Trials and Tribulations

James is probably my favorite book of the Bible. It is just chock full of lessons to apply to your life. At the beginning of chapter one, James says "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." I'm sure I'm not the only one who has gone through some tough seasons of life.  God allows these things to happen to make us stronger.  Each time I survive through something tough I come out of it with a stronger faith than ever; because not only do trials make us more resilient, they make us run full speed to God for help and guidance (even if it is in a serpentine pattern.)  If we just stick through it God will reward us.  "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." - James 1:12.  I have faced many trying times since I applied this to my life, and I can be confident in my faith if I just remain steadfast.

Not only is it important to persevere through the trials that come to us, but I feel it is also important to seek out "trials." What I mean is that if we remain complacent, we will never accomplish anything—it’s important to keep doing hard things to keep us out of our comfort zones.  That's part of what James means when he tells us to "count it all joy."  This doesn't mean you have to sell your house and start living on the street, but at least try doing things that are unusual or hard for yourself.  Even if it's something little, like talking to someone you don't know.

When we're applying this to sin, however, it's usually not such a good idea to seek out those sorts of trials so much as it is to "stick out" those sorts of trials trials.  In the case of sin, you must do more than acknowledge it to resist it.  "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 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.  For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 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." - James 1:22-25.  We know what is right from what is wrong, but simply acknowledging sin for what it is isn't the same as fighting against it.  If we don't "do" something about sin, we cannot expect to grow from the experience.  We must resist temptation to the point of shedding blood (that means no matter what!)  "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."  - James 4:7

Resisting sin and facing trials is hard, but if you stick with God, he will stick with you!