Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4)

Veritas, we talk about this text a lot. We write about this a lot. I’m just not sure we are getting it. This idea of counting it joy when you meet trials of various kinds. Trials are easy when it comes to things like, “I thought we were going to the Palisades today for a hike but it’s raining, shucks!” Or “I really wanted to go to that restaurant but they are closed.” To some degree those scenarios are trials which might stir something within us. We had an expectation and reality did not meet the expectation. 

The gap between the expectation and reality is called disappointment and the question is how do we respond when disappointed? 

I don’t want to diminish those trials, but I do want to call us to examine other trials, like the cancer diagnosis or the teen that is living in rebellion or the marriage we aren’t so sure is going to make it. These trials aren’t just psychological constructs that we ponder. They are dozens of appointments, perhaps visits to prison, or paying thousands of dollars for legal counsel. They are defined by years of arguments, insults, and hurt feelings. These trials create real chaos, destruction, and death- whether physically or death to relationships. You know that I missed a thousand other significant trial examples as well, probably because you are walking through that one right now. 

The quick answer is a pithy, “Hey, don’t be anxious about anything, but in everything pray…” Or perhaps, “We know that all things work out for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose.” Those facts are true, but at some point shallow and unhelpful unless we’ve been taught to embrace them prior to a trial. It’s like telling the child who started with a balance bike (a bike without pedals used to develop balance) that a carbon frame bike is better. Or, telling a first grader who is learning some math that calculus is better. It doesn’t make sense and isn’t helpful. Is a carbon bike better, yes, but it isn’t helpful. Is calculus better… I don’t know… but I digress.

The framework of trials starts with God as Creator and his holiness. He desires for His people to be holy. Holiness as you are probably aware means “to be set apart”. God made people as image bearers (Genesis 1:26) to image him on the earth. God chose the descendants of Abraham, to be a different people, to be a holy people amidst the nations of unholy people. God chose a people in the new covenant that would have his law written on their hearts… to be different from the rest of the world (Jeremiah 31:31-33). 

This is to say that we image God. We reveal that we are a chosen people in the things that we face. Our neighbors and fellow humans deal with cancer, but we don’t fight it as if there isn’t a plan. Our neighbors and fellow humans deal with the rebellious teen, but we have the greater Son to hope in while our child rebels. Our neighbors and fellow humans have struggling marriages full of insults and disappointment, but we know that ours represents Christ and the Church. The gracious mercy that God gave us (his church) in the gospel by which we were saved (Ephesians 5:32). Even our grief over all these things looks different as chosen image bearers of God, because we don’t grieve like we have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). But it doesn’t just stop there. 

We don’t face trials to get through them. Trials test your faith. The testing of your faith can produce steadfastness. In Luke 8:22-25 we have the story of Jesus and the disciples going across the lake. On their way, a windstorm comes upon the lake and the disciples are desperate. Jesus is sleeping. They eventually wake Him with this urgent message, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” So Jesus awakens, calms the wind and the raging waves, and they all cease. Then seemingly the first question out of His mouth is “Where is your faith?” But I thought this was a storm issue? I thought this was about getting to the other side of the lake? I thought this was about potential death by drowning? Where is my faith? What does faith even have to do with this? Everything!

The storm revealed the hearts of the people on the boat. The disciples lived in fear and Jesus trusted the will of the Father. It was during that storm that the disciples' faith buckled and the promise of the gospel, that they would win through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, devolved into Christ dying in the lake. The storm revealed where their hearts were weak, where faith was lacking. 

Let’s consider another example: Peter. We all love this guy because we can relate to him. How often did Peter curse? We have only one reference to him doing such a thing, and it was after he was told he would deny Christ. Matthew 26:69-75 shares the story of a trial that Peter was in while Christ was on trial. In the trial, all the people accused him of being with Christ. Here Peter’s heart was revealed. Peter’s faith came up short. He did not stand steadfast on the promises of God, but buckled under the pressure of the situation and out of his heart, his mouth spoke (Luke 6:45). Obviously the story doesn’t end there. Christ restored him beside the lake (John 21:1-19). But the point stands, under pressure Peter’s heart was revealed. 

One last story about Peter. It is found in Galatians 2. Peter is a founder of the Church, one of the key apostles that had sat with Jesus. Just like he feared men around that fire at the crucifixion, he feared the religious zealots of his day. And when certain men came from James, Peter shifted the crowd he was with. Peter had been sitting with the Gentile believers, but when the circumcision party showed up, he moved back toward the Jews. He wasn’t alone though, the other Jews who were with him did the same thing (Galatians 2:12-13). Paul would have none of it. He writes that he opposed Peter to his face. Paul didn’t go so far as to say this, but Paul saw the hypocrisy in Peter’s heart that was leading others astray. Paul goes on in the book to discuss how we are justified by faith, not by people’s opinions of us. 

Peter seemed to have a weakness, the thoughts of people, so when he came into those times of trial, storm, or struggle he responded. When the expectations and the reality don’t line up, he responds to the disappointment in the middle and in these two situations he chose wrongly (see Acts 2 for Peter responding well).

So what if our response to cancer reveals our heart? What if a rebellious child reveals our heart before God? What if our response in our broken marriage reveals our heart? 

If it does, what is it showing us? In our grief do we grieve as though we have no hope? In our seeking after the lost do we remember that we were once a rebel, an enemy of God but God saved us? With regard to our marriage, in our anger do we sin? As much as it depends on us, because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, do we live at peace with one another? Do we represent Christ graciously saving his enemies, making them sons like it represents Christ and his Church? 

The Holy God isn’t going to tolerate our self-centered lives wrapped in sinful desires and expectations. God is going to walk us through trials for the sake of our growth and our holiness, not our happiness. Veritas, we are called to imitate God as dearly loved children (Ephesians 5:1). We are called to be holy and set apart from the world though we face all the same trials the world faces (1 Peter 2:9-10). God gives us trials to help us see where we aren’t trusting him. He is willing to help us trust him in the trials. He is willing to build in us steadfastness. He is willing to do what is necessary in our journey of holiness so that we can say:

“Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For these light momentary afflictions are preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.” (2 Corinthians 4:16-18, emphasis added)

God is teaching you in your trials. Trust him.