Anytime you begin reading a new book of the Bible, it's important to ask two preliminary questions: (1)Who wrote the book? and, (2)Why was it written? In this case, the book is believed to have been written by Jesus' brother James. James was the leader of the Christian church in Jerusalem (Acts 15). In short, he wrote this letter to encourage the people of his church not just to profess faith but to live it out.
Right out of the gate we are met by a seemingly strange instruction. "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance" (vv 2-3). What?!
James is not telling his readers to rejoice in the hard times themselves; they would just be gluttons for punishment. Rather, he wants them to rejoice when hard times come because of the endurance it will produce in them. Anyone can love God and others when things are going well. But it takes great perseverance to love God and others when life gets hard.
So what's your goal in the Christian life? If you're looking for a comfortable, cozy Christian life, then this instruction from James will be obscure and puzzling to you. But if your goal in the Christian life is to mature and grow in holiness, then this passage will not only make sense to you, but will be a source of great encouragement.
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