What does James say about trials?

Around our Methodist circuit and among people closely associated with us, in the last six months, there have been all sorts of trials, mainly relating to health. Why is this we wonder? James tells us how we should treat these trials in ch 1 verse 2”Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, he says. At first look this seems to give us advice that is way out of capabilities to achieve. How can we do this? How on earth can we feel pure joy when we are in the midst of heavy trials. Well actually it doesn’t say that we should feel pure joy, but that we should consider it pure joy. We are not to be ruled by our feelings for they often lead us astray. But our considered opinion can lead us to believe that these trials will eventually do good. Let’s take a look at the author James first of all. Most commentators believe him to be none other than the brother of Jesus who is mentioned in Mark 6:3 Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. We know it can’t be James the brother of John, the son of Zebedee as that James died early on in the book of Acts, killed by Herod. James the brother of Jesus was the leader of the church in Jerusalem. This man who must have known a certain amount of persecution can even so advise us to “Consider it pure joy” When we face trials of many kinds. We don’t usually think a trial is something to enjoy, but it is not the trial itself that makes us joyful. It is the consequence, for all trials for the Christian lead to something very good. The trials are to test our faith which leads to perseverance and when you persevere this makes you mature and complete. This earth is a testing ground where our faith is developed and this can only be done as we are tested by trials. As Peter says in 1 Peter 4:12-13 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are a Christian you will have trials because your faith is precious and it has to be tested otherwise it is not proved to be faith at all. Who was it said, “But best of all God is with us.” Ah yes, it was Wesley on his death bed. He was suffering his last time but his faith was strong and what mattered to him most was that God was with him. If God is with us in our sufferings we too will learn to rejoice because God’s presence with us makes the trial pale into insignificance compared with the joy of knowing our Lord. We are not here on earth to get the maximum fun and enjoyment out of life, although it is certainly fine for us to enjoy legitimate pleasures. We are here to give God the pleasure he deserves in seeing us follow Him, come what may. Hopefully none of us will have to suffer to the extent that Job did. God does not take pleasure in our physical pain, but He is honoured when we look beyond the pain and continue to worship him. I’m sure not one of us here has had a totally care-free life. We have all had problems from time to time, sometimes with our health and sometimes with our finances and sometimes with family problems. But once we have come through them we are stronger people, our faith has been tested and stood the test. None of us wants to court disaster, but we know that difficult times will come for us. James knew this and advised us to consider it pure joy when we have trials and difficulties. The television will tell us to run after pleasures to make our physical appearance so important that we spend two hours in the morning making up our faces, because they say “you’re worth it.” James says that indeed as Christians we are worth it and therefore will go through trials to prove our worth. We can see an example in nature of how trials strengthen. When the time comes for a butterfly to emerge from its cocoon it has to go through a mighty struggle to get out. But the worst thing you can do for it is to try to make its struggle easier. It needs all that struggling to prepare its wings for the job they must do. If you interfere its wings won’t be strong enough for flight. We as, Christians need our trials to make us strong. In Joshua 2 we read the story of Rahab hiding the two spies from the Israelite camp. She had heard such a lot about their God. Let’s read what is in fact her testimony of faith in God. and said to them, "I know that the LORD has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. 10 We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. 11 When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone's courage failed because of you, for the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below. 12 Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign 13 that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will save us from death. We can hear Rahab’s faith in each word. But Rahab’s faith is backed up with action. She hides the men. Her faith was also tested by trials. She had to endure a week whilst the Israelites were marching round her city trusting that She would be saved at the end of it. She followed the instructions of the spies and stayed in her house with her family, with the red cord hanging from her window, just waiting for God to deliver her. James uses Rahab at the end of chapter 2,as an example of someone who proves the worth of her faith by doing something. She believed in the God of the Israelites so she hid the spies. Many people have misunderstood what James is teaching. He never says that faith is optional he just says that true faith will always lead to doing good. It is only by action that our faith can be proved to be real. Paul spoke a lot about the necessity of faith, for instance in Ephesians 2 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions--it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Some people think James and Paul disagree, but this is not so. Here we see Paul keeping faith and works hand in hand. Apparently Paul and James use the word justification in two slightly different ways. When Paul uses it he might that we are put right by faith and when James uses it he means that our faith is proved right by good works. So there is no conflict here. But let’s get back to the trial of our faith. We need to be encouraged by looking at Bible characters who went through trials, so that we will see that our trials are important too. If we look at the life of Joseph we will see a man who all but ruled in Egypt, but that was after many,many trials. He was sold into slavery by his brothers, put in prison on trumped up charges and just as he thought he would be brought out he was left there to languish for still longer. And yet, later, when he was in a position of power and his brothers were in his control, he was able to say to them that although they had meant ill towards him, God had a plan and meant it all for good. I know several people who find this verse from Jeremiah very encouraging. “I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jer 29v 11 Lovely words to encourage us. But you was Jeremiah prophesying these things to. If you read Chapteer 29 you will find that the Israelites had just been conquered and taken captive to Babylon and they had been told they would be there for seventy years, that means that some of them would never come back. That lovely promise and it is a lovely promise was not given in cosy circumstances. The Israelites were told to settle in Babylon and get on with their lives there and they would eventually be brought home. Our trials can indeed be difficult to bear but if we belong to Jesus he will bring us through them. The hope and the future God has for us may well be after death, but in my experience we have good times between the bad in this life too. God is a caring god towards his children and is with us in the bad times and the good and with both is moulding us to be the people he wants to serve Him. And in serving Him is our greatest good.