Trials
| Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James1:2-4) |
Sometimes we get fooled into thinking that allegiance to Christ is a guarantee of the absence of trouble. James knocks that notion out of the ballpark!
Jesus warned His followers that His peace was not like the peace of the world. The world reckons peace to be the absence of trouble. Jesus and James' arithmetic is different: trouble + grace = peace.
One might even define James' attitude as masochistic: His attitude to trouble and hardship is joyful acceptance: Bring it on! But is he really masochistic? A masochist likes to be hurt. James does not concentrate on the hurt or hardship, but on the results: perseverance, maturity, and completeness. James is not interested in the beginning of the process as the end.
To this end, it would be better to define James as an opportunist. Trouble is an opportunity to grow. Like a muscle that can only be developed through load-bearing, our faith must be pulled, stretched, loaded and burdened before we can really grow. As far as my faith is concerned, I want to have depth, insight, wisdom, stickability, and courage. The road to that destination leads through the badlands and wastelands of life.
Trouble is not to be sought or enjoyed, but when trouble comes knocking, there is a sure and deep certainty (joy) that while God is not the author of trouble, He will be with me and can use this experience to help me grow as long as I sidestep the temptation to become bitter and cynical.
God turns trouble on its head by mischievously bringing growth and good out of evil's attempts to destroy us. A trial can be a trail to a new destination. Let's find deep contentment (joy) in that!
