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We can learn much from James’s teaching. As Christians, we can face great difficulty for our faith, and we face all the difficulties which are common to man. God does not take us out of this world when He saves us and He does not guard us from difficulties. He uses them to give us endurance and to grow us in godliness. Therefore, we must heed these mandates as we traverse the minefields of life on this side of Heaven.

God is the only real source of the wisdom needed to respond in a godly way to the trials of life, and we must approach Him for this wisdom. We must go to Him in prayer and by His word knowing that these are the only true sources for the answers we need to steer through our troubles. James shows that God wants us to confidently and repeatedly come to Him for the answers we desperately require; therefore, we must ask Him in faith without any doubting knowing that He has all the answers.

We learned that we need to submit to God’s will in our trials, because He uses them to conform us to the image of Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18). Our trials are not merely cold circumstances of this cruel world which come upon us by chance. They come from the hand of our sovereign God who loves us deeply and desires our growth in godliness. As we endure suffering, we find our joy in, “fixing our eyes upon Jesus the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joyset before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Hebrews 12:2).

Today, we learned the first imperative in facing trials. We must develop the right attitude toward our trials. The right attitude begins with cultivating joy in the midst of our struggles. This is a settled contentment in every situation, and it starts at the level of our thought life. Trials are inevitable, but finding joy in them is a choice. James says to choose joy when we face unavoidable trials—a joy that can only come from trusting Christ with all our hearts.

What kind of faith do you have? Are you willing to sacrifice everything for Christ? Are you prepared to risk it all for Him? If the thought of laying it all on the line causes you to make excuses because you enjoy your comfortable life, then you should examine yourself. My prayer is that you will take up your cross and follow Christ now so that when you stand before Him at the judgment, you will hear the words “Well done, good and faithful servant,” and that none of you have to hear the words “Depart from me, I never knew you.”

James tells his readers, “You believe God is one. You do well.” You may have confidence in your profession of faith, but confidence does not guarantee salvation. You may have a vast knowledge of spiritual things, but this knowledge will not help you if you have a dead faith.