Finding Joy in Trials: James 1:2-8

On Sunday afternoon, my 7-year old son asked me why God allows bad things to happen. I thought to myself: “Why couldn’t you have asked me where babies come from – I could answer that one for you!!!!” I fumbled through an answer, but didn’t feel really good about it. This question continued to weigh on my mind and it was at the forefront of my mind when I sat down for my quiet time on Monday morning. The Lord is always good and He met my unspoken questions with this Word from Him:

The Scripture: 

James 1:2-8

2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. 6But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; 8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does.

The Facts

1. Consider it joy, when you face trials (vs. 2)
   
2. The testing of your faith develops perseverance (vs. 3)
   
3. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything (vs. 4)
   
4. If any lacks wisdom ask God (vs. 5)
   
5. He gives generously to all, without finding fault (vs. 5)
   
6. When he asks, he must believe and not doubt (vs. 6)
   
7. He who doubts is like a wave on the sea, blown and tossed by the wind (vs. 6)
   
8. That man should not think he will receive anything (vs. 7)
   
9. He is double-minded, unstable in all he does (vs. 8)
   

The Lessons

1. When (not if) we face troubles, we should welcome it with “pure joy,” as if it were an exciting, new adventure (vs. 2) Things I think of that I consider to be a “pure joy” – a new baby, Christmas morning, my kids’ “belly laugh,” playing the piano, sitting on the beach
   
2. There is purpose in trials – it is to develop perseverance in our faith; troubles are not unexpected or random (vs. 3)
   
3. Perseverance also has purpose – to make us mature and complete. If we never encountered difficulty, we wouldn’t have the opportunity to become mature and complete (vs. 4)
   
4. We should not try to navigate the difficult circumstances alone; we must ask God for the wisdom we need. Perseverance doesn’t mean “how long can you do it alone.”  Rather, God wants to teach us to come to Him when we need him so that we are able to persevere. (vs. 4)
   
5. God is a generous and forgiving God. He will not heap condemnation on us when we come to him authentically, humbly seeking Him. Rather, he will meet us where we are and generously supply us with the wisdom we need to navigate the storms of life. (vs. 6)
   
6. We must come to God with an attitude of expectancy and BELIEVE that God will act and be faithful to His promises. (vs. 6)
   
7. When we doubt, we become even more uncertain and life becomes that much more tumultuous. (vs. 6)
   
8. The one who doubts -- because he doesn’t come to God expecting anything – SHOULDN’T expect to receive anything. This is a warning against unbelief. (vs. 7).
   
9. When we doubt, we are double minded. We may have 1 eye on God, but we still have 1 eye also on the world. This WILL make us unstable in everything we do. We MUST be singularly focused on God. (vs. 8)
   

The Lessons for Me

1. Do I meet trials with the same attitude of excitement, peace, happiness, and satisfaction as a new baby, Christmas morning, my kids’ “belly laugh,” playing the piano or sitting on the beach? 
   
2. Do I welcome trials as something with a purpose? Something that will have a positive outcome? Something from which I can learn?
   
3. How have past trials/perseverance made me more mature and complete? Are there areas of my life where I need to grow in maturity and become more complete? Can I appreciate how trials in my life can and will help me to grow in Christ? 
   
4. Do I always seek God and ask Him for His wisdom in the midst of trials? Am I seeking the world’s wisdom instead? (Interestingly, God specifically mentions asking for wisdom here; not asking for peace or joy or contentedness; but wisdom because that is what we NEED in order to ACT in our time of trial. I believe peace, joy, and contentedness will RESULT from relying on God’s wisdom and growing in perseverance and becoming “mature and complete.”  We find God’s wisdom in His Word – the Bible. This is why it is so important to consistently -- daily -- be in The Word.)
   
5. What keeps me from seeking God? Is Satan whispering lies in my ear about condemnation? Am I digging into God’s Word, which is where I will find His wisdom?
   
6. Do I BELIEVE God will supply my needs? Do I live each day, each moment, and each trial with a heart of expectancy that God will fulfill his promises?
   
7. Have I examined the areas of my life that feel unstable? Is there unbelief there?
   
8. Am I singularly focused on God or do I still keep one eye on the world?
   

What I’ve learned

In every trial we experience, God has: purpose, provision, and protection for us.

Purpose:  The purpose of trials in our lives is to develop perseverance, which result in maturity and completeness (which may be characterized by a sense of peace, joy, and contentedness in our circumstances).

Provision: God does not ask us to face trials alone, he GENEROUSLY gives us His Wisdom when we authentically and humbly seek Him. He has given us His Word – the Bible – which is the source of His wisdom. We don’t have to guess. We don’t have to sit in silence and wonder if our ideas are from the Lord. HIS ideas are in black and white. It doesn’t get much more accessible than that.

Protection:  God loves us and wants the best for us. He does not want us to become “unstable” – and he warns us that if we keep on eye on the world, we will become unstable. His protection is this caution, that if we are “double-minded” – keeping one eye on the Him and one eye on the world – we will doubt and become unstable in ALL we do. 

The Aim

To be singularly focused on God; and in times of trial, to seek God's wisdom, taking comfort in His purpose, provision, and protection.