James 1:2 – Verse of the Day 4/14/14

When are lives are going smoothly – when everything seems to be going right – it is easy to have an upbeat attitude about things. But what about when life is difficult? How are we supposed to feel then?

This verse teaches us something that at first seems outrageous – can James really mean that we should count it all joy when we experience trials of various kinds? While this might seem crazy at first, if you read a little bit more of what he says, it starts to make sense. James explains that Christians can withstand trials because they know that they produce perseverance and wisdom (verses 3-5). When hard things happen to us we learn how God cares for us and we become wiser. This is not to say that the bad things that happen to us are actually good, but rather that God uses the bad things that happen to us for our good. Sometimes we see this is in the short run. Sometimes we see it in the long run. Sometimes we will have to wait for eternity to understand exactly how God does this.

In any case, regardless of our circumstances, true faith demands total trust in God. When life is good, all that we have comes from God and we are called to share our resources generously. When life is hard, we are to withstand trials knowing that God uses them to build our faith. As you pray, ask the Lord to give you a faith so strong that you can withstand any trial and grow from it.