Consider it
pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you
know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. James 1:2-3
Trials
and joy don’t seem to go together. We
call something a trial because it doesn’t bring joy, but heartache. But James says to look at it a different way. Look for the benefits that a trial produces.
A
trial forces us to look at ourselves and our circumstances differently. We have to rely on faith and put our trust,
not on ourselves, but in God.
Let
perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not
lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who
gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when
you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a
wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person
should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Such a
person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. James 1:4-8
James says that if we examine
our trials carefully, they will produce:
1. Perseverance
2. Maturity
3. Wisdom
4. Dependence on God
5. Strengthen faith
6. Reduced doubt
7. Less expectation and more trust
8. Single mindedness
9. Crown of life
These are wonderful benefits
causing you to almost want a trial in your life so you can get more benefits.
God
can take any terrible situation and make it beneficial if we only trusted
him. Jesus could not escape trials on
this earth and he was God. We will face
trials but it will all depend on how we view them: as annoyances or
opportunities to grow.
Blessed is
the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person
will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love
him. James 1:12