James Chapter 1
“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings. Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
These words were written to 1st-century churches everywhere, struggling churches, growing churches, churches persecuted by the infamous Roman emperor Nero, and churches who wouldn’t be birthed for hundreds….thousands of years, including Emmanuel Faith Community Church, Escondido, California.
James, also known as the kid brother of the promised Messiah, penned these challenging words that likely have perplexed followers of The Way for centuries.
Consider it pure joy as you face trials. Not bittersweet joy or joy mixed with grief. But PURE JOY. Initially, when we hear those words, something makes us wanna roll our eyes. Seriously? James calls Christians to face trials: grief, pain, sadness, disappointment of every kind…with PURE JOY?
How? Why? Is that even in the realm of possibility?
Let’s start at the end of that verse and work backward . . .
The goal and the promised result for the disciple who obeys James’ directive is that you will lack NOTHING, and become both mature and complete.
Who doesn’t want that?
Does anyone set a New Year’s resolution to grow more and more immature, to lack all sorts of things, and to feel incomplete? Of course not, that would be absurd.
Maturity, completeness, lacking nothing, sounds awesome, like what Jesus came to bring us in John 10—abundant life, life to the full.
Guess how we get there? Not by dancing through life. According to James, we become mature and complete by persevering, enduring, standing firm, and not quitting. Perseverance isn’t a moment in time, but a process….that sometimes lasts days, weeks…. maybe even years. It’s a process with a purpose that produces a good result.
God knows, hard things and hard days test our faith in a way that easy-breezy days don’t. But faith that is tested, faith that is put through the fire of unbelievably hard circumstances, that faith, like gold, grows hard and strong, genuine and beautiful. That kind of faith will bless you. Faith like that blesses others too.
James continues in verse 12. “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.”
God help us see the good in the hard; help us face trials with pure joy. We long to lack nothing, we long to look like you, Lord.
Donielle Winter
EFCC Member