Facing Trials Part 2

In my last post, I looked at James 1:2, talking about having joy in suffering. Long story short, we are called to have pure joy in all circumstances, no matter how difficult they may be. But why? Just because God says so? Well...I personally think that's an excellent reason, but He goes into a little more depth as to why we should have joy. :) He follows verse two's call to action with these words :"Because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." (James 1:3-4). Last time I talked about the "what" and "when"...now what about the "why"?

3. Result (why)

For some reason, God has allowed me to avoid some of the serious trials that many of you may be going through right now. But I do have trials of my own. God knows each of our lives intimately, what we can handle and what we need to grow in Him. Each one of His children has different trials that they will need to face according to His plan. Trials that will test their individual faith...not the faith of their parents or the faith of their friends, but their faith alone. This can be intimidating as we, as humans, are social animals and rely heavily on one another. While the social comradery is very important to our Christian walk, we need those individual trials and tests to develop our faith to it's fullest.  

First things first...He says that the testing of our faith produces perseverance. For all you sports minded people, this part should make total sense! You can't take an individual that has never played baseball in his life and expect him to hit a home run the first time he holds a bat...or expect that girl that has never run in her life to win a marathon...that's just preposterous! We all know that these things take training. You don't just wake up one day an all-star athlete. Let's just take running for example. I dabble in running here and there, but I mostly definitely don't have the stamina to persevere through a marathon! That would take training, training that I have not yet pursued. But if I were to push myself and to actually train for that marathon, I would one day be able to accomplish that goal. That training would definitely not be easy and would test me and stretch me in ways I have never been tested/stretched before. But that's how I become better and develop that perseverance! The same holds true with our faith. Just because we accepted Christ as our savior does NOT mean we are strong, mature Christians. Yes, accepting Christ brings us into the Christian family and grants us eternity with God...but at first citation of the sinners prayer, we are still baby Christians. 

Going through those trials and gaining that perseverance are what causes maturity to grow. I don't know about you, but I would love to develop just a little bit of that spiritual maturity! Yes, I am more spiritually mature now than when I first accepted Christ....but then I look at those Godly men and women in my church and in ministry and I think "wow!" How I would love to have the faith that they exhibit! And the wisdom! It's truly amazing. But did they always have that faith and wisdom? Goodness no! They had some sort of humble beginning or hard times that brought them to the place they are now. I can guarantee you, if you seek out a truly spiritually mature individual in your church, and ask them how they got there....they will have some sort of story for you, big or small. For just as James said, perseverance must "finish its work so you may be mature and complete." Perseverance leads to maturity. 

Ok, cool, maturity. So what's the big deal? As we persevere through trials and develop that spiritual maturity, God prepares us for what's to come! We become stronger in Him and are able to more fully rely on Him and His provision with each new scenario. Each unique trial contributes to that strength in some way. Most likely we won't recognize it in that instance....it will be when we are faced with a new trial. Again, you may not readily see how that previous trial was beneficial, but there is a good chance you will be able to face this current trial in a way you would have been unable to previously. God knows exactly what each of us needs to help us grow in Him. It might not always be enjoyable or easy (in fact, I can guarantee there will be times that are NOT enjoyable and easy)...but it will be beneficial. 

So while it is easy to let out a groan when thinking about trials....try to refocus on these verses in James. No, trials probably won't be fun and will most likely be difficult....but they are a necessary part of God's plan to mold us into who He wants us to be. They allow us to grow in faith and reliance on God, develop a more intimate relationship with our savior, and give us strength and wisdom to face whatever the future brings. I never thought I'd be thankful for tests and trials, but I most certainly am now!