Consider it pure joy . . .

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All flowers are roses, except these.
“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.” (James 1:2-4)
“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:12)

It’s not hard to infer from the first chapter of James that a prolonged walk down easy street is bound to leave us juvenile, flabby and—in the Kingdom of God—pretty much weaklings. Conversely, being beset by and overcoming trials that require muscle and stick-to-itiveness lends maturity, strength and fulfillment.

Of course, we all know that building physical muscle doesn’t happen in the recliner; to build strength requires exercise, exertion, perseverance. But how appropriate is applying physical strength-building as a metaphor for spiritual strength . . . if there is such a thing? Is faith strengthened by being challenged? Is spiritual maturity won through “tribulation” only? Should we be be praying for hardship, persecution or illness so that we can become strong?
Or is it more germane to James’ pronouncements to think of trials as providing both an opportunity for giving up, or for reaching beyond ourselves and finding spiritual muscle we probably didn’t know we had? To persevere in the face of hardship and loss requires confidence in the possibility of a good end: hope, in other words.

The first verse of James’ epistle is similar to Paul’s greetings in his letters, in this case addressing “the twelve tribes scattered among the nations.” Harper Collins Bible Commentary asserts that it’s difficult to know whom the writer is addressing, whether it’s a Jewish diaspora or a Christian-Jewish cohort scattered by persecution. Exile generally produces severe physical and emotional hardship; reading James as, possibly, a letter of comfort and an admonition to keep up hope may come closest to the writer’s intention. At least in the passages quoted above.
By most standards, Western civilization lives on easy street. A case can be made for a perceived immaturity, flaccidity in Western cultures, possibly caused by the lack of trials and tribulations? For my part, I have to cringe when I see the courage, hope and perseverance shown by refugees from war and disaster and wonder if I could possibly rise to their level of spiritual, emotional vigour, given what they’ve been through.

On the other hand, even life in a peaceful, prosperous, beautiful country like Canada can become little more than a series of trials for individuals. There’s an old saying that the poor have only two things to worry about: food and shelter. The rich, on the other hand, have all manner of things to occupy their fearful minds. (My paraphrase)
Perseverance is central to James 1. To persevere in the hope of a good end will lead to eternal reward, the author writes.

Viktor E. Frankl, Holocaust survivor, psychologist, author of Man’s Search for Meaning has written, “The last of human freedoms [is] the ability to chose one’s attitude in a given set of circumstances.” (https://www.brainyquote.com/authors/viktor_e_frankl) Persevering in hope, honouring Christ’s plea to love—no matter what—seems to be the best we can do. And it’s what we Christians strive to do.

Thank you James, whoever you may be.








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