Tests, Trials and Spiritual Maturity

James 1:2–4 ESV

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

When not if

Trials are going to come at us. We should not be surprised by them when they show up. More than that James tells us to count it all joy. This is a difficult thing to do. Israel did not look at the wilderness as Joy. The apostles did not look at their suffering as joy as they were tortured for the gospel message. We don’t look at the diagnosis as joy, the family trouble as joy, the financial trouble as joy, etc. James is not saying that the trouble itself is to be joy for us. Rather, the result, the purpose of the trials are to be counted as joy. He is calling us to look beyond the trouble itself to the purpose of the trial. Count the results that are coming as joy.

We can find solace in the fact that God does not waste our pain. Romans 8:28 “28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”.

Trials with purpose

James tells us that it is to produce stedfastness of faith. We see similar themes throughout other books of the Bible.

Romans 5:3–5 ESV

3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

1 Peter 1:6–7 CSB

6 You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials 7 so that the proven character of your faith—more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

The Goal of our faith is to be made in the perfect image of Christ being prepared for his coming again.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 ESV

23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The trials we face refine us to make us sanctified and blameless before God. We become more holy by the growth and development that comes through these trials. The only way to grow muscle is to lift weights. lifting weights causes muscular hypertrophy which is when the muscle fibers are damaged and then repaired causing them to increase in mass which leads to more strength. This same principle applies to us in the spiritual world. In order for us to have more patience, our patience has to be torn. In order to have more humility our pride has to be torn.

Lacking in Nothing

The goal again is to be made perfect and complete. The greek word means mature. God wants us to have all joy, all peace, all patience, all endurance. Not missing out on any of it.

What do we do when the trials come

James 1:5–8 CSB

5 Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord, 8 being double-minded and unstable in all his ways.

Ask for wisdom

The key to navigating the trials of life is walking in Godly wisdom. Stop trying to figure it all out on your own. Stop trying to forge a path when God has already provided a path. We don’t have to “figure it out” we just need to hear the voice of God and follow what he directs us to do. The thing about wisdom is that God loves to give it. James says he gives it “generously and ungrudgingly” meaning he will give lots of it without delay or withholding. He won’t withhold wisdom from anyone who asks for it. So knowing this, we have no reason or excuse to go into a trial unprepared. He gives us all that we need to succeed.

The only caveat to this, is that we can’t doubt the wisdom he gives. You must have faith in that wisdom that it is good and leading to righteousness. When we doubt the wisdom of God we find ourselves floating between good, biblical wisdom and the wordly fleshly wisdom. When we float between these two things we get thrown around like we are being tossed by the sea. In other words, one of the reasons you are so anxious during trials is because you float between the spirit and the flesh and can’t make up your mind to follow the wisdom of God.

The Reward of Steadfastness

James 1:12 ESV

12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

A reminder Against Temptation

James 1:13–15 ESV

13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

Be a doer not just a hearer

James 1:19–25 ESV

19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

This is a test of spiritual maturity and a key part of maturing. You can’t grow if you don’t take an honest look in the mirror of God’s word. We are to compare ourselves to the image of that is looking back at us in the pages of his word and allow ourselves to be transformed by the Spirit to become like that image.