Thank God For Trials

"Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures." - James 1:16-18

As we dive back into our study of James, I want to point out that I had two guest writers this weekend in order that we may, for once, take a break from my writing. I hope their writings were enjoyed and if they were, I'm sure the authors would appreciate some feedback. Thanks again to Micaila Rupp and Seth Henry for their contribution to the uplifting of the body of Christ.

This passage that we are focusing on in James today is the conclusion of James' focus on how the Christian walk should look in relation to times of trials. He introduces his conclusion with a somber sentiment, "Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers." Deceived about what? James is referring to the false view that, in times of trial, God is the one who tempts you. Isn't it easy, when we are going through difficult times, to just blame everything on God? That is what James is warning us against. James is reminding us to not blame our sufferings on God. After-all, James continues, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights..." If you are going to blame the bad stuff on God, you better be sure to blame the good stuff on him too. Do not forget that every blessing and good thing comes down from God (and most of life is good for most people). Humans have a natural tendency to focus on the bad in the world because it is rarer and therefore catches our attention more easily. Because it catches our attention so easily, we mistakenly associate God with evil.

"...with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change," James continues. In other words, first, don't blame evil on God. Secondly, God brings everything that is good. And thirdly, God isn't bipolar. He doesn't change his mind or his mood. He is God and he is always the same. If God brings everything that is good, that is all he can do, and he never changes, then everything he ordains that seems bad must not really be bad. Everything that happens is in some way to further the glory of God which is a good thing. Whether it seems bad to our finite minds or not is not the question. The question is merely "is this going to further the glory of God in some way eventually?" and the answer is always yes. This means that we can be secure in everything that happens to us; it may seem evil, it may seem bad, and in fact it is, but only right now. The darkness only exists so that the light will be more appreciated when it is seen.

"Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures." The word "first-fruits" can also mean "the beginning of a sacrifice." The pioneer Christians that James was writing to were the first Christians and so, in a sense, they were the first recipients of Jesus' sacrifice. Also, the first-fruits feast that the Israelites held was a celebration of Springs first Barley  Harvest because it indicated more to come for the rest of the year. In the same way, the first Christians were just the beginning of what was to come, and the religion would end up becoming very prosperous as we see today.

My dear friends, I do not want you to be deceived during times of trials. It is so easy to blame our heartache and difficult times on God, but greater is the person who can glorify God and thank him for their trials. Do not deceive yourselves to think that trials are a bad thing, they are a good thing. They are not a time of despair, but a time of hope; not a time of loss, but a time of gain; not a time of decay, but a time of growth. Utilize difficult times to your advantage that before you die, you may grow more and more into Christ's likeness. Trials are the Christians opportunity to become more like Christ. Without trials, the Christian will stagnate in their spiritual walk. Don't only make it through trials, but rejoice when they come.