James Week One

Putting Faith into Practice: Joy in the Midst of Trouble

Read: James 1:1-18

Our oldest son, Sjon-Paul, was greatly discouraged when he found out that his parents were playing the part of Santa. I tried to reassure him of the joys that came with knowing the truth. I told him he was mature enough to be “in” on the secret and could help play Santa for his younger brothers. It was little consolation to the broken-hearted boy.

Some months later his younger brother asked me, “Is Santa real?” Upon hearing him, Sjon-Paul shouted, “Don’t, Brandon! Take my word on it. Just don’t ask that question.”

Obviously, to Sjon-Paul, growing up, was not all it was cut out to be.

Sometimes that’s how I feel about Christian maturity.

James writes this letter to believers who weren’t immune to hardship. Many had already been driven from their homes. They had been “scattered abroad.” They were suffering as a result of their faith, having experienced alienation from their families, hatred from the Jewish religious authorities, and persecution from the Romans. They were often poor and hungry and in need.

And, how, exactly, does James encourage them?

Basically, he says, “Suck it up! Smile! Act like big boys and girls. This is an opportunity for you to mature in your Christian faith.”

As I read and reread the first chapter of James over the past week, I kept going back to verse 2, “when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.”

James doesn’t make a suggestion. He gives a command, and it’s a command that applies to us as well. As I read it, I imagined my name and situation in place of the ones James wrote.

“Dear Tricia, as you think about the loss of your son, consider it an opportunity for great joy.”

The logical question that arose was, of course, “Why?”

Why should I consider it an opportunity to be joyful? Why should any of us consider difficult circumstances a reason to be happy?

According to James, it’s because testing produces endurance and endurance allows us to become perfect, complete, lacking nothing, in other words, mature.

This kind of maturity doesn’t sound like too much fun, does it?

It prompted me to look even closer, dig a little deeper.

One of the styles of writing that James used is called paraenesis, in which various teachings are connected loosely with seemingly little thought regarding the order or organization. So, in order to address my concerns regarding verses 2-4, I had to skip ahead a few paragraphs and read verses 12-15.

In those verses, James continues the thought that he began earlier about why we should endure troubles. He says that God blesses those who patiently endure and gives them the crown of life “promised to those who love Him.”  From these verses, we learn that there is a connection between our patient endurance of trouble, our love for God, and a crown of life (possibly a literal crown but also the reality of eternal life).

In other words, God is not asking us to plaster phony smile on our faces and pretend to be happy. He is reminding us that our joy is found in the fact that our troubles will not go to waste.

Since the world is a sinful, broken place, everyone will face hardships of one kind or another. James tells us that God can use our trials and temptations to help us to grow more like Him (mature). Additionally, when we intentionally try to reflect Christ in the midst of difficult times, we are demonstrating a genuine love for God, a love which God promises will be rewarded with everlasting life.

Of course, this is all good in theory, but it’s a little harder to put into practice. Thankfully, James is a very practical author, and he offers very practical advice.  In other verses in this section, James outlines several ways that we can find joy in the midst of trouble.

• Ask for wisdom. (verse 5)

• Have faith in God alone. (verse 6)

• Be content in whatever financial state you are in. (verses 9-11)

• Recognize when troubles are a result of your own sinful desires. (v 13-15)

• Believe God is Who He says He is—the God who loves us and saves us. (verses 16-18)

The world is a scary place right now. It seems that turmoil and adversity are around every corner. So, the book of James is as relevant as ever. This week, if you are struggling to find joy, ask God for wisdom to know where to look. Put your faith in Him alone, not the circumstances of your life, not your feelings and not your financial situation. Pray to discern if any of your problems are a result of sin in your life. And, never fall victim to the lie which says that God is not good.

No one said that growing up is easy, but it’s a fact of life—both physically and spiritually. No matter what happens, though, we can take comfort in knowing that God is our loving Father and that we are his “prized possessions.”

This Week

• Begin memorizing James 1:22. Write it down on post-its and place it in various locations in your house, car, or work.

• Read James 1:1-18 every day.

• Is there an area of your life where you are struggling to find joy? Ask God for wisdom.

• What does it mean to be God’s “prized possession”? Think about it.