March 20th, 2025: James 1.2-4

James 1.2-4

2 Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials,

3 knowing that the testing of your faith brings about perseverance.

4 And let perseverance have its perfect work, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

There’s a common saying: “tried and true.” It means a product or method has been tested and proven superior to competitors. How do we know if our faith is real? It too needs to be tried and tested. As a Christian we face many trials daily. We are called to not conform to this world and to remain separate; that will lead to us standing out. We will be put into situations that are unpleasant, hurtful, or even dangerous (think of the apostles) because we don’t partake in what the world does. What James is asking of us is to change our mindset and think positively of our hardships when they come. To see them not as burdens but opportunities to prove our fail and be strengthened. This will prove out our faith to ourselves and to God, leading to that perseverance to the kingdom.

It’s not natural to feel positive about trials we encounter, but adopting this mindset allows us to comprehend how Paul and Silas sang songs and maintained joy even after being severely beaten and imprisoned (Acts 16). Let us pray to God to change our mindset to overcome these trials and prove our faith to our Father!