“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” (James 1:2-3, NIV)
As we mature as disciples of Jesus, we ought not to fret the appearance of “trials of many kinds.” According to James, such occasions are opportunities to develop in us the endurance that is required for the days ahead.
We should also look at “the testing of [our] faith” as a natural step in validating it, as an examiner tests the knowledge of a physician before he or she is licensed to practice medicine; or as a flight examination tests the knowledge and technical proficiency of a commercial pilot before he or she is permitted to carry members of the paying public.
Who would knowingly consult a physician whose knowledge had never been tested? Who would knowingly board a plane whose captain’s flying skills had never been examined through testing? Testing is a good thing.
We can “consider it pure joy” in the hour of trial because we know that it validates our faith; and develops within us the endurance we need for all future challenges. Because we are being made ready, we may smile in the trial. – Luther
