We all suffer trials.
Trials are hard things in life. Trials come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. Trials can be found in people, places, and things. Sometimes trials happen on purpose, sometimes they are accidents. Sometimes we cause trials to happen, sometimes they just happen. The reality is that no one gets through life without experiencing hard things. We all suffer trials, but we don’t all respond the same way.
What’s the difference between those who walk through hard things “successfully” and those who don’t?
Faith.
Faith that pleases God chooses to know and obey His word regardless of feelings, circumstances, or cultural pressures.
It’s trials that put our faith to the test. It’s not a matter of if your faith will be put to the test, it’s a matter of when.
Acts 14:21-22 CSB – 21 After they had preached the gospel in that town and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, to Iconium, and to Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples by encouraging them to continue in the faith and by telling them, “It is necessary to go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.”
Getting through trials is hard not bad.
James 1:1 1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ: To the twelve tribes dispersed abroad. Greetings.
Most commentators and Biblical scholars agree that James, the half-brother of Jesus, wrote this epistle. James is the half-brother of Jesus because James’ father was Joseph and his mother was Mary. Jesus’ father was God through the miraculous Holy Spirit conception of His virgin mother, Mary.
In addition, James was not a believer of Jesus as Messiah during Christ’s earthly ministry (see John 7:3-5). It was not until after Christ’s resurrection and James’ personal interaction with our (and his) risen Lord that he came to believe (see 1 Corinthians 15:7).
Early church history confirms that James became a prominent leader in the Jerusalem church. Because of James’ role in the church, he would have been widely known among other Jewish Christians. You can see Acts 15 beginning in verse 13 for James address to the Jerusalem Council on behalf of Gentile believers.
Most scholars agree that this general letter was written sometime around 47 AD, which makes it one of the earliest New Testament writings. It’s a general letter because it is not addressed to any specific church. It is only addressed to the “twelve tribes dispersed abroad.”
The “twelve tribes dispersed abroad” is likely a reference to Christians (largely Jewish at this time) who were dispersed from Jerusalem when persecution escalated of Christians escalated following Stephen’s death (see Acts 8:1-4; 11:19).
One final note on James 1:1 is that James did not deem it necessary to refer to himself as Jesus’ brother. He merely referred to himself as a “servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.” A more accurate translation would be “slave of God and of the Master Jesus Christ.” James saw being a slave of God as the highest honor. His connection of Jesus as Master was a way for him to signify Christ as God i.e. his Lord.
James 1:2 2 Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials,
Consider here means to mentally think through something. So, as Christ-followers we can mentally think through various trials and rejoice in them. We can rejoice in them or find joy in them because of what God promises (see Psalm 23:4; 34:17-18; 37:23-24; John 16:20; Romans 8:28; 2 Corinthians 1:3-4; 2 Corinthians 4:17-18).
- God promises to be with us in our trials (Psalm 23:4; 34:17-18; 37:23-24)
- God promises that our sorrow will turn to joy (John 16:20)
- God promises to work all things, even trials, out for good (Romans 8:28)
- God promises to comfort us in our afflictions so we can comfort others (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
- God promises an eternal weight of glory as we persevere through the momentary light afflictions (2 Corinthians 4:17-18)
It’s not the trial we take joy in, it’s what happens to our faith as we walk through the trial that we find great joy. It’s the anticipation of the eternal hope that brings us pure joy.
Moreover, notice that James does not say, “if you experience various trials. He writes, “whenever you experience various trials.” Trials are part of the human experience. Trials come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. No one can escape trails in a broken world. We will not all experience the same trials, but we will experience the ones that God allows to fulfill His good and perfect plan.
The word “experience” in this verse literally means “to fall into.” This further supplants the idea that trials are not avoidable. We will fall into them. We will experience them. It’s what we do in them that matters most.
There are many responses to trials, but for the sake of time I will narrow it to 3.
- Running away from God leaves us angry, bitter, and cold.
- Running in place means we rely on our own strength. This generally leaves us full of fear, anxiety, and confusion.
- Running towards God is the only way to find pure joy and fulfill the results James expresses in James 1:3-4.
Getting through trials supplies new lenses for life.
Illustration:
The other day I went to the eye doctor for my annual exam and to get some contacts. I don’t particularly like the eye doctor. To be honest, I always feel a bit awkward as I wait, I never look forward to the puffer machine that scares me every time, and I am always anxious that I am going to mess up when they do the eye test portion. However, despite me not caring for the eye doctor I look forward to it every time. Why? Because I know that every time I leave I will have better vision and new contacts.
