This last week on my journey towards eldership I have been making progress on being thankful for work that I didn’t like. According to Titus 1:8, I must be righteous if I am to be an elder:

“For the overseer must be beyond reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not overindulging in wine, not a bully, not greedy for money, but hospitable, loving what is good, self-controlled, righteous, holy, disciplined,” – Titus‬ ‭1‬:‭7‬-‭8‬ ‭NASB2020‬‬

During this last week I worked a lot on the Zion property doing a job I didn’t really like. Normally a lot of complaints would have come out of my mouth about it and I would have asked to go to a different job, but I pushed myself to allow myself to grow and mature through the discomfort of performing the job. James 1:2-4 speaks to considering trails of many kinds pure joy:

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” – James‬ ‭1‬:‭2‬-‭4‬ ‭NIV‬‬

We need to consider the trials of our lives not as hinderances or burdens, but as opportunities for growth and a deepening of our relationship with God. The job that I did was that for me, an opportunity for growth in being thankful and appreciating something I didn’t like. Fulfilling James 1:2-4 is what a righteous person is supposed to be doing. By growing in my understanding and fulfilling James 1:2-4, I was growing in righteousness and therefore being more elder-like and Christlike.