In my opinion, this chapter in James is like the secret of how to live our lives and get through the hard things we face and yet not become bitter and worse yet lose our faith. Sadly, many Christians do not learn this and do become bitter or turn away from God.
So let's take a look at those two verses:
2.My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh pertinence.
But what are divers temptations?
And how does verse 1 say to do this?
With joy.
With What? I am supposed to be happy when faced with a trial? Isn't that being counter reproductive?
The thing is, trials can be painful, and stressful.
But they have a purpose in our lives. If we let them they work patience in us. And growth in our spiritual lives. Joy can spill out of us in our daily lives through trials to those around us. To show others the goodness of God. That in the midst of them, God has not abandoned us.
Each time we go through something hard, we should become a bit stronger for the next one we go through.
And if look at them with joy and not dread, we don't get bitter at our circumstances. We can have joy in the Lord knowing that no matter what, He will get us through it because in Him there is strength for us. (Nehemiah 8:10)
So the next time we start to go through a hard time, let us not complain. Let us not curse God. Let us not fear it.
But let us know with joy that God is doing a work in us. One of faith. One of strength. One that can be a help to us when the next hard thing that may come along.
Thanks for coming by, Friends. Tomorrow we will look at verses 5 and 6 in that chapter.
God bless!
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