“Consider it pure joy,” says James, “when you face trials,” that is, when you are in situations in which your faith is tested. It is a strange opening line to James’ letter. Specifically, he is speaking about the persecution the Christians were facing but it could be any situation that stretches our faith. Let’s just consider those everyday trials like relational conflicts, financial woes and business troubles. These are not pleasant experiences. Often when we pray through these situations we are effectively asking God to lead us to a situation in which we won’t have to trust him as much. Our focus tends to be on re-securing our sense of independence. But God does not want us to live independently of him. God wants to keep us close to him and the way we keep close to God is by maintaining a constant sense of our dependence on him. Living in dependence on God is the key to finding enduring peace and pure joy. It is there by his side that we will be truly fruitful and ultimately happy. So, in the interest of keeping you close, God may allow the foundations of your false securities to be shaken. And when this happens you will find yourself exercising faith in new and deeper ways. Faith is what keeps us connected with God. If faith is not continually exercised it wanes, and when faith wanes our peace and joy dissipate and give way to a brittle artificial kind of happiness. Would you be willing to ask God to help you to trust him more?
Ask God to grow your faith.
Read James 1:1-18
