James 1.1-4

                                                                                Some thoughts on James 1.1-4

 

James 1.2 – My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

 

                Here James exhorts us on the correct way to perceive the times of trial and tribulation in our lives. He is saying that as servants of the Sovereign God, as we go through our times of testing we should hold a different perspective of our situation than someone else would normally hold if they were in our position.

 

We, who trust that God orchestrates our lives and the events in them, should see beyond the present circumstance and, instead, have our attention focused on the results that those circumstances will produce in our inward man. The character that will be produced in us because of the trial is what we must desire all the way through the trial. This is the key to sustaining joy through our mistreatment. When we can anticipate our character being edified, then we will be able to endure the furnace of affliction with patience and joy, understanding that what lies on the other side is the character of Christ brought forth in us.  

 

                James had an eternal mindset. Meaning his ways of thinking took things into account from eternity’s point of view (God’s point of view). He was never focused on the here and now, but rather took into consideration; what does this produce in us eternally? Are these circumstances causing us to rely on God’s power and His promises? Are they producing in us faith, purity, humility, and the fruits of the Spirit? These are the things that are really at stake in our everyday situations. When we lose our eternal perspective we disconnect in our hearts and minds from focusing on what God wants to directly produce in our lives through our circumstances.

 

                James then goes on to say that this is the process which leads to maturity. Verse 4 – but let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect (mature) and complete, lacking nothing. As we patiently endure the trials that God ordains and allows in our lives, the cross is appropriated and true spirituality is the formed within us as the result. Enduring through trials and temptations not only edifies our faith, but actually produces within us the very substance needed in order to believe in the power and promises of God. That is what true Biblical faith is; believing the power and promises of God as He has informed us.

               

This is one of the primary reasons that God allows times of trials in our lives; so that we would become witnesses of His power and faithfulness, through His intervention in our circumstances. How much more in the events that unfold at the end of the age? How can you know God is your provider until He provides for you? How can you know He is your Savior until He saves you? How can you know He is the God of miracles until you walk in them? Mental comprehension of God’s nature will not sustain our spirits as our world falls apart around us. Only experiencing the reality of God breaking into our lives will produce the confidence needed for us to stand firm. God desires us to believe, and He kindly escorts us into believing through His ever-consistent nature. God’s nature is consistent; therefore His ways and dealings are consistent, even as our situations change. Though the end of the age will bring forth horrific evil and intense pressure on the church, pressing it to compromise, the Faithful One will remain faithful, always.