Day 35: James 1:2-3

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”



The crap will hit the fan. It’s inevitable. Nobody leads such a charmed life that they never face any troubles. Sadly, some people think that because they are a Christian, they will never have to go through hard times. They believe that because they are obeying God, going to church, tithing, and all that Christian stuff, that God owes them an easy life. Boy, are they wrong.


God didn’t spare His Son, and He didn’t spare any of the prophets, or even the apostles, from some pretty stormy seas, even death in terrible unusual ways. If God didn’t spare them, why would He spare you?


In fact, James tells us to treat troubles differently. He says “find joy in trials.” Now, that’s easier said than done. Why would we take joy in trials?


First of all, lets come at this from a biblical viewpoint. At the time that James wrote this to his congregations, they had faced and were facing massive persecution at the hands of Judaism. The dispersion of Christ-followers that followed the martyrdom of Stephen led people into strange new areas, new cities, and new jobs. This created all sorts of problems as unemployed Christians came racing into new towns to escape persecution. Unfortunately, persecution followed or started up afresh in these new towns.


James is telling his congregants to take heart in their troubles because it is teaching them something: perseverance. Our human nature is to give up at the first sign of trouble. We don’t like trouble, we don’t like to be in trouble. We would rather crawl under a rock and hide. James says that this trouble is teaching you how to stand under fire while God sees you through it.


As we look at this from our perspective, we see some similarities. As we take a stand for our faith in this world, or strive to work for Christ in this world, we are going to face troubles. Sometimes they come from outside sources, and sometimes they come from our friends and families. The overriding factor here is that we are to find joy in these circumstances because we are being taught and trained how to stand in the face of the enemy and not waver. And it isn’t just anyone teaching the lesson, it’s God.


CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP PRINCIPLE: When we find ourselves in a rough spot, in trouble because of our faith, or under fire while working for God, take heart; God is using these circumstances to strengthen you and help you to stand.


Here’s a set of verses to meditate on today: Philippians 4:10-13


Prayer: Father, help me to stand in the face of opposition. Give me courage, and teach me to persevere. Give me joy in the face of my enemies. In Christ’s name, amen.