Brothers and Sisters in the Lord,
This coming Lord’s Day we will once again find ourselves at the very beginning of that powerful New Testament letter written by James, the brother of our Lord Jesus. And so far we have listened as he has told us about the purpose for the various trials and tribulations that the Lord sends into our lives. James has made it abundantly clear that those who believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ should have a most distinct attitude and belief about the difficulties they face—those troubles that all of us meet as we follow Christ. We “count” them all “joy” if and “when” we “encounter” them (1:2). And we do so in view of how the Lord uses these difficulties for His glory and our good. Namely, that such trials are designed to produce Christian maturity in each of us.
The “steadfastness” of heart that grows in such times of trial leads to a completeness or perfection in Christian virtue and Christlike character (1:4). This is one of the main ways that the Lord makes His people strong—He places them in times of testing and proving. And in these experiences—that are admittedly difficult—our faith will grow, our spiritual ‘muscles’ will be exercised, and we will reach full maturity.
Now, to be sure, this Biblical perspective on suffering and trials is very challenging to us. It seems to go against everything that we feel or may believe about God, the world, and the way that the Lord governs the affairs of our lives. To rejoice when we are tested? To consider ourselves blessed by God? To find in our pains and tribulations occasions for “joy”? How crazy this must sound to some people! And yet, this is exactly what James has written in the opening lines of the letter.
But how can we come to such a place where we see things this way? How can we gain such a perspective on our lives, and on the lives of those we love in the Body of Christ? How can we “count it all joy” when we “meet trials of various kinds”? Well, it’s as if James has anticipated just such a dilemma. And in verses 5-8 he gives us the answer we are searching for. It is all about gaining “wisdom.”
This will be our sermon passage for the next two Sundays as we consider how we may find the Lord’s joy and peace no matter what our circumstances may be.
I love you all,
Mike