Endurance for trials

James 1:2–4 CSB

2 Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.

Intro

As we have now come to week 2 of this series, James is teaching us that in order to face the various trials of life, we are going to need some endurance. You are going to have to be able to dig deep and hang on when things get hard. But James also says something very strange about these trials. He tells us to count it all joy. He expects us to view the hard times of our lives with a sense of Joy, as if we should be thankful for them. James is right we should be thankful for our trials. These testings are what gives us the endurance and the endurance does a work in our life.

Let endurance have its full effect

The purpose of endurance is to make us mature in our faith. Trials provide the opportunity to reveal what we are made of so that we can purge out the things that are not good for us and helpful to us so that we can replace those areas of weakness with the things that will strong and fruitful.

1 Corinthians 3:9–15 CSB

9 For we are God’s coworkers. You are God’s field, God’s building. 10 According to God’s grace that was given to me, I have laid a foundation as a skilled master builder, and another builds on it. But each one is to be careful how he builds on it. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than what has been laid down. That foundation is Jesus Christ. 12 If anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or straw, 13 each one’s work will become obvious. For the day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire; the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. 14 If anyone’s work that he has built survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will experience loss, but he himself will be saved—but only as through fire.

God will allow a trial to purge us of those things that need to go, so that he can give us greater. What if the trials we face are not a punishment but rather a gift? I know that sounds crazy but later on in James 5 we see him say this:

James 5:11 CSB

11 See, we count as blessed those who have endured. You have heard of Job’s endurance and have seen the outcome that the Lord brought about—the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

Trusted with trials

If you know the story of Job you know that God offered Job up to satan to be tested. Satan didn’t come out of no where, Job didn’t just happen to walk through a bad season. God talked to satan and said “have you considered my servant Job?”. This is a harsh reality of scripture that many people struggle with. We have been trained to believe that God would never allow suffering. What if your trial is not something God is punishing you with but rather he is trusting you with? In 2 Chronicles 32:31 we discover that God left king Hezekiah in order to test him to see what was in his heart. God was trusting him with a trial to test and see what was in his heart. God trusted Job with a trial to test and see what was in his heart. Job stayed faithful and was blessed with double of what he had before. Hezekiah was found to be prideful and Isaiah prophesied to him that all would be taken away from him to Babylon. Your trials are not to crush you they are reveal you and see what is in your heart.

These trials are a gift because they are an opportunity for you to grow in your faith and be blessed by God.

How do we move forward in endurance

How do we find the endurance we need to move forward in endurance? It is one thing to be told that the trial isn’t a punishment, its a completely different thing to feel it. Hebrews 12:1-2 gives us the keys to endurance.

Hebrews 12:1–2 ESV

1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Number one, lay down the weights. carrying unnecessary weight will wear you out quickly. weights come in all forms. taking on responsibility that wasn’t meant for you. Bitterness from past hurt. Unforgiveness, emotional weights.

Number two, get rid of the sin. another translation says the sin “ensnares us”. It will trap you and destroy you. A snare is a trapping device that literally chokes and strangles the prey. It is basically a noose that continuously tightens around the neck until there is no life left in the animal. that is how sin works on us.

Number three, keep you eye on the prize. Look unto Jesus. he is the author and finisher of our faith. He himself is the prize at the end of the race. His glory outweighs every trial. Romans 8:18

Romans 8:18 CSB

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.

James 1:12 CSB

12 Blessed is the one who endures trials, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.