Pure Joy: The Testing of Our Faith
What brings you joy? For some, it’s a walk on the beach at sunset. For others, it’s a perfectly cooked chocolate chip cookie. And still others, it’s the hum of a finely tuned engine. Those are normal answers to the question: what brings you joy? The book of James offers us a starkly different answer: Consider it put joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds (James 1.2).
Come again? Did I read that right? Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds.
The passage goes on to explain the reason for our joy: because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance (James 1.3). Trials, according to the passage, test our faith. And when endured, equips us with perseverance – the ability to continue moving forward. With greater perseverance comes greater faith.
Have you ever painted a room? Did your arms get tired? When I am painting, I know mine do. I am not accustomed to holding my arm up for extended periods of time. My body is not trained for that task. Now consider a professional painter. Do their arms get tired? I doubt it. Every workday, they are slowly developing the necessary strength to spend a full day with arm up and painting. When it comes to painting, who has developed perseverance? The professional painter, of course. And who, because of their perseverance, can paint all day? The professional painter, of course. And who will get more and better painting completed? The professional painter, of course.
When it comes to living faithfully, God wants our faith-muscle to be ready for a full day’s work, but to reach that level, the faith-muscle must be worked, stressed, and hardened. And the only way to build that muscle is through … (you guessed it) trials of many kinds. If we endure (or as the passage reads, persevere) through the trials, our faith will become mature and complete, not lacking anything (James 1.4).
As we consider our journey of faith development, we have a goal: mature and complete faith that lacks nothing. Will reach that goal? On this side of glory, probably not … but our faith growth is about the journey more than the destination. The question for each of us: Is our individual and collective faith growing? Does our journey move us closer to the destination: a complete faith.
Often, we left our faith increase reactively. Some event comes into our life – such as sickness, financial struggles, or lost relationships – and realizing our inability to solve the problem, we seek God’s help. Our desire for increase faith results from our reaction to life’s circumstance.
Another way to increase faith is proactively. In this case, we seek our circumstances that results in our needs for God’s help. For example, I once traveled by a church under obvious construction. The sign out front read: “Building as God provides.” A year later, I drove by again. There seemed no progress on the work, but the sign remained. I thought, “Well, I guess God has not provided yet.” It was clear, the church began the project with insufficient funds but opted to proceed on faith – not exactly a solid business plan but certainly one of faith. Years later, I drove by again. This time, the project was completed. I thought, “That’s faith.” A proactive faith.
Whether reactive or proactive, let’s be a people and a church who ever seeks a mature and complete faith that lacks nothing.
