Trials: The Keys to Perseverance

Any trial can be a joyous experience for a Christian if his perspective is right. Unfortunately, the anticipation of sorrow and trouble often casts a shadow over our greatest joys. The book of Job reminds us that trouble is inevitable: "Man is born for trouble, as sparks fly upward" (5:7).

We all dream of a perfect environment of comfort and tranquility. Although any temporary rest from trials may lead us into believing we might find permanent exemption from them, our lives on this fallen world will never be without them. We can live in a fool's paradise, never forecasting any trouble and predicting a future of ease, but that is fantasy. Christ warned His disciples and all who follow in His footsteps to expect trials in this life (John 15:18--16:6). What ought to sustain us in the midst of them is our faith in God, knowing He is working all things out for our good and His own holy purpose (Rom. 8:28), and that we will have victory over them through God's presence (Psalm 23:4).

The book of James was written to help believers endure their trials. In James 1:2-12 James discusses the reason for trials, the appropriate responses to trials, and the result of trials.

The Reason for Trials

Jewelers use "the water test" as a means for identifying a true diamond. An imitation stone is never as brilliant as a genuine stone, but sometimes the difference cannot be determined with the naked eye. So jewelers immerse the stone in water. A genuine diamond continues to sparkle brilliantly while the sparkle of the imitation is virtually extinguished. By way of analogy, the faith of many people under the water of sorrow or affliction is nothing but an imitation. However, when a true child of God is immersed in a trial, he will shine as brilliantly as ever.

James is saying that if your Christianity is genuine, it will prove itself in times of trouble. If my faith in God is good only when I'm doing well, then it's of little value. True faith will sustain the believer when life goes wrong.

James 1:2 says, "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials." The Greek word translated "various" ( poikilos) means "many colored" or "variegated." It emphasizes not the number but the diversity of troubles that can come our way. The Greek word translated "trials" ( peirasmos) refers to that which breaks the pattern of tranquility or happiness. The verb form means "to put someone to the test," regardless of whether the results of the testing are positive or negative.

Every trial that comes into your life becomes a test of your faith. You either pass or fail. To fail the test by wrongly responding to it allows it to become a temptation. If it ends up leading you to sin, it has proven to be successful in tempting you. If it ends up in victory, it has proven to be successful in strengthening you.

Trials are tests that reveal the genuineness and strength of one's faith (James 1:3), and therefore apply to believers as well as unbelievers. If you consistently persevere through trials and never abandon your trust in God, then you prove to have genuine faith.

When a false Christian goes through a test, it will inevitably reveal his true colors. When a true believer goes through a test, he will be driven to prayer, leaning on the strength of God rather than his own weakness. Trials burn up imitation faith but strengthen true faith. They may cause us pain when we are confronted by our weaknesses, but they have the good result of causing us to turn from ourselves to the infinite strength of God.

Responding to Trials

Believers respond properly to trials when they persevere in them. But what are the means to persevering? James describes five requirements for enduring trials in James 1:2-11.

A Joyous Attitude

In verse 2 he says, "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials." The Greek word translated "consider" could also be translated "evaluate." Evaluating a trial as being joyful is something a Christian must discipline himself to do, because joy is not the natural human response to troubles. It takes a conscious commitment. Paul made such a commitment while a prisoner in Rome . He told the Philippians, "Rejoice in the Lord always" and "I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am" (Phil. 4:4, 11).

The Greek word translated "when," used in the subjunctive mood, means "whenever," implying the inevitability of trials. The compound Greek verb for "fall" ( peripipt[ma]o) literally means "to fall in the midst of." It conveys the idea of being surrounded by an unplanned or inadvertent situation. All of us will fall into the midst of inadvertent troubles where there appears no clear way out.

Jesus never looked for trouble, but He always accepted it when it came. It was "for the joy set before Him [that He] endured the cross, despising the shame" (Heb. 12:2). He endured the humiliation and suffering of crucifixion because He looked beyond the trial to what it would accomplish. We have not suffered to the degree Jesus did (Heb. 12:4). If He could endure the cross and see it as a joyous opportunity to accomplish the purpose of God, then we should be able to endure our small trials with joy.

Since Jesus endured pain to experience joy, we shouldn't expect anything different. In John 15:18, 20 Jesus says, "If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.... If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you." While trials are a necessary part of the Christian experience, they also can provide new opportunities for joyful dependence on the One who allows them. A trial will become a welcome friend when we see it as a means to draw closer to our Savior. Trials bring about a greater sensitivity to the Lord's presence. Our communion with Him increases as we search the Scriptures to find answers to our problems.