This is what happens as we face various trials. We know they are going to be painful. We even know that we aren’t going to like them very much, but we can look forward to the new lenses we will have on life. Each time, God is refining us as He gets us through trials. He will patiently, graciously, mercifully, kindly, and lovingly walk with us through the trials and shift our perspective along the way. As we trudge through the various trials of life by faith we will begin to see the world differently. We will begin to long for eternity. We will begin to desire for every man, woman, and child to taste what you taste. To see what you see. The goodness of God. This is why we can consider it great joy as we face various trials.
James 1:3 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
James moves along and explains that various trials test our faith. It’s important to note here that trials do not produce faith. They test faith.
Romans 10:17 reads, “So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.”
Paul also writes in Ephesians 1 that when we “were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and when you believed.”
So, faith is produced by hearing the word and believing. Faith does not necessarily come from trails.
However, as James points out, trails will test our faith. James if obviously writing to believers, but this testing of faith is even true for non-believers. As non-believers walk through their faith (or lack thereof) will also be tested. Unfortunately, they will not get the same result as the believer. The believer gets endurance as James writes.
Endurance means to patiently suffer. This is the idea of willfully enduring the pain and suffering of this world knowing that God’s promises are true. The more our faith is tested by various trials, the greater our endurance becomes to withstand the next round of trials.
Getting through trials produces endurance for the next round.
Illustration:
In 2019, Mark Felix broke the world record for the Hercules Hold. Mark crushed the previous record, but what was interesting was his demeanor and confidence as he approached the hold.
He calmly walks up to the platform, grabs each handle, and quickly begins the hold. His demeanor as he held the weight was one of confidence and calmness. It’s as if he had been there before.
Mark had practice for this very moment. He had even competed in this before. He knew what to expect. He also knew where his strength came from, how to properly stand while he held the weight, the perfect grip, and when to let go.
This is how we approach trials. Since our faith is in the Lord. We know that He is where our strength comes from. We know that He is with us through the trial. We know that with each trials He is preparing us for the next one that we will face. Getting through trials with faith produces the endurance we will need to face the next one.
James 1:4 4 And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.
In verse 4, James gives an incredible promise. He says that through trials, through testing, endurance will have it’s full effect by making us mature and complete, lacking nothing. How incredible is that!
Each trial, no matter how big or small, is working us towards a goal. The goal being to make us mature and complete, lacking in nothing. The goal being to make us more like Christ. The goal being to strip away anything that stands in the way of us fully trusting God and relying on Him for all things. Complete trust in Christ means we lack nothing. We have all we need.
David articulates it so well in the first verse of Psalm 23:1, “The LORD is my shepherd; I have what I need.”
Getting through trails strengthens our faith in Christ.
“I have looked back to times of trial with a kind of longing, not to have them return, but to feel the strength of God as I have felt it then, to feel the power of faith, as I have felt it then, to hang upon God’s powerful arm as I hung upon it then, and to see God at work as I saw him then.”
Charles Spurgeon
Illustration:
In the first couple of days with Lenox in the hospital it was feelings of shock. Next came this internal triage trying to figure out what to do next. It was panic. But, when reality began to set in that we were likely not going to get to take out baby boy home with us, I broke. It was in the brokenness that I finally felt the nearness of my Creator. I knew He heard my cries. I knew He held my tears. I knew His promises were true. I knew His word would comfort me.
In the days, weeks, and months that followed, I rode a pink cloud of faith. Did I hate our circumstances, absolutely, but I knew that God was with us. I knew that He had a good and perfect plan. I wish I could tell you I have remained on that pink cloud, but I have not. The clamors of this world creep in ever so slowly and I can easily drift back to self-reliance. However, it’s quite interesting that when that self-reliance comes God allows another swarm of grief. In that swarm I can consider it all joy knowing that a providential God of the Universe holds my best interest in His hands.
As one commentator noted about these verses,
“Why does God allow the righteous to suffer? is, indeed, one of the most perplexing and difficult questions that God’s people can ask. James gives no complete answer. But implicit in what James says is a conviction that the suffering of believers is always under the providential control of a God who wants only the best for his people.”
Getting through trials is hard not bad.
“We train our feet today to get through trials tomorrow.”
- Pray: Adore God, Confess sin, Thank God, Make requests
- Read God’s Word: What does it say? What does it mean? What should I do?
- Help others: Be intentional and build in opportunities to help others during your day or week. Helping others focuses your attention on others so God can help you.
- Get honest with a closed mouth and understanding friend. Do this regularly and thoroughly. I’ve found this most helpful with one person who mentors me.
- Be held accountable to a mentor that will give you honest and wise Biblical counsel.
