James: Testing Produces Maturity

Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4 NASB

The faith testing given by the Lord is not always embraced with joy; it is often rejected and seen as a negative event, a result of sin, the devil or some other means. The truth is we are not alone in the enduring process. The Lord is our strength and is always with us in the midst of our joy and in our difficulty.

For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; Romans 8:29 NASB The result of endurance is that our faith and life becomes “perfect” in Christ because it shapes us to be more like Him. The more like Jesus we become the more complete we become lacking nothing. Our whole being from our thoughts, our words and our actions are immersed in Him and become incarnate in our lives as His living word. His word in us becomes an infinite testimony to all that He is.  

So how are we to embrace life’s difficulties?

·       Know that it is the Lord who orchestrates our trials or faith testing’s, but He isn’t tempting us.

This is a very difficult theological concept to grasp. Satan doesn’t test us to see if we are faithful to the Lord. He doesn’t do things to us and in so that we can be closer to and more like Jesus. All his efforts are to discourage, steal, kill and destroy us, and those we love. His schemes are often accomplished by spiritually lulling us to sleep, by putting thoughts in our heads that we are doing just fine, we have this Christian thing wired, make us think higher of ourselves especially when it comes to our relationship with Christ and others.  He lives to make true believers mediocre,  “lukewarm”, ineffective and self-content.  What God does that boggles even the wisest of minds is to utilize the devil’s methods, mixed with our own sinful natures, adding the sinful issues of others, various life circumstances and thus present us with “trials of many kinds” to endure.

·       Understand that whatever trials come our way, regardless of how they were seeded are for our perfection in Christ. The purpose of faith testing’s is endurance: “the ability or strength to continue or last, especially despite fatigue, stress, or other adverse condition.” Endurance can be a producer of perfection, a Christlikeness and someday completion; the outcome of God's perfection means all is supplied. And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 NLT

This “completion” and “perfection” doesn't mean we can stop following the Lord or be content with our accomplishments, but viewed as a launching pad for abundant life fulfilling all that the Lord desires. It is an “energizer” for super service for our King!

Note: Testing can come in the midst of the mundane. In your relationships that seem to be stale or have hit a wall, they can come in the form of spiritual dryness: your “word time”, “prayer time”, “worship service time” can all appear to be “going through the motions”. Your ministry feels valueless. There is a sense that no significant kingdom penetration is taking place and the fruit of the ministry has fallen off the tree. The result of this monotony can cause you to give up or believe that you are done with a particular ministry situation without hearing any word from the Lord to confirm it. This too is another method of the enemy. We hear: “Take a break”, “you have worked so hard for so many years”, “this is your time”,  “let someone else do the ministry, it is time someone else steps up to the plate”.  Hear this: just as God called you to a particular ministry, you are not to leave that ministry until He directs you elsewhere. It must be confirmed by those you share life in Christ with otherwise you are foolish to leave forfeiting His favor on your life and family.

Questions to Chew on:

1.     What is your typical response when things go wrong in your life?

2.     Do you compartmentalize your spiritual life and life’s circumstances? If so, how? If not, how do you see those two synthesize?

3.     What will help you to respond to life’s next set of trials? What will you do? Who will you have come alongside  you to  keep your “joy meter” and “faith meter” full?