Pursuing His Will

“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

Here in this passage, James is telling us to be joyous when we are faced with trials. He is saying that we are to be joyous because the testing of our faith produces steadfastness. To be honest here, whenever I am faced with a trial, I am not exactly counting it as joyous. In fact, I don’t ever recall counting my trial as a joyous situation. But by reading this verse, I realize that trials can be a good thing.

James goes on to explain that by counting trials as good, we are to let steadfastness have its full effect. Some of you might be thinking, What is James saying to us here? What does he mean by steadfastness?, and some of you might already know what he means! Steadfastness means to be patient, reliable, and faithful to the end. James is saying that when we endure trials we need to be reliable and faithful till the end, in order that we may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

When I think of what James says, “in order that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing,” I don’t necessarily think he is telling us to be perfect. And in all truthfulness and honesty, perfection is something that we as sinful human beings cannot gain! Yes, James wants us to be joyful in times of  trial, and it indeed produces steadfastness; but he instructs us to let steadfastness have its full effect. So, what does he mean by, “let steadfastness have its full effect?” Well, I believe that James is communicating that we need to allow steadfastness into our heart and soul.

Lets remember that steadfastness means to be patient, reliable, and faithful. In order to let steadfastness have its full effect, we must first be patient. We need to recognize that God’s timing is always the best timing. So, be patient, because when He feels that your trial should be dealt with, He will handle it! I promise he will, if you are patient! Second and finally, we have got to be reliable and faithful. We have got to be reliable people if we want steadfastness to take over. Being reliable, not just towards other people, but being reliable for God.

Most importantly, we must be faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ! The God head, three in one, our maker, our creator, our savior. Being faithful to God is most important. In order to let steadfastness take its full effect during trials, we need to remember that God is in control. No matter what you’re going through, He is in control.

God is with us through our trials, and He promises that He will not give us more than we can handle. If you trust in God, and “count it a joy when you meet trials of various kinds, and let steadfastness take over,” you will get through your trials. Even though it is difficult, with God on your side, He will help you get through it. Trust that God is with you, allow steadfastness to enter your heart and soul, and know that it is all in God’s timing.

Until Then,

Wayde