Our lesson this week begins with a question: Is our Christian faith so real we live it out in the details of our lives? As Christians, we claim to have The Answer. Yet all too often, we live without power and victory in lives no different from those of unbelievers.
If our faith is real, how can that be? Perhaps faith is a bigger issue than we think. In this lesson, we turn to James to begin a study of what real faith looks like.
Power within trials, not immunity from them
Notice that James begins his letter with an admonition. “Count it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds” (v. 2). It sounds a bit like the Apostle Paul in Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always,” and Philippians 4:6, “… in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
Let’s be honest. “Pure joy” and “trials” don’t connect. We aren’t grateful when bad things happen, and we don’t want our faith to be tested. We prefer to believe our faith will make us immune to the difficulties of life. Yet James tells us in verse 4, as we weather trials we develop perseverance, which causes us to mature in our faith, resulting in a more “complete” faith. Obviously, we should expect trials.
Are trials punishment? Are they evidence we’re disobeying God or missing his mark for our lives? Of course not. Trials are part of life, regardless of our faith. Not only are trials to be expected, they also should be taken advantage of. How? When we undergo trials, our weaknesses are revealed. Perhaps that’s why James says to rejoice whenever we face difficulties.
What’s inside is what will come out
When an orange is squeezed, orange juice comes out. When Jesus was “squeezed,” righteousness came out. When we’re “squeezed,” what comes out?
When we respond to trials with bad attitudes and unrighteous reactions, we reveal the parts of our soul that haven’t yet been submitted to God. As Christians, we have a responsibility to pay attention to these moments. We need to notice the difference between how we should act and how we really act.
It’s something like noticing whether a chair is worth sitting in. If we don’t want to hurt ourselves by having a chair crumple beneath us, we’ll pay attention to the condition of the chair before we sit in it. If we want to stand before God in righteousness, we’ll pay attention to the spirit at work within us each day, especially when life gets hard.
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Your faith is showing
Whatever you believe determines your actions. If you believe your faith will hold you up, you’ll act on it. If not, you won’t.
When Jesus was approached by two blind men, he asked if they believed he could heal them. Their answer came quickly, as ours often does. “Yes, of course I believe,” we say. But Jesus’ words should make us pause. “According to your faith will it be done to you” (Matthew 9:29).
Do we believe? Jesus told his disciples if they loved him, they would obey him. But true obedience requires faith. In order to consider trials pure joy, we must believe they’re for our good. In order to resist temptation, we must believe righteousness is rewarded. In order to pray for our enemies or go the extra mile, we must believe there’s honor in humbling ourselves. We say we have faith, but Jesus is more likely saying, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” (Matthew 8:26).
Faith has no doubts
Why is faith so important? James tells us: “He who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does” (vv. 6-8).
Faith and doubt are opposites. When we have faith but still hold on to doubts, James says we’re double-minded. Doubt fragments our faith. It weakens our relationship with God. And it separates us from all the blessings available to us as God’s children.
Of course, none of us decides to doubt. Doubt is a cloud obscuring the light of Christ. And if we’re wise, we’ll cry out to God as the father of the epileptic child did, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief” (Mark 9:24). Faith isn’t something we can manufacture. It grows out of relationship with Christ. If we want real faith, we must put God to the test by obeying him even when it doesn’t make sense. We must allow him to give us trials and ask him to give us joy even when it’s hard to smile.
But then, if we really believe, we’ll understand life is about more than the trials we face. It’s about the glory we give to God as we pass through those trials. And it’s through faith we’ll find power to overcome.
Food for thought
• When going through trials, what makes it so difficult to take joy in them?
• When you’re squeezed, what comes out? Consider this your spiritual challenge. Rather than excusing it, confess it to God and ask Him to help you overcome.
• Take time this week to find a few verses that apply to your spiritual challenge. Memorize them and allow God to use them to develop your faith.
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