My brethren count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
James 1:2-4
In these opening verses, James addresses the issue of trials that come from outside. He is talking about trials that we “fall into” – meaning they are often unexpected things that we encounter. Literally, the unforeseen events of life that we do not plan for or wish to happen. The picture is a little bit like falling when you step into a hole or stumble over something in the way – no one plans to do that!
The Bible here says “various trials”, meaning this can include many different things. It may include physical trials, financial difficulties, relationship issues, gossip, broken hearts. It can include danger or tragedies that happen. I can’t list them all here, but you get the idea.
Most of the time for us, trials naturally produce a negative attitude – a complaining attitude. Someone does something negative to me and my first thought is “why did You let that happen Lord?”.
But God here describes a very different response. He says we should have joy when we face a new trial. Joy! Not only joy, but God says to count it (or consider or have the opinion about) “all joy”. It means not a little joy mixed with some complaining thrown in on the side. No – all we should have is joy in a trial!
Does that sound kind of ridiculous to anyone? I mean, really God? My child gets sick and I am supposed to be joyful in that situation? I lose my job and I am supposed to have joy in that time in my life? Someone hurts me deeply by something said or done and I am supposed to react with overflowing joy? Really?
The answer is, yes, really. But how? How can we do this as believers? The answer is given as the verse continues….knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience
To know something means to understand it.
As Christians, we must understand that God has a bigger plan for us than what is happening in the moment.
In fact, we must remember that God is doing something good for us in and through that trial.
Trials in our life are really a test that God brings into our life to grow our faith, purify our faith, and mature our faith. Trials have a purpose. Patience makes us “perfect and complete” – exactly what God wants us to be!
A mature faith is a patient faith – a faith that trusts in God no matter what.
What God wants in my life is for me to believe Him no matter the situation. And He brings trials into my life to teach me to have patience and trust Him.
You must learn to see the trials in your life through a biblical lens. These difficulties in your life are not accidents that God is not aware of! God has allowed them to refine you and shape you and sanctify you!
This knowledge is the key to having joy in a trial.
We are rapidly moving away from a literary society to a visual society. Globally, we would rather watch something than read something. The death of newspapers. The rise of Youtube.
What does this mean for the written Word of God? Well, there’s good news and bad news.
The good news is that there is much healthy discussion on visualization in the church these days. Artists like Makoto Fujimura have written extensively on the subject of visual theology. Visual theology, he says, “happens, when we are engaged with scriptures, with fulness of our imaginations”. I agree. It is a good thing when our minds are creatively engaged with Scripture in such a way that they come to life for us.
Indeed, for centuries Christians have portrayed biblical narratives in creative visual ways (think Medieval stained glass to 1960s flannel graph). Kids like to build Bible scenes out of LEGOS. You get the point. This supplementation of the Bible is good, healthy, and God honoring.
The bad news is that as many people are less and less interested in reading, they are less interested in reading the Bible.
They are more drawn to the latest instagram photo with some overlayed words from a Christian pop song that may or may not be theologically correct.
God has given His Word in literary form precisely to engage with our hearts and minds in that way. Why? I don’t know – but that’s what He chose to do.
Are we so naive to think that the god of this world is not using the expanding availability of visual stimulation to influence us away from God’s written Word? We must find balance in this, our visual world, and as believers hold on to the written Word as our primary influence.
Probably weekly we ask a friend “did you see that video?”
What we should be asking is “have you read that passage?”
Whenever you lead people, those people will inspire you with their dedication. They will also frustrate you with their failures. Both of these realities are part of the human experience.
Jesus must have been elated and frustrated with His disciples, sometimes in the same day. Sometimes they messed up so bad it was unbelievable.
In that moment, the leader has a choice.
When someone you are leading frustrates you, you have two choices: remove them from the problem or coach them into solving the problem.
The former is what would feel good, even right in the moment. The latter is the selfless, Christ like choice that takes the long-view.
Help your people get better, and in the end everyone wins. Coach them, and they will rise to the next level. Hopefully, someone is doing the same for you.
Somewhere along the line, leaders (all leaders) fall into the trap of thinking that we must have all the answers to all the questions to validate our leadership. It’s a trap because that’s not the true value point of leadership.
Leadership is not about having all the answers. It’s about leading people to answer the right questions.
Leadership is not about being correct. It’s about being the first to go. Leaders don’t always know the next step. They do know the final destination.
Leaders don’t have all the answers. They gather people toward a common vision.
Stop being paralyzed by trying to be smarter than everyone else. Focus your energy on leading others forward in the vision. You’ll find the answers together along the way. That’s leading.
What happened in Nineveh as Jonah preached was something of, well, biblical proportions. The people repented and turned back to God. Not just a few of the people. Not just a majority count. The entire city! Can you imagine that? Some theologians have called this the greatest revival in history. An entire city, a wicked, evil, violent, sinful city, repented and turned back to following the true God!
God had an effective plan for Jonah to enact. And God’s will for your life is effective as well!
Never doubt God’s ability to impact a whole city with truth! And never doubt God’s ability to use your ministry to do it! God called Jonah to the city of Nineveh so that He could show those people His mercy. God wanted the people of Nineveh to repent. God knew that if Jonah would just go, that those people in Nineveh, despite appearances, were ready to trust Him.
What could God do through YOU? Where is your city? What has God prepared for you already?
Do you believe that God could do something great through you? Is God calling you to do something great? If God has laid a desire on your heart, that may be a good indication that He has already prepared the harvest ahead of you.
Charles Blondin was a French acrobat and tight-rope walker. His most famous stunt was walking across Niagara Falls in America. One time he pushed a wheelbarrow across. Once he carried a person on his back. After carrying a person across successfully, he asked another man in the crowd, “do you believe I could do that with you?”. “ Of course”, said the man. “Well then come on, I will carry you across”. “No way! Never!”, said the spectator.
The spectator said that he believed, but his belief did not lead him to action. What does God want to do through you? Do you really believe that He can? Do you believe that God’s calling is effectual? God prepares people to receive His gospel.
If God has called you to be a pastor, then those people are just waiting for you! If God has called you to be a missionary, then those people are just waiting for you! If God has called you into any area of service, He has called you to effectiveness.
God’s call on your life is effective. His call is always effective.
