I always had a problem with James 1:2-4:
“2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. NIV
How are we to understand this verse in light of our own experiences in suffering? Is it even possible to consider our suffering “pure joy”?
The problem I had was not knowing exactly how I could feel joyful about going through a trial, particularly a trial like dealing with an incurable disease such as LMS. I now know what James really meant.
The joy for me was not going through the trial itself, it was seeing God at work in my life to bring Romans 8:28 true trial after trial, for me and for others. The consequence of this was to increase my faith and trust in God’s providence and cause me to see more reasons to express my gratitude to Him.
So, I knew what James meant about persevering through the trial to experience a maturation of my faith. The trial, or affliction, was the vehicle used to get to this destination. A mature faith allows you to see the light of God’s Goodness through the darkness of your adversity.
