An Excerpt from The 24/7 Christian
By Anthony Selvaggio
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'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'
(James 1:2-4).
One Sunday morning, after the worship service, a young woman approached me and asked if we could get together to talk. I agreed to her request, and we arranged a breakfast meeting at a local restaurant. Through my pastoral experience, I have come to realize that when people want to talk with me it is usually not for the purpose of sharing good news, and this was certainly the case with this young woman. Even though I went into that meeting prepared to hear about a trial, I was still overwhelmed by what this young woman shared with me. She shared a detailed account of her father’s debilitating heart illness and how many times he had been near death. She recounted to me the numerous surgeries and the vast array of medications which were necessary to preserve her father's life. She also explained to me the incredible stress and strains experienced by her family as a result of her father’s illness.
At this point in our conversation I was already overwhelmed by her trial, but there was more. She proceeded to share with me that she had recently been diagnosed with the same congenital heart condition as her father. I found myself staring into the tear-filled eyes of a woman in her twenties who was now facing a lifetime of physical and emotional challenges. Of course, the natural question on her mind was, 'Why?' Why did she and her father have to endure such trials? This is a very appropriate question to ask. It is also a question that I, as a pastor, should have anticipated and been prepared to answer. On that particular morning, however, I felt utterly unable to answer this question. I simply listened and prayed with her.
My initial response to this woman's trial was not wrong. It is often wise to initially respond to the trials of others with a listening ear and a sympathetic heart rather than reacting immediately with deep theological thoughts. The most helpful response of Job’s incompetent comforters was their initial willingness to sit in silence with Job for seven days (Job 2:13).
After an appropriate period of empathizing, however, it is important to address the question, 'Why?' This question cannot be left unanswered, because a failure to address it ultimately trivializes a person’s suffering and can even lead them to doubt their faith.
Perhaps you are presently enduring a trial. Perhaps you feel lonely or depressed. Perhaps you are dealing with what seems like an unsolvable problem or irreconcilable conflict. Perhaps you have lost your job or someone you loved. Perhaps you are battling a chronic disease. In the midst of trials such as these we often appropriately ask 'Why?' It is likely that the Jewish Christians to whom James was writing were asking similar questions.
James was writing to people who had experienced trials. The book of Acts reveals that after the stoning of Stephen the church in Jerusalem faced 'great persecution' which forced many of the Christians to flee Jerusalem (Acts 8:1-4). Acts also informs us that some of the Christians affected by this persecution were scattered as far as 'Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch' (Acts 11:19).
It is likely that James wrote his epistle to these dispersed and persecuted Jewish Christians, so he was preaching to people who had lost nearly everything due to their faith. Believing in Jesus had seemingly brought nothing but trials into their lives. They had lost their homes and jobs. They were forced to relocate and faced personal peril in the form of persecution. Given this reality, it is not surprising that the first issue James tackles in his letter is that of trials. James opens his epistle by answering the 'Why?' question. He provides us with three reasons why God sends trials into our lives.
To Test Our Faith
According to James, the first reason we encounter trials is to test our faith. James explicitly states this reason in the third verse of his epistle where, after mentioning the inevitability of trials, he reveals that these trials are for the 'testing of your faith'. What does this phrase mean?
The Greek word which is translated as 'testing' (dokimion) in James 1:3 is used twice in the Greek version of the Old Testament, the version which was most likely used by James. Note how both occurrences of this word suggest that what James has in mind is the Old Testament imagery of the refiner's fire:
Psalm 12:6: 'And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined (dokimion) in a furnace of clay, purified seven times.'
Proverbs 27:21: 'The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but man is tested (dokimion) by the praise he receives.'
The apostle Peter, the only other New Testament writer who employs this word, uses it in a similar way to the Old Testament texts cited above: 'These have come so that your faith — of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined (dokimion) by fire — may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed' (1 Peter 1:7). James tells us that one of the reasons God places trials in our lives is to put our faith to the test in order to determine its genuineness. God uses trials as a means of revealing the depth of our allegiance to him. Just as the furnace is useful in testing the fortitude and purity of metal, God uses trials to test our spiritual mettle.
