James 1:2-4, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete lacking nothing.”
Within the first few words of this passage, I find it hard sometimes to not get angry. Taking joy in a trial seems so barbaric in first thought… Who wants to rejoice in suffering? I know that is not my first thought when times are hard. Testing is hard; even naturally as one grows there is pain. But continuing through these few lines, the hope of a production of endurance is promised as faith is tested. Then I wonder, what is this endurance for, just to go through harder times? Then you get to the latter section of this passage and the endurance produced through the testing of faith will have a perfect result so that we may be perfect and lack nothing. After reading these few verses several times, I am still left to wonder why it is that we must rejoice in these trials to have endurance to continue and be perfected lacking nothing, for I am guessing what would be the next trial. I have not had a peaceful heart reading through these scriptures, but I have only prayed that the Lord may guide my heart to see a future hope, so that I may endure with joy through this trial as well as the ones to come.
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