EP 197: A Few Truths to Remember When Trials Come
Inside: God uses trials to strengthen our faith and mature us. A few simple truths from James 1:2–4 to help us trust Him when trials come.
Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
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I was reading through James this morning and spent some time meditating on 1:2–4. One of the ways I like to slow down and work through a passage is to pull out the truths in it and put them into bullet points. It helps me pay closer attention to what the text says and think about how it applies to my own life.
Trials are not something any of us would choose. Our first response is often to ask the Lord to remove them, and it is right to bring those requests to Him. Paul pleaded with the Lord three times to remove his thorn. The Lord didn’t remove it, but He answered Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Corinthians 12:8–9).
The Lord may not always remove the trial, but He will give us the grace we need to trust Him in it. James also helps us see that He has a good purpose for us even while it remains.
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
James 1:2–4
What Does James 1:2–4 Teach Us About Trials?
• Trials are part of the Christian life. James says when we meet trials, not if we meet them.
• Trials come in many forms. Some are smaller and pass quickly, while others bring deep sorrow or remain with us for a long time.
• Counting a trial as joy doesn’t mean pretending it doesn’t hurt. We may not feel joyful about what we’re going through. We can count it as joy because we know that God is at work through it.
• God uses trials to test and strengthen our faith. They show us how much we need Him and teach us to depend less on ourselves and more on Him.
• The testing of our faith produces steadfastness. As the Lord helps us keep trusting and obeying Him, He strengthens us to remain faithful through the trial.
• This work often takes time. We may want the Lord to bring the trial to an end quickly, but He is doing good work in us even while we wait.
• God uses steadfastness to mature us. When James says “perfect and complete,” he isn’t talking about sinless perfection. He means the Lord is growing us in every area of our lives and making us more like Christ.
Trusting God When Trials Come
We don’t have to pretend a trial isn’t hard in order to trust that God is good. We can ask the Lord to remove it while also asking Him to help us trust Him for as long as it remains.
I’m thankful for this reminder from James. Even in trials we would never choose, our Father has not left us on our own. He is at work in them for His good purposes, and we can trust Him with whatever we’re facing today.
“I have looked back to times of trial with a kind of longing, not to have them return, but to feel the strength of God as I have felt it then, to feel the power of faith, as I have felt it then, to hang upon God’s powerful arm as I hung upon it then, and to see God at work as I saw him then.”
Charles Spurgeon – quoted in Precept Austin’s commentary on James 1:4.
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