James 1:2-3 – Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
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One of our major downfalls in Christianity in the US is our treasuring of our comforts. We have been given so much by God that we sometimes fail to remember that the things that we have been given are merely that: things. God has blessed us materially. For Many of us, God has given us far more than we could ever imagine. He has given us more than so very many have all over the world.
Yet, when trials and troubles come, regardless of their form, we often fail to count those trials as joy. AS James tells us here in chapter 1, we are to find joy when we face trials, discomforts or persecutions that cause us difficulties. It is as though the material blessings that we have been given have softened us up so much that we can no longer suffer to the glory of God.
Let us remember that, in Christ, both prosperity and suffering may very well be the will of God. Any religious teacher that declares to you that Christians will never suffer (perhaps because they declare us to be the children of the King and argue that King’s kids do not suffer) is a person who teaches you unbiblical and destructive things. Christians have suffered from the dawn of the church. God’s children have always faced trials. In reality, many Christians have been witnesses to Gods’ faithfulness in the midst of trials, and not because God released them from the suffering they were under. Many throughout history have commented on the way that Christian martyrs sang the praises of God or prayed God’s mercy on their murderers until their bodies were consumed by the flames or the wild animals. Those who suffered in these ways were ultimate witnesses to the glory of God, to the supremacy of Christ, and to the ultimacy of the eternal over the temporal.
Now, as you and I work our way through this world, we are less likely than many in the world to suffer under the scourge of persecution. However, trials and persecutions may indeed come our way from various directions. Let us learn, as we see here in God’s word, to become people who gladly endure suffering. Let us endure because we know that God is still in control. Let us endure because we know that God has already blessed us so richly. Let us endure because enduring suffering gives glory to God. Let us endure because enduring builds up godly character which honors Christ. Let us endure because we know that eternity and heavenly rewards far outweigh the temporal suffering that we face—even suffering that is extreme. Let us endure because enduring suffering for the glory of Christ makes us like the heroes of the faith of old who sacrificed their bodies as martyrs at the hands of evil men for the glory of God.
Dear Lord, I do not seek to suffer, but I pray that, should trials and sufferings come my way, I would be ready to face them for your glory. Let me not cling to the comforts and toys that my life affords. I thank you for all the blessings that you have given me, but I pray that not one of those blessings would ever be something that I would value above you and your glory. May I readily be willing to give up anything material that you have given me for the sake of your holy name and your glory. I also pray for those around me who are facing trials. Help them to face their trials in a way that will most bring glory to your name. Help me to remind them that their trials will ultimately lead to their greater soul satisfaction as they honor you in their suffering.
Pastor Travis Peterson 