The Benefits of Trials
James 1:3-12
Trials are meaningless, suffering is senseless, and testing is irrational unless there is some good reason for them. God does not give us trouble for trouble's sake: it is not an end in itself, but there is a purpose in it.
Faith is like a precious metal which must be tested to see if it is genuine, and the test involves persecution, sickness, suffering, or sorrow. If faith is genuine, trouble not only proves it, but also produces patience, or endurance in our lives.
Times of hardship are times of learning. In Hebrews 12 we see that one method God uses in the life of the believer is chastening, which literally means "child training." God says there is a reason for them, and it is a good reason. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28).
Therefore, when the external pressures of testing are upon us and we are placed in the fires of adversity and tragedy and suffering, the attitude of faith is that God has permitted it for a good purpose and He has a high and lofty goal in view.
We know that God is working something out in our lives. This does not necessarily mean that we are able always to understand what purpose God has in it. This is the positive test of genuine faith. Someone has expressed it like this: "The acid of grief tests the coin of belief."
Patience is the fruit of the Holy Spirit. We will never become patient by trying to be patient, but neither will the Holy Spirit suddenly place it in us: it comes through suffering and testing. We shall never be a "perfect" (that is, a complete, fully mature) Christian without patience. Paul confirms this later when he writes to the Romans: "we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:3-5)
God must send us trouble so that we learn patience, which will also produce hope and love in the lives of men and women. Sometimes when problems come we become desperate and use frantic means to cut short the trial. We should never become despondent or discouraged when passing through trials. Some problems in life are never removed. We must learn to accept them and to prove that His grace is sufficient. Paul, for example, asked the Lord three times to remove a physical infirmity. The Lord did not remove it, but gave Paul the grace to bear it (2 Corinthians 12:8-10).
We sometimes feel that we are inadequate and don't know how to handle a trial which has come upon us. It is possible to have great knowledge, yet to have little practical sense to make good use of it: our wisdom is lacking, short of what is needed in certain situations. But we don't have to face all problems in life just with our own wisdom. If we perceive that we lack wisdom in regard to a problem, there is an immediate source of supply: just let us ask it of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to us. It pleases God when we are teachable and tractable. Spiritual wisdom involves the practical application of God's Word to everyday situations.
It can easily be our problem that we are not prepared to believe God, even though we pray to him. Of course we have trusted Christ as our Saviour, and fully believe that He has saved us and will receive us in heaven. But in the daily troubles of life, we may be in almost total unbelief.
We worry about our welfare even though we find that God has always opened up a door, and we get through. We could be enjoying our life much better if we only truly believed that He loves and cares, and that nothing is impossible with Him.
When trials come upon us, it is our faith which will carry us through, and God will provide the wisdom if we believe Him - He will be glad to help us out and does not reproach us for depending on Him. If we feel we are not capable of living in the present difficult times, we have a heavenly Father who can supply the wisdom that we need.
To waver is to turn a problem over to the Lord and believe Him, then the next day to decide that, as nothing has shown up by way of solution, to give up His assistance, and blunder along trying to solve it in our own way without Him. Such a person is "like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed". We will be driven to great heights, resting calmly on His promises, then falling back into troughs, feeling that God has forgotten to be kind.
God is not honoured by the kind of faith that alternates between trust and distrust. He doesn't give divine insight to such vacillating, unstable people. If we are going to work out our problem for ourselves, then God cannot work it out for us. Therefore why not turn it over to God, who has the supreme wisdom?
Two illustrations are given of trials:
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The "lowly brother": he might say, "I'm just a poor individual. I don't have very much. I don't have any wealth." He may find himself dissatisfied, discouraged, probably having no control over his deprived circumstances there being no reason to believe that he is lazy or careless. Yet, if he is a child of God, all things are his: "whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come all are yours. And you are Christ's, and Christ is God's." 1 Corinthians 3:21-23. He should rejoice in his spiritual blessings.
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The "rich": it is not said "let the rich man rejoice in his riches", but that the rich can rejoice that he is made low. As the Bible says: "Let not the … rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the LORD, exercising loving kindness, judgement, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD. (Jeremiah 9:23,24). With divine wisdom, the rich man may actually find real cause for rejoicing should he be stripped of his material possessions, knowing that he has in heaven a better and more enduring possession (Hebrews 10:34). Any trial that weans us away from the love of passing things and sets our affections on things above is a blessing in disguise.
Testing is not only one of God's methods of making us grow in the Christian faith, enabling us to nurture and develop patience in our lives down here, but after enduring it we also can look forward to "the crown of life." The fellowship of God is freely given for ever to those who believe in Christ. But those who have proved themselves will be honoured for that kind of life, and will enjoy a deeper appreciation of eternal life in heaven.
R David Jones
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;
8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.
9 Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation,
10 but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away.
11 For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits.
12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.