Smiling Into the Wind

James 1:2 says "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance..."

We talked about why testing and trials are necessary: to help us develop a stronger and more effective faith. That sounds great right?

But how in the world are we to be joyful in the face of difficulty? I don't think James is asking us to be giddy and laughing through difficult times. But he is asking us to keep our eyes on the big picture, and to look beyond the trial to the person we will become on the other end.

There are certain truths we need to have as a strong foundation as Christians. One is that God is good...all the time. It is part of his nature. And because we know that, we know that any kind of trial He allows in our life is for our good. Romans 8:28 is scriptural proof: "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

The other promise we have in scripture is that God is with us...That too is part of his nature. In fact one of God's names "Emmanuel" means "God with us." In my own experience, the time of testing and trial is when God really makes it obvious that He is with us. When I was dealing with my cancer diagnosis and treatment, I felt God's hand in such an obvious way that it made the whole awful experience seem pretty bearable. And because of that experience, I came out the other side feeling more of God's love than I ever had before in all 30-some years of being a Christian.

James continues in chapter one talking about wisdom. Verses 5-8 say, "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should as God, who gives generously to all without finding fault and it will be given to him. But 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. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is double-minded, unstable in all he does." If you're struggling with "why me" when you have a difficult test to pass, ask God. He can give you all the wisdom and discernment you need.

More good news about trials and testing can be found in verse 12 of James 1. "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him." Some of the good we receive from testing we see in this life in a deeper walk with God, but even more encouraging is that we receive an eternal reward when we persevere under trial and remain faithful in spite of it: we will receive the crown of life that we can lay at God's feet when we get to heaven.

In summary:
Trials and difficulties will happen for one purpose: to help us grow in our faith. The benefits of trials are a deeper faith and wisdom for life's upcoming experiences. When we focus on our growth and change through trials and the more Christ-like we are becoming, we can face those tests with a different perspective. We can also focus on the eternal reward we will be receiving. We can then smile as the wind tries to blow us over, all the while our roots are digging in deeper and deeper in the knowledge of and faith in God.

Some food for thought:
1) If you are going through a difficulty right now, have you asked God for wisdom so that you can learn what you're supposed to learn through it?

2) If you have recently survived a difficulty, what have you learned about God and your relationship with Him through it?

3) How much of an eternal perspective do you have? How often do you remember that God will reward us in eternity for our faithfulness here on earth?


P.S. If you happen to stop through here and read the blog, please post a note. It's a great motivator for me if I know someone, anyone is reading this. Thanks Nikki for your feedback!