After experiencing one of the most difficult seasons of his life, Charisma Media’s James Lasher explained that it is through the power of prayer and praise that he was able to give thanks to God no matter what the enemy was trying to tell him.
When Lasher first accepted his role with Charisma Media, he and his wife knew that it was part of God’s plan for his life. However, for the first year and two months before finding a permanent residence, he found himself commuting each week from Orlando, Florida, to be with his wife and daughter at his in-law’s home in Georgia. This undesired separation from his family led him to heavily rely on the power of intercession from his family, friends and those he worked with, along with the principle of praise.
“From staying with people for the first portion, which seems like a lifetime ago even though it was less than a year, to staying in hotels…it would sometimes change from week to week and not knowing where I’d be the next, but knowing I’d be at Charisma each time and learning to praise the Lord during that time, to give Him thanks,” Lasher said.
Lasher has now not only seen God’s complete faithfulness to through the middle of one of his greatest storms as he and his family have now been permanently reunited, but he explains the greater, deeper appreciation for the spiritual growth that comes through trials and tribulations as the apostle Paul first described them.
“We look at a lot of times what Paul endured as the apostle who is responsible…for so much of the New Testament. And I was able to look back and see the things that he endured almost to the point of death, which eventually it did lead to death, but I’m talking about during his travels, during his establishing of churches across the regions of the Roman Empire. And what he endured from sickness, illness, hatred, jail, all of these things,” Lasher said.
Lasher says that one of the things that Christians today tend to get wrong is a belief that life will be without struggles. However, this is opposite of what the Scripture says.
“There’s such a misconception in Christianity that once you accept Christ into your life, which is an amazing, wonderful, joyous moment, [but] it’s not easy street after that,” Lasher says.
“If Christians would spend more time in the Word of God and develop their biblical literacy, they would see that persecution is going to come your way. Spiritual attacks and spiritual warfare are going to come your way because now you’re a part of Christ; you’re not a part of the world anymore so that puts a nice little target on you for Satan.”
All Christians are called to endure suffering at some point in time. There’s a reason that James 1:2-4 reads: “My brothers, count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptations, knowing that the trying of your faith develops patience. But let patience perfect its work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.” While not everything we endure will be pleasant, God uses all things for His good and to grow us into the people He has called us to become.
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Abby Trivett is a marketing copywriter and coordinator for Charisma Media.
