Faith That Works: Joy in Trials

READ:  James 1:1-18
It is possible to be joyful during trials as long as we recognize that God has a PURPOSE for them!

What are the purposes of the trials that we go through in life?  2 Corinthians 4:16-17 says, “so we do not lose heart.  Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.  For this light and momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond comparison.”  James reveals to us that God allows the various trials that we go through in life as the first tiny (insignificant) domino in a process that moves us toward spiritual maturity.

1.  Trials are a TEST of the genuineness of our faith (vs 3) – A weight lifter cannot simply say with his mouth, “yeah I can lift that”, and NEVER display it, his actions must express themselves in the reality of actually being able to lift the bar!  Every trial (physical, emotional, relational suffering) we encounter, big or small, is a test to see if we are actually using our faith in God to live our lives! Every challenge we face is a test to see if our faith is real or just an external facade.  Every difficulty we go through is an opportunity for us to display our trust in God through our attitudes, actions, and words.

2.  The testing of our faith produces STEADFASTNESS (vs 4a) – Just like a weight lifter intentionally places weight on his muscles in order to develop physical strength, so God places trials in our lives in order to develop a growing capacity to allow our faith in God to lead our actions.  As we respond to trials with joy, we will gain an increasingly greater ability to respond in the right way to all life circumstances.

3.  Steadfastness moves us toward SPIRITUAL WHOLENESS (vs 4b) – As we live out our faith in the reality of life we get closer to the final product that God desires for us (cf. 1:25, 2:10, 22, 3:2).  We will be, “perfect and complete, lacking nothing” on the day that we live every aspect of our lives according to God’s righteous standard.  This is something we are continually striving toward, but never fully achieving until heaven.

CONCLUSION

God is not as concerned about our happiness as He is our holiness.  We can experience joy in the midst of trial if we remember that God is using our circumstances to produce within us something of far greater eternal meaning and significant.  Be encouraged, all of us who remain steadfast under trial will “receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him.” (James 1:12)