Rejoicing & Remaining Steadfast
10/29/25 Bible Thought (James 1)
The trials and sufferings of this life have the opportunity of benefiting the faith of believers if we let them.
As we open the pages of Scripture this is seen so plainly right at the outset of the letter of James, the half-brother of our Lord.
He writes:
“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” (Jas. 1:2-4).
Generally speaking, people are not thankful for problems. Problem people, health maladies, relational struggles, financial hardship, or any kind of “less than ideal” situation often prompts us to complain. Sometimes we can even end up consumed with self-pity.
However, the Scripture in many places presents that trials in our lives are frequently for our benefit.
Trials teach us to rely on the strength of Christ (2 Cor. 12:9-10). They purify our faith as gold is purified in a furnace (1 Pet. 1:6-7). In today’s reading, they produce steadfastness for the believer.
Faith is like a muscle that when tested becomes stronger. Today I was listening to a podcast on physical health and was reminded that when we exercise it puts demands on the body that the body will grow to respond to. God has so engineered our bodies that they respond to stimuli like this, but they will not grow stronger if they do not have to.
Our bodies are what you could call efficient. (Some people call it lazy). They will not allocate resources to grow if growth is not deemed necessary. Why would they waste effort growing muscles that we do not use? They are not designed to do this. It would be wasteful. They only grow in response to demands placed upon them.
If suddenly someone goes from not exercising to going for a walk or run, lifting weights, or even taking the time to do a few pushups, then the body will recognize there is a need for strength that was not there before. Now, this person is someone who exercises. As a result, the body must play catch up in order to meet the new demand.
So it is with our faith and our spiritual health to some degree.
There are muscles of faith that are only strengthened under the load of trial. As such, these hardships become causes for rejoicing. Just as someone might leave the gym with a sore body and a sense of accomplishment, so we must trust that when we feel sore from trials that God is accomplishing in us a work of grace. He is strengthening us to endure, and this strength only comes through those hardships.
Oftentimes it will be uncomfortable. Physical exercise usually is too. Let us hold fast to the knowledge that we are merely the Potter’s clay and He brings things into our lives in order to mold us to be the people that He has called us to be.
So then let us trust that as we endure faithfully, we will let steadfastness have its full effect (Jas. 1:4) and that the one who remains steadfast under trial will one day receive the crown of life (Jas. 1:12).
One day all the sufferings and sorrows of this will pale in comparison to the weight of glory that we will enjoy for all eternity (see Rom. 8:18; 2 Cor. 4:17-18).