Doesn't your own experience confirm that trials are an effective means of testing the strength and sincerity of our faith? If you are like me, you know of people who, after enduring a difficult trial, have rejected the faith. Again, if you are like me, you know of people who have been immersed in a sea of great trials only to emerge even stronger in their faith. Trials are an effective means of testing our faith because it is in the midst of trials that we often reveal what we truly believe about God. As J. A. Motyer notes, 'When circumstances seem to mock our creed, when the cruelty of life denies his fatherliness, his silence calls in question his almightiness and the sheer, haphazard, meaningless jumble of events challenges the possibility of a Creator's ordering hand. It is in this way that life's trials test our faith for genuineness.'1 One of the reasons God sends trials into our lives is to test our faith.
To Cultivate Perseverance In Us
James informs us that a second reason why we endure trials is to cultivate perseverance in us. James reveals this reason at the end of verse three: 'the testing of your faith develops perseverance' (emphasis mine). The first thing which is implicitly revealed in this verse is that James assumes that Christians will successfully pass the testing of their faith through trials. Don't miss the significance of this presumption. James assumes that when our faith is tested by trials we will prevail and move on to develop perseverance. When God tests our faith with a trial, his purpose is not to produce failure in us, but rather to produce perseverance in us. Even our seeming human failures during trials are used by God to cultivate our perseverance. This should bring great encouragement to us in the midst of our trials.
So what does James mean by perseverance? The Greek word which is translated as perseverance’ is the word ‘hypomone’, which could also be translated as 'steadfastness', 'endurance' or 'fortitude'. Douglas Moo defines hypomone by suggesting the following image: 'The picture is of a person successfully carrying a heavy load for a long time.'2 This image describes the state of many people who have endured trials in the congregations I have served. It makes me think of the woman who has battled lung cancer for over a decade. She has carried a heavy load for a long time. It makes me think of her husband who has sacrificially cared for her during her illness. He too has carried a heavy load for a long time. The image makes me think of the man who lost both his wife and daughter to tragic accidents. He has carried a heavy load for a long time. Perhaps you have also carried a heavy load for a long time. How does such a burden cultivate perseverance in us? Let me suggest two ways.
First, carrying the weight of our trials cultivates perseverance in us by making us stronger. One of the ways long-distance runners train for a marathon is by wearing ankle weights. They train with these weights for months in advance of the marathon, forcing themselves to carry the additional burden in order to strengthen their leg muscles and build their endurance. As a result, when the time comes to actually run the race they can run farther and faster. The heavy load of our trials strengthens us in a similar fashion. Trials build the muscle of our faith and enable us to run with greater endurance the marathon that is the Christian life.
Second, carrying the weight of our trials cultivates perseverance in us by forcing us to rely more and more on the grace of God. The apostle Paul immediately comes to mind here. Paul carried a heavy load for a long time through his chronic ailment which he referred to as a 'thorn in my flesh' (2 Corinthians 12:7). He prayed fervently for this burden to be lifted, but God did not remove it. Instead God explained to Paul that carrying this heavy load was a way of reminding him of his need of God's grace. God answered Paul's prayers with these words: 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness' (2 Corinthians 12:9).
The heavy load of trials cultivates perseverance in us by making us stronger and forcing us to rely on the true source of our perseverance — the grace of God. One of the reasons God sends trials into our lives is to cultivate perseverance in us.
To Bring Us To Perfection
The third and final reason for our trials, according to James, is to bring us to perfection. James sets forth this reason in verse four:
'Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything' (emphasis mine). Through this triad ('mature', 'complete' and 'not lacking anything') James draws for us a composite picture of perfection. Each component of this triad, and even the word 'finish', could arguably be translated as 'perfect'. Thus, James 1:4 could be loosely translated as follows: 'Perseverance must perfect its work so that you may be perfect, perfect and perfect.' Through this unmistakable emphasis on perfection James reveals to us the ultimate reason why God allows us to suffer trials — to make us perfect.
How does God do this? Again, let me give you an example from my own pastoral experience. At one of the churches I have served we ordained two deacons during a Sunday evening service. One of these deacons makes his living as a contractor. His ordination to the office of deacon was a significant event for him. He was excited about beginning to serve God in the ministry of mercy. On the Sunday evening of his ordination, he was at a spiritual high point in his life. Little did he know that things were about to change drastically. The very next day this deacon was working on a roofing job. As he stepped off the roof, his ladder gave way under his feet and he came crashing down to the pavement below. His wife, who works with him, was able to help him into their truck, and they rushed off to the emergency department of the hospital. Our new deacon soon learned that he had four broken ribs and a punctured lung. He also learned that he would not be able to work for six to eight weeks. Not only did he find himself in incredible pain, but he also found himself wondering how he would provide for his wife and five young children. On his first day as a minister of mercy, he found himself in desperate need of mercy. He found himself in a trial.
