When You Encounter Various Trials

       
 

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, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith without doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways (James 1:2-8).

        Typically, when we encounter various trials, what we want is relief—quick relief; however, James tells us to consider it all joy, when we encounter various trials. His reason is as follows: the various trials are God’s way of testing our faith and, thereby, producing the quality of endurance. 

        As I contemplate this, it becomes obvious to me that God deems it very important that He develops the quality of endurance within our lives.  It is, however, just as obvious that He knows that we will never develop it on our own because our desire for relief is so much greater than our desire for developing endurance. He is well-aware that we will do anything to avoid adversity, even the slightest adversity; consequently, He intervenes by placing various trials into our lives, trials from which we cannot escape until our faith has been proven and the fruit of endurance blossoms forth, the fruit that, according to James, somehow enables us to be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 

This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent" (John 6:29 NASB).