Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
James 1:2-3
As a pastor of the early church in Jerusalem, James led in a time of great persecution. James and his readers certainly knew what trials looked like and faced them often.
James tells us that trials are to be expected, yet we often seem bewildered when faced with a trial, perhaps under the impression that our salvation in Christ should shield us from all difficulty. While we do not experience trials each day, we should consider them an integral part of the Christian life and a means of sanctification.
While we should not be giddy at the thought of coming trials, they are not to be feared either. We should recognize that despite the hardship they bring, trials can be a time of joy. Trials can force us to rely more heavily upon God and dig deeper into the Scriptures. Our relationship to the local assembly can be strengthened as they minister to us and weep with those who weep.
Trials are to be expected in the Christian life. They can bring intense hardship. But as each of these trials test our faith, they also build endurance in our lives as we cling to our faith and hope in God even more.
For more on the role of trials in the Christian life, see this 2-part sermon series on James 1: "A Biblical Response to Trials"
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