Consider the Context

“Don’t forget there is a bigger story going on beyond this one event.”
Loren Thornburg

I’ve been learning about how to interpret literature and if I could sum it up in one thought it would be: Consider the context.  Context means to consider the circumstances that form the setting of which it can be fully understood.  You wouldn’t start in the middle of a letter or email and expect to understand the message and intent of the sender.  I am reminded that this principle applies to more than just literature, but is true for people as well.  Although I may not be able to know the whole story of many of the people around me, what if I took a bigger look than just the event at hand.  Often we are prone to judge people based on one event ignoring the bigger picture going on.  We make assumptions about people forgetting we have picked up in the middle of the letter of their life.  Even though we don’t always have the liberty of knowing the context of each person we come across we can always assume that there is a greater context than what we see.  Therefore let us not be so quick to judge but rather quick to ask questions and consider the context of each life.  May we have the same understanding with ourselves as well.  Consider the context of your life and see the bigger picture.  There is a story being written with your life.  

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”
James 1:17 ESV

Like all literature we need to read the Bible in context.  One aspect of the context of the Bible is the context of God.  We see in the scriptures that He is good and that doesn’t change, so then we can trust that in each season of our lives that is still true.  James has been writing about the importance of enduring temptation, but yet not to assume that God is the one who is tempting.  He is reminding his readers of this truth that God is a good God who gives good Gifts and that doesn’t change.  So then, we must consider the context of our God.  When we are going through difficult times He doesn’t change and His goodness to you hasn’t changed either.  Let us not forget the context of our good God.