and how dependent we are on God. If every prayer were answered instantly, would we truly depend on the Lord? If God supernaturally provided everything we ever desired, would we even believe that we needed Him?

In a strange way, waiting becomes a gift. It forces us to slow down, unclench our grip on control, and live in a posture of faith. Waiting strips away the illusion of self-sufficiency and reminds us that we are not God. Honestly, I wonder if waiting is one of the Lord’s ways of training our hearts to remember that we are fully dependent on Him.

So how can we wait well?

1. Stay rooted in Scripture — When God feels silent, His Word still speaks. Fill your mind with His promises while you wait.

2. Pray honestly — Waiting isn’t about pretending you’re okay. Pour out your frustration and weariness to God. He can handle it!

3. Be patient with others — Seasons of waiting can make us irritable because we feel unsteady. Let the Spirit use this time to grow your gentleness and grace toward those around you.

4. Look back at His faithfulness — Waiting means you don’t yet know the end of the story. Take heart in how God has written past chapters of your life. Remind yourself of how He has proven Himself faithful before.

Let’s be honest: waiting can hurt. It can bring tears, frustration, and moments of deep despair. Some of you may have been waiting for years—for healing, restoration, or breakthrough. James isn’t minimizing that pain. Instead, he challenges us to lift our eyes to the bigger picture. Waiting is never wasted. God is completing something in you that can only be formed through time.

Today, make the daily choice to trust God in your waiting. Don’t rush the process. Don’t despise the delay. God may be using this very season to shape your heart, strengthen your faith, and prepare you for something greater than you could ever imagine!

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Sellers Hickman serves as College & Teaching Pastor at NorthStar Church and loves cheering on his Ole Miss Rebels. He and his wife, Hannah, live in Dallas, Ga. with their two daughters. He also serves as the chaplain for the KSU Men’s Basketball team.

 

 

²Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, ³for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

James 1:2-3 (ESV)

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REMEMBER GOD

 

Those two words don’t seem like they belong in the same sentence (especially after the difficult few weeks we’ve been experiencing). When life is painful and relationships are strained, when finances are tight, joy is usually the last emotion we want to feel. Yet James opens his letter by telling believers to “count it all joy” when they face trials.

That’s not how most of us respond. When we’re stretched thin by life, our first instinct is usually frustration, not joy. We ask questions like, “Why is this happening?” or “Where is God in this?”

But James reminds us of something crucial: God is at work in our trials. When our faith is tested, perseverance grows. Trials are not wasted; they are a training ground for faith.

James doesn’t suggest that we might face trials—he knows we will face them. He is preparing us for what’s inevitable. Faith is ultimately grown under pressure. Just as a muscle grows when pushed to its limits, faith strengthens when it’s stretched beyond comfort. Without the stretching of our faith, we would remain shallow and fragile—pushed around by the wind and easily deceived. With trials, our faith becomes resilient, deep, and real.

Do we wish trials upon ourselves? Absolutely not! But when we face trials, our response reveals a lot about the God we believe in. I encourage you to remember these three things when a trial comes your way: God’s character, purpose, and presence.

• God’s Character — God is faithful. His character never changes. Just because we are walking through hardship does not mean that God is any less good.

• God’s Purpose — God uses difficulties to grow us, not destroy us. It may feel like trials are out of line with God’s purpose, but what if they are the very thing He is using to shape you into who He created you to be?

• God’s Presence — You are not alone in this. God is near to you, even in the trial.

James isn’t calling us to fake happiness in hard times. He’s not saying, “Fake it until you make it.” Instead, he points us to a deeper joy—a joy that can coexist with grief, hardship, and struggle. Joy isn’t denial; it’s remembering God’s bigger picture. Joy is the assurance that God is producing something eternal through our suffering.

Paul echoes this in Romans 5:3–4: “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.”

Joy isn’t found in the trial itself, but in the God who works through the trial and holds us in it.

Maybe today you need the reminder of what comes on the other side of trials: a mature faith—steady and unshakable.

Here’s my challenge for the next time you face a trial: Write this on a piece of paper and display it in your car—

“Count it all joy.
God is at work in this.”

 

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Sellers Hickman serves as College & Teaching Pastor at NorthStar Church and loves cheering on his Ole Miss Rebels. He and his wife, Hannah, live in Dallas, Ga. with their two daughters. He also serves as the chaplain for the KSU Men’s Basketball team.