In our Christian walk we go through trials and temptations of all kinds. These do not come as a result of our own mistakes or sins but they are the troubles and suffering that we go through for the sake of Christ. James tells us to consider it pure joy whenever we face trials of all kinds. It’s good that he didn’t say that trials are themselves a joy but we are to consider them a joy.
It sounds unreasonable to think of what brings you suffering a joy but James gives us the reason why we must; this is because, from trials we receive spiritual blessings something other religions may not fathom. Other religions may endure trials and temptations but only those who are God’s children are able to rejoice in times of trials, why because the testing of our faith develops perseverance.
Someone may ask, why does God allow suffering? God allows trials to come so that our faith can be tested and as a result our walk with the Lord grows stronger and stronger by day.
1pt 1:7 “these have come so that your faith of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire, may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed “.
Perseverance can be used interchangeably with patience one of the fruits of the spirit in Gal 5:22 and this two are essential for our spiritual walk. Jesus when referring to patience and perseverance said, “…the one who stands firm to the end will be saved” Mk 13:13..he/she “will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him” James 1:12.
James introduces another essential aspect of our spiritual growth and that is faith. Anyone who wants something from the Lord must ask in faith because anyone who doubts cannot receive anything from Him. God is pleased when we pray to Him by Faith. Heb 11:6a “And without faith, it is impossible to please God”. James refers to one who doubts as a double minded man and one who is unstable in all he does. He is like a wave of the sea that is tossed here and there by the wind.
Regarding matters of poverty and riches, James recommends in vv9-11 that those who are in humble circumstances ought to take pride in his high position of being God’s Children. Though he may be in difficulties, through faith his Spiritual position elevates him to a higher position. On the other hand, the one who is rich should take pride in his low position of being a partaker in God’s eternal inheritance and not his earthly possessions which will soon pass away. In other words, it’s only the things with eternal value that lasts forever. Therefore, both the poor and the rich should rejoice over the fact that they know the Lord and that their economic status is but temporal. These are the Attitudes that gives you altitude.
In previous verses we talked much about trials which arises from outside circumstances and now we want to look at temptations which arise from evil desires. V13 says, “When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me”. The word temptation here means desire to sin or to do something wrong. Therefore, God who is holy, cannot be tempted by evil and cannot put an urge to sin in us. “The outward trials we must endure; the inward temptations we must overcome” Thomas Hale-applied new testament commentary
God allows outside circumstances to test and strengthen our faith but He does not draw people to do evil v16-18. He is the giver of every good gift and the father of heavenly lights meaning He is the creator of all things and out of His will and for His own purpose He created us to be first fruits of all He created and therefore “chose to give us birth through the word of truth” i.e. Eternal life.
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