Of course, almost immediately the congregation responded to his needs. The deacons extended financial support, as did many individuals, as well. There was an outpouring of support for him and his family. After experiencing this expression of mercy, he commented to me that his trial had made him a better deacon because it forced him to take the perspective of an individual in need. The experience of becoming needy helped him to become more sensitive to other people's needs. His trial was formative in building his character. This is an example of how trials are used by God to perfect us — they build our character. Trials serve to remove our sinful traits from us, and they also serve to spawn and strengthen godly traits in us.
This emphasis on the character-building power of trials is at the heart of James' triad ('mature and complete, not lacking anything'). This triad implies a progressive and incremental process by which we are shaped into well-rounded Christians. For example, Peter Davids suggests the following definition of James' concept of perfection: 'Perfection is not just a maturing of character, but a rounding out as more and more "parts" of the righteous character are added.'3 Trials help us to become perfect, to become more righteous in every aspect of our lives. Trials are like a sculpting knife in the hands of God. He uses them to smooth our rough edges and to transform us into the glorious, and perfect, image of his Son. The ultimate reason why God sends trials into our lives is to bring us to perfection.
The Chain of Christian Maturity
James informs us that trials are used by God to test our faith, to cultivate perseverance in us and to bring us to perfection. It is crucial to grasp that James does not view these three reasons as unrelated to each other but rather as conjoined links which form a chain of Christian maturity. According to James, God uses trials to set in motion a chain reaction in our lives. Trials first test the sincerity and genuineness of our faith. This testing, and proving, of our faith then serves to cultivate perseverance in us. This perseverance, in turn, develops within us the perfect character of Christ. Simply put, James tells us that the fire of our trials ultimately leads us to becoming stronger Christians. This is why, according to James, God sends trials into our lives. Let me illustrate James' point.
Presently, I live in western Pennsylvania, near the city of Pittsburgh. There was a time when Pittsburgh was known as the steel capital of the world. Steel is an incredibly strong and longlasting metal. But it can be made even stronger and more enduring through a process known as tempering. Tempering involves repeatedly heating metal alloy to a near-critical temperature and then immediately cooling it back to room temperature. Heating the metal alloy to high temperatures removes certain unwanted properties present in the metal, and the rapid cooling process prevents those unwanted properties from being reabsorbed into the metal. This process puts the metal alloy under tremendous stress, but the end result of this process is an incredibly strong type of steel known as 'tempered steel'.
Pastor James tells us that the Christian life is a tempering process. God places our lives in the fire of trials in order to make us 'mature and complete, not lacking anything'. James teaches us that God often places us in the heat of trials to expose and remove our sinfulness. Each time we suffer a trial we emerge from the heat even stronger, like tempered steel. The pathway to perfection in the Christian life is paved with trials.
Perfect Through Suffering
Now I realize that James' brutal honesty about the role of trials in our lives may not immediately strike you as all that comforting. One could conclude that what James is saying here is no more than the popular slogan 'No pain, no gain.' That's not very comforting to someone enduring trials.
Thankfully, that is not what James is saying here. When James tells us that our trials are meant to make us perfect, what he is doing is drawing back the curtains of heaven to show us the ultimate divine purpose of trials. This provides us with hope in the here and now. Nothing provides an exhausted marathon runner with a fresh jolt of adrenaline like the sight of the finish line. By setting before us our perfect glorification in the age to come, James essentially shows us the finish line of our faith. He does this to encourage us.
There's one more thing James is showing us here. By telling us that our trials are being used to perfect us, James is also revealing to us the comforting truth that our lives as Christians are patterned after the life of our Lord. The author to the Hebrews informs us that Jesus was made 'perfect through suffering' (Hebrews 2:10). Jesus endured great trials so that he could become our great High Priest. Because Jesus was perfected for this office by means of his own suffering, he is now able not only to sympathize with us in our trials, but, more importantly, he is able to provide us with grace in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16). Therefore, whenever you find yourself in trials of many kinds, be encouraged by the knowledge that the one who was made perfect through his suffering is the one who is perfecting you through your trials.
