Break Open Your Piñata!
BREAK OPEN YOUR PIÑATA!
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” – James 1:2-4
Oh the joy of wrapping your knuckles around a bat and taking your best swing at brightly-colored piñata! I remember going to parties as a child and being excited to see a piñata dangling from the branch of a tree in the host family’s backyard. We would take turns putting on a blindfold, gripping the bat and swinging with all of our might, as our friends cheered us on. While there was always a brief moment of pride to be the one to finally break it open, that pleasure was quickly surpassed as the treasures hidden inside of the piñata came spilling out to squeals of delight from every child.
When you think about it, it’s an odd thing to blindfold a child, give them a bat and encourage them to destroy something in your yard. As adults, most of us wouldn’t think it was a very good party if we were invited over to celebrate a friend’s birthday, only to be handed a hammer and given the task of reinforcing the boards in their back fence. We tend to not enjoy unnecessary labor. In the case of the piñata, the parents could just as easily put out a bowl of candy and prizes and the children could help themselves. Why is a piñata considered fun and not work or unnecessary drudgery?
After careful consideration, I believe these things to be true:
1. There is greater joy and satisfaction in working to attain the reward for achieving a goal than to receive a reward for something that required no effort. There is an old saying that says, “That which costs you nothing holds no value.” We hold with greatest delight those things we strive the hardest for. What we don’t strive for feels trivial and worthless.
2. The cheers of our friends are encouraging. It wouldn’t nearly be as much fun to swing a bat alone in the backyard. There would be no one there with whom to celebrate the joy of our triumph.
3. The children believe that the parent who put the piñata in the tree is a good parent, and they are convinced the piñata is neither empty, nor full of snakes, but full of wonderful things.
Life is full of piñatas, but we don’t see them as such. Trials come our way. We see them coming and our heart sinks. We consider the sweat, the stress and the monumental effort it feels like it is going to take to get past them or even endure them. We want to give up before we even pick up the bat and take our first swing.
What if we believed that we could be successful with some effort if we just didn’t give up and the joy and satisfaction would far exceeded the effort? What if when our friends and family recognized that we had a trial that they started cheering us on? What if we were truly convinced that our Father is good and that in every trial He is faithful to include treasure?
Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”
It doesn’t say “a lot of things” or even “most things.” It says that EVERYTHING works together for the good for those of us who love Him and are called according to His purpose. “God is not a man that He should lie.” – Numbers 23:19
Every single trial that comes our way includes treasure in it. We may need to expend some energy, take some poorly aimed swings, break a sweat and dig through mounds of confetti, but with every single trial, we are being offered an opportunity to receive treasure. “Happy are those who remain faithful under trials, because when they succeed in passing such a test, they will receive as their reward the life which God has promised to those who love him.” – James 1:12
Heavenly Father, I lift your dear child reading this. Either they have just finished going through a trial, they are in the middle of one or one is on their horizon. Father, give them a paradigm shift. Gift them with fresh eyes that don’t merely see effort and struggle, but that search expectantly for Your treasure. Seed their heart with hope and fresh faith to believe You are good and that what approaches on the horizon is not their opposition, but their opportunity – not their doom, but a hopeful destiny. Help them to remain faithful under trial. Bless them with a renewed mind that welcomes their trials as friends and unexpected open doors that usher in long-awaited answer to prayer. Send friends to encourage them, but not those friends who speak positive words, all the while wearing long and gloomy faces. Send friends who have faith to believe and whose cheers can fill Your child’s lungs with fresh breath and their limbs with strength and courage to keep going. Give them ears to hear Heaven’s great crowd of witnesses that, even now, cheer them on to keep going (Heb 12:1), because it will be worth it. Strengthen them to keep swinging away until your treasure spills out. Give them endurance that does not let up until every single treasure has been retrieved. And Father, may they receive a reward, a good return for their labor and, even better, that they will hear You say, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” In Jesus Name ❤️
Dear friend, we can’t see treasure when we are focusing on trouble. Purposely begin to look for the blessing in your trial. With the bat of faith-filled prayers, obedience and worship saturated with joyful expectation, beat the living daylights out of your piñata. There is treasure to be found if you just keep at it. And don’t give up searching until you have found every hidden treasure! 💡
Comments
Post a Comment