James writes: ‘Be glad, even if you have a lot of trouble. You know that you learn to endure by having your faith tested. But you must learn to endure everything, so that you will be completely mature and not lacking in anything’ (vv. 2-4). Trouble isn’t something we’re usually glad to have. In fact, we probably try and avoid it, or pray for it to end quickly. When life brings us to a low, we can become low with it and get tired waiting for a good season to come along. How often do we begin to question God’s goodness and nearness? How often do we end up asking God ‘why’? But James tells us that through tough times we gain endurance and spiritual maturity. The same thought appears in Romans: ‘We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next’ (5:3-4 MSG). Our faith grows when it is put to the test. Tough times require us to really trust God and lean on Him for support. We start to realise that we can’t control everything, and that, ultimately, God’s the One in control. We may not get answers to our ‘why’s’ but what we will get, if we ask, is a ‘how’. God will show us how He can use the situation we’re in to develop us into who He‘s created us to be. So when we’re facing trouble, let’s not become discouraged and frustrated but instead keep focused on what God can do through it.
