I’m going to give you an equation you probably weren’t expecting.
Trials + steadfast faith = peace
Did you know that trials correlate with peace?
You may be thinking, “Erica, anything with the word trials in it, is far from peace. In fact, trials STEAL my peace, so how can this be?”
Well, I’m glad you asked.
In James 1:2-4 it says:
“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. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.
How Do You ‘Count It All Joy’?
James 12:4 is a very familiar scripture among believers especially during times of trouble.
But many people say these words out of their ‘head knowledge’ because it hasn’t taken root in their hearts to become ‘heart knowledge.’
So when a trial comes, it still creates havoc in the depths of their soul.
This message is a message of exhortation from Paul to the church, and this message is not to be taken lightly by passive listening.
His message was meant to have us do something—to respond in trials.
Not just have an ear to hear what to do and shake your head in agreement.
So what are the actions Paul is asking us to take in the midst of trials?
#1 – You Must ‘Consider’
“…Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!” – Nehemiah 8:10b
Consider means to think carefully about something; to be drawn to a course of action from the thought.
Paul is saying to consider it joy: to move towards joy by thought.
Notice he didn’t say to feel joy. He said to consider it.
To make a conscious effort to think it joy.
Why?
Because when you’re going through trials, what do you usually do?
You think anyways, right?
You think about the pain, the despair, the tragedy, the loss, etc.
The thoughts are either leading you to respond in sorrow or respond in joy.
So regardless, your thoughts are where it starts.
Therefore, Paul first addresses the mind by saying consider it joy.
“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.” – Philippians 4:8
#2 – You Must ‘Know’
The next course of action Paul is telling the church is to know.
This is a mental state.
Meaning, to understand, to perceive something as fixed or established.
Paul is telling the church to have a fixed understanding in your mind that trials are meant to do two things.
First, they’re meant to test your faith.
And second, they’re to produce perseverance.
Paul says the testing of your faith produces perseverance.
So you see, it’s all about your perspective.
“Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” – Colossians 3:2
You can either purpose in your mind to trust God with all of your heart.
Or, lean on your own understanding. (See Proverbs 3:5-6)
You can either walk by faith that God will work this all together for good.
Or, believe the lies of the enemy that says to walk by sight and base everything off of your feelings, logic, and opinions. (See Romans 8:28)
The truth is, many times it’s all a battle within your mind.
A battle you must lay at the feet of Jesus and have the right perspective.
#3 – You Must ‘Persevere’
Why must you persevere?
Because it leads to a finished work in a believer: ‘not lacking anything.’
True faith is a persevering faith, meaning that it’s been tried and tested and victorious!
Nothing can steal your joy, peace or assurance in Christ when you have this produced in you.
You won’t be able to persevere (meaning to stand firm and keep standing) if you lack faith.
And you won’t grow in your faith until you face trials.
The key is to never give up no matter what.
By purposing in your heart to finish the race God has called you to run no matter who or what tries to stand in your way.
When Do You Usually Consider Trials Joyful?
You usually consider trials joyful after the trial is over, right?
How many times have you been in a trial and had no clarity?
More so than not, it feels like a dark tunnel until the trial is over.
It’s only then that you consider the trial joyful.
Then you’re able to look back and in hindsight, see what God was doing in and through you the whole time.
But did you know, trials actually help you to grow your faith too?
When you see God’s hand deliver you in the past, those times help you to consider it joyful the next time it happens.
That’s why it’s good to consider trials joyful after you’ve gone through them and be thankful.
You’re not letting that joy have its full effect when you don’t begin by having joy in the midst of the trial too.
Remembering God’s deliverance in the past will push you in the right thinking pattern towards joy in the trial.
And when faith is produced in a believer’s heart, many times through trials, faith then propels peace.
Overcoming trials brings you peace because God sustained you.
He reassures you that He will sustain you always.
Do You Want A Peace That Surpasses All Understanding?
Peace is an assurance that everything will be okay.
And let me tell you, peace is priceless!
So trials ultimately are not meant to steal your peace or your joy.
God allows them to produce peace in you because you’re learning to trust Him over and over again.
Let’s use the analogy of a parent and child.
When a child is injured, what do they do?
They don’t run to their best friend, or stuffed animal or their favorite candy.
They first run to mom or dad.
Just like pain draws a child to an earthly parent, pain in the life of a believer draws them to God.
Draw Near To God And He Will Draw Near To You
God is a relational God.
He wants a deep relationship with His children.
He wants us to trust Him and depend on Him just like a child trusts in the care in their mother.
There is a track record of peace and assurance the child has in their parent from past experiences.
Trials have many benefits if you allow yourself to step outside the worldly thinking of trial equals bad and focus on the bigger picture for them.
A trial, if you allow it, will ultimately produce in you: joy, faith, peace, perseverance, a deeper trust, and a stronger relationship with God.
Paul wasn’t saying to count trials as joy because God doesn’t care or wants you to suffer.
We know Paul went through an abundance of trials.
But he ultimately knew that they had the potential to produce something so valuable in the heart of a believer.
Think about a ruby, most people know rubies are very precious and rare, in the Bible, they are more talked about than diamonds.
But most people don’t know how rubies are formed.
You may think they just appear in the dirt underground if you search hard enough.
While that may be true, it doesn’t explain the formation of rubies.
Rubies are formed when great heat and pressure are applied to the original materials into a hard mineral.
This is a true transformation.
