James 1:2-3

New American Standard Version

2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.

Pastor’s Paraphrase

          Whenever you face difficult circumstances of any kind, my brothers, you can find the Lord’s joy even in the midst of your trials.  You can do this because you have come to understand that such tests of your faith have a purpose – testing develops in you the ability to endure and survive and to grow through it all.

 “How does this help me become more like Him?”

          No child likes to get a shot.  I hated them when I was a child (truth is, I still do).  I don’t think any child hated them as much as our second son, Brian.  I will never forget the time that my wife took him to the doctor and it was determined he needed a shot.  Having heard the doctor say this, he took off running before Cindy even turned around.  He was so fast that he was out in the parking lot before she could catch him and bring him back into the doctor’s office to get the shot he needed.  He knew it was going to be painful and he ran!

          There are so many times in our lives that we would like to run from the pain of difficult times.  These times are painful and our natural instincts are to flee.  We subconsciously conclude that we would be better off if we could only escape the pain.  But just as the shot was needed for my son to be healthy again, many times our Father knows that what we need to find spiritual health and growth can be painful.  I found no delight in the pain my little boy experienced from the injection but I very much wanted him to be healthy and grow as he should.

          When the Father sends or allows painful experiences to come into our lives, we should not automatically conclude that they are bad because they are painful.  The two are not spiritually synonymous.  James is writing to believers who are going through extremely painful and difficult times.  As young believers, they may have initially wrestled with the idealism that leads inexperienced followers of Christ to conclude that their lives would now be easy because of their faith.  Nothing could be further from the truth.

          A physical body that never exerts itself grows weak.  Our spiritual lives are strengthened from the times of struggle.  “No pain, no gain” has a spiritual application when it comes to the difficult times that the Lord allows us to go through and grow through. 

          We will never understand dependence on Him alone until we have those times that there is no one else we can depend on.  We will never learn how to hear His voice and know His direction until we have those experiences in which we don’t know which way to turn.  We cannot grow stronger in Him until painful times teach us how weak we really are.  We will never understand His faithfulness until we have those days in which no one can help us but Him.

          Andrae Crouch, a great gospel songwriter wrote these words:

“I thank God for the mountains
And I thank Him for the valleys;
I thank Him for the storms He brought me through;
For if I’d never had a problem,
I wouldn’t know that He could solve them;
I’d never know what faith in God could do.

Chorus - Through it all, through it all,
I’ve learned to trust in Jesus;
I’ve learned to trust in God.
Through it all, through it all,
I’ve learned to depend upon His Word.”

“How should I pray for Him to change my life?”

Tell the Lord that even though you don’t enjoy the pain of difficult times, you understand that He has a purpose for it all.  Thank Him for His faithfulness to you through every trial and struggle.  Pray that you would grow stronger and wiser in Him for each of these times He allows in your life.

END