James 1:1–16 (A Christian Look At Trials)

The letter from James is a collection of instructions regarding practical wisdom and guidance for all God’s people. From a christian perspective, he deals with a variety of moral topics, one of such is Trials. A great portion of his first chapter is geared at expatiating more on christian trials, how our attitude to it should be, the ultimate purpose for it and God’s place and part in our trials.

He starts his letter with a very impactful greeting [From James, a Servant of God…]. This assumes or implies many things, but the one which I am very keen to point out is that, being a servant means all authority even over your actions are laid bare in the hands of your master. You no longer do or act according to your will but according to that of your master. This makes me recall Jesus’ call to his disciples “In order to be the greatest, you must first learn to serve”. But serve in what way?

James follows his opener with a caution to all his readers about trials: In the face of trials [all sort] our attitude shouldn’t be that of scorn, anger or resentment, but that of being fortunate.

Consider yourselves fortunate when all kinds of trials come your way v2

He definitely does not mean any kind of trial, but trials against our faith; our faith in Jesus and in our sovereign God. He calls on us to endure till the end and if we lack wisdom, we should call on our God and he will provide it for us. Why do we need wisdom to be able to face trials? Personally, I think our attitude to anything depends on our knowledge of the outcome. When we understand why we face trials, our purpose and the hope for which we live, no matter how grave the trial is, we will face it head-on, just like we will comfortably endure the pain of pulling out a piece of wood stuck in our foot because we know that there will be a long lasting relieve at the end. While we are calling on God for wisdom and praying for providence and guidance, he urges us to pray in full believe and not to doubt at all.

But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways, that man should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. v6–8

James is just being a straight forward man, it makes a lot of sense that if you are unable to believe in what you are asking God for in prayers, then you doubt his sovereignty. “For is there anything that is difficult for our God?” none, our believe in God should not be challenged, we ought to know who we are talking to when we pray, when we truly know him, we will definitely make up our minds in a way that our faith will be placed wholly unto him who is our Lord.

v9–11 of this first chapter is a strong caution unto setting our Joys and happiness in the thing of this world. He tells us to count it all Joy if you are poor and God lifts you up or if you are Rich and God puts you down. This has far more daunting meaning: But why should I as a rich man be happy that God has made me poor? Firstly, the purpose of your life as a christian and the hope for which you have been promised is that not of riches and wealth of this life but in the life to come, so just as Christ said, “My kingdom is not of this world” and “My food is to do the will of my father”, it stands that everything that is happens to us, is gearing us for the glory in the life to come. This comes to add more flesh[meaning] to the statement made at the beginning of the chapter “consider yourselves fortunate when all trials come your way”.

The succeeding verses comes to solidify the claims made, for it tells us that once you have successfully gone through them your will receive the LIFE which God has promised. If we notice, James doesn’t certainly mean a life here on earth, because if it were so, then the people who had died in trial and for their faith in God, would have all died in vain and this makes him out to be a lair. Take for example, the apostles who spent most of their lives preaching the gospel and doing the will of God but ended up dying for it. It means that there is definitely another life which is far more interesting than this, in which our God has promised us.

Trial Denotes trouble or something that breaks the pattern of peace, comfort, joy and happiness in someone’s life with the purpose of discovering that person’s nature or a thing’s quality.

Certainly God does not put us to test for himself, but for us, to help us use that trial as an evaluation of our faith in him, for as the saying goes ”In adversity we know our friends”, so too in trial, we know how deep our trust in God is, how much we depend on and rest our cares on him. It is through trials that we ourselves can evaluate the substance of our faith. At the end of it all, it doesn’t just provide us with assurance, but it deepens and strengthens our faith.

In as much as trials are good for the christian heart, if we receive it with scorn and resentment, it can easily lead to temptation. God’s purpose for trial is not to tempt us, but for it to serve as a compass upon which we evaluate our own faith in him. If instead, we receive it as temptation, we should not say that is comes from God, for God tempts no one.

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.

James further cautions us that temptation can definitely lead to sin, for “people are tempted when they are drawn away and trapped by their own evil desires, then the same evil desire conceives and gives birth to sin”. “God is good and every good and perfect gift comes from the lord”. Everything he ever created was and is meant for our good [but he also gave us free will, the free will to chose what to do with what he has given us, to freely express our love for him and not to be coerced or forced to do so. The presence of free will in itself implies that we can as well decide not to love God, we can decide to handle and use those things which he created good for evil.] “He created us in his will so that we should have first place among all his creatures” and he meant for us to love him. But true love is only expressed in free will, the ability to choose to do so.

There fore, he does not force unto us what to perceive when we face trials, but if we trust in him wholly, we will be rest assured that everything he does, is meant for our Good.

Thanks for journeying with me through these verses.
Remain Blessed.