Key Takeaway
A beautiful ruby is produced from immense pressure.
And so is the peace that surpasses all understanding.
“God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.” – James 1:12
So we too must go through the pressures and fiery trials of life to draw us closer to God.
And look more and more like Christ, the ultimate transformation.
Do you see more clearly now the necessity of trials and what it produces?
It creates something so precious and invaluable in us, just like a ruby.
I love how God has lessons in nature to teach His children.
That is how much He loves us, that He created life lessons in creation all around us.
We don’t always need “experts” to tell us…sometimes we just need to go for a walk.
Erica, this is a beautiful understanding of faith. I love how you explain it. I still have a long way to go but I know that with believers like you and getting involve with gods church I will get to where the lord want me to be. Thank you.
Your welcome Ana, praise God! Our faith will always be tested, its easy to say God I have faith during the easy times or during praise or worship but what moves God is the faith expressed in times of worry, fear and doubt. In those moments turn to Gods promises and his faithfulness and he will direct you through it.
God Bless
Erica, this is a beautiful understanding of faith. I love how you explain it. I still have a long way to go but I know that with believers like you and getting involve with gods church I will get to where the lord want me to be. Thank you.
Your welcome Ana, praise God! Our faith will always be tested, its easy to say God I have faith during the easy times or during praise or worship but what moves God is the faith expressed in times of worry, fear and doubt. In those moments turn to Gods promises and his faithfulness and he will direct you through it.
God Bless
Thank you for this. My mind seems to always go to the negative. This has stunted my growth as a Christian. I pray I can apply these scriptures and principles to my life and preserve through my trails, considering them joy as I go through them. Knowing it is a time for growth not self pity.
Thank you and God Bless
Hi Sandy,
Praise God that you understand your need for faith and where you are, thats the first step. Faith is not easy and the moment we become saved we don’t receive a David vs. Goliath type of faith. Faith grows gradually over time when we see God move and see his faithfulness in the past and present and ultimately developing a relationship with him intimately because you can only truly trust someone you know. God wants you to know him, he has not hidden himself from you. His word says seek him with all your heart and you will find him, keep seeking until you do and God will guard your mind and heart. Doubt and fear comes daily so we must renew our mind with the word daily and know that its not a one time fix, its a continuos battle of overcoming the flesh, but Praise God we already have the victory in Christ, He who is free, is free indeed in Jesus Christ.
Read Acts 20:24
God Bless Sis,
Erica
Thank you for this. My mind seems to always go to the negative. This has stunted my growth as a Christian. I pray I can apply these scriptures and principles to my life and preserve through my trails, considering them joy as I go through them. Knowing it is a time for growth not self pity.
Thank you and God Bless
Hi Sandy,
Praise God that you understand your need for faith and where you are, thats the first step. Faith is not easy and the moment we become saved we don’t receive a David vs. Goliath type of faith. Faith grows gradually over time when we see God move and see his faithfulness in the past and present and ultimately developing a relationship with him intimately because you can only truly trust someone you know. God wants you to know him, he has not hidden himself from you. His word says seek him with all your heart and you will find him, keep seeking until you do and God will guard your mind and heart. Doubt and fear comes daily so we must renew our mind with the word daily and know that its not a one time fix, its a continuos battle of overcoming the flesh, but Praise God we already have the victory in Christ, He who is free, is free indeed in Jesus Christ.
Read Acts 20:24
God Bless Sis,
Erica
Thank you Erica! I suffer chronic intractable pain daily. I can not imagine life w/o God. This is beautiful & has lots of the scriptures I keep on sticky notes & small chalkboards around my house. Pain is evil, but God has used it to keep me ever at His side. Where else will I go? TY!
Thank you Erica! I suffer chronic intractable pain daily. I can not imagine life w/o God. This is beautiful & has lots of the scriptures I keep on sticky notes & small chalkboards around my house. Pain is evil, but God has used it to keep me ever at His side. Where else will I go? TY!
Amen Joanna!
Your understanding of your circumstance is awsome. As believers it is so important that we do not mistake our pains for Gods lack of care of understanding, God is always using everything for a purpose and he has not promised we will always know what that is or why or how but he says trust him anyway. God says we cannot please him without faith and many times our pains draw us to God so we may have full reliance on him because he cares more about our heart than our comfort. God is always besides you and every pain you feel God acknowledges, but just like with Paul, Gods grace is sufficient for you.
God Bless Sis,
Erica
Amen Joanna!
Your understanding of your circumstance is awsome. As believers it is so important that we do not mistake our pains for Gods lack of care of understanding, God is always using everything for a purpose and he has not promised we will always know what that is or why or how but he says trust him anyway. God says we cannot please him without faith and many times our pains draw us to God so we may have full reliance on him because he cares more about our heart than our comfort. God is always besides you and every pain you feel God acknowledges, but just like with Paul, Gods grace is sufficient for you.
God Bless Sis,
Erica
Hi Erica. Thanks for your continued sermons and prayer. I am going through a testing period for 9 months.
I am truly seeking conversion and I am struggling a lot. Faith, perseverance and patience is what I need to be be reminded of always.
I’m hope my trials come to an end soon. It’s tough.
Have a blessed day
Hi Erica. Thanks for your continued sermons and prayer. I am going through a testing period for 9 months.
I am truly seeking conversion and I am struggling a lot. Faith, perseverance and patience is what I need to be be reminded of always.
I’m hope my trials come to an end soon. It’s tough.
Have a blessed day