James 1:2-4
All humans would like to have a life that is free from problems, troubles, and suffering.
When I was playing competitive sports, we spent most of our time training to be equipped to play the best game possible. Training was hard work and most times not too enjoyable. The coach would force us to run the same play repeatedly until we could be ready to do it effectively in a game. To “get us in shape” he would exercise us for hours each week running and doing calisthenics. This always caused lots of misery and complaints. The coach was doing what he thought was best for his players to win.
Parents know that raising kids is difficult. Parents constantly must make decisions regarding their kids that appear to be very negative. However, the parents based on their own past experiences know most times what is best based on their own end results in similar situations. Most parents want to do what is best for their kids even when it appears the worst to their kids.
Our Heavenly Father lives outside of time constraints and is omniscient knowing what is best for His kids. His purpose in training is to have all of His kids become Christlike. His training is tough and often miserable but is always full of His love and His doing the eternal best for His kids.
God gives us some coaching and parental wisdom in James 1:2-4. “Consider it all joy, my brothers, and sisters, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
The phrase “consider it all joy” means to view one’s trials and difficulties as opportunities for joy and spiritual growth, rather than as sources of frustration or despair. It is an invitation to find meaning and purpose in the struggles of life, even when it is hard to do so. Joy is that inner stability that comes from a believer’s knowing that what is going on is exactly what our Heavenly Father wants to go on. Joy is fruit produced only by the indwelling Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22). Joy is not the same as happiness. Joy is the response to overcoming trials, problems, and suffering. Happiness is that emotion expressed when there are no trials, problems, and suffering. Joy is celebrating that Jesus Owns You since you were bought with the price of Christ’s sacrifice (1 Corinthians 6:20).and He wants His best for you.
Suffering becomes a conduit to joy. Jesus gives us more enlightenment in John 16:20-21, “ Truly, truly I say to you that you will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will grieve, but your grief will be turned into joy! Whenever a woman is in labor, she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world.”
Trials are allowed by God and are opportunities to prove to you and others that what you believe you believe is what you actually believe. This is a challenging perspective to maintain, as it requires a high level of faith and trust in God, as well as a willingness to embrace the unknown and let go of our need for control. This is an important lesson for believers, as it reminds us that our faith is not a fragile or superficial thing, but rather something that can be tested and refined through the challenges of life.
When I was in college, the professors always gave us tests to show how much of the material that we had learned. We could study for hours to get ready when we knew the exact time when the tests were coming. However, I hated “Pop quizzes” which were unexpected and meant you had to study the material as you went, not just cram for a test. God primarily deals in unexpected “Pop quizzes” when testing our faith.
God knows that testing our faith produces endurance for which you cannot cram into a short period of time. Endurance is that ability to withstand hardship or adversity usually over extended periods of time. Endurance comes through diligent exercise in those times and testing to see how far you have come and the hard lessons learned through trials.
Endurance allows us to run the marathon of life, not just short sprints. It leads us to being conformed to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29) and is the perfect result, complete and lacking nothing.
James 1:2-4 is a reminder that God is with us in all circumstances, and that He is working to bring about good in our lives, even when we cannot see it. It is an invitation to trust in God’s goodness and sovereignty, and to find joy and purpose in the challenges of life, no matter what they may be.
