The “testing of your faith produces endurance” (James 1:3). God is using situations around us to apply pressure to us and our faith. Some of us think we’ll grow spiritually by reading something and understanding it. But the fruit of the Spirit, the outcome of His work, perfects us by outward pressures brought to bear on our faith.
The Spirit knows all of our weak points. He knows what pressures are necessary and where to apply them, like the sculptor applying the chisel where it will form the vision in his mind. If we bail out at the first signs of trouble, if we do not trust God through it, the fruit does not grow, the image of God is left unfinished.
When we continue to trust the Lord in the midst of our struggles, then we partner with God for His fruit to develop. We believe what He says in spite of what we think and feel, and He works in the life.
Persevering through difficulty doesn’t grow by reading books. Enduring our hardships comes from understanding what God is trying to create in us, and knowing how He brings it about. God explains all this in the Word. It means accepting the Lord’s way and timing, and trusting Him to bring it to a good end.
We won’t lay down our lives for Jesus merely by reading about it. We cannot by our ability love our neighbor to the depth God wants us to. With man this is impossible. God has to do it, and He forms our character in troubles.
For instance, we don’t become patient instantly upon hearing about it. So God goes to work. We’ll go through trials and we’ll respond in ways we shouldn’t, and act rashly. Right there, the trial has exposed an enemy in our soul. We found an enemy that prevents us from being patient, something to repent of, to watch against. Perhaps some selfishness, hidden rebellion, a lack of love for the neighbor, or simply not believing God.
If we learned our lesson, then we may weather the trial better next time. We will know what to believe God for next time because we continued in His Word, which led us to trust Him.
We don’t directly walk into hardships; this broken world will stomp on us without our help. Nevertheless, we can volunteer for duties that get us out of our comfort zone. That work can force us to look to God alone.
Wise parents can put pressures on their children by giving them reasonable commandments and duties. This will test them and help them see where they are weak and need to trust the Lord.
In this sanctifying process, He turns the tables on our troubles. We thought they were against us. Instead, God uses them to train us. So James 1:2 tells us to “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials.” What used to leave a bad taste in our mouths now builds an anticipation for what the Lord is going to do to mold and shape us for His glory.
What is the aim of all this testing of our faith with trials? Jesus summed up all the laws of God simply. It is to love the Lord with our whole being and love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40). If we have tensions because of the people around us, let this word of Jesus sum up what is wrong with our faith. Our character of love to God and neighbor needs further formation.
Let all hatred go. Let forgiveness reign. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7). This is the kingdom of God lived out in the world. God is love, and in deeds of unselfishness by His Spirit we reflect our God to others in the midst of our hardships. This is the fruit the Spirit forms in us. It doesn’t come easily.
With experience in this kind of spiritual warfare, we discover first-hand God’s work in our lives, and find Him faithful. Over time, trials are not as troubling as before.
This is why God needs to build an endurance based on trusting Him. Small troubles and large can distract us and stall our spiritual growth. These very trials are flipped and applied for His glory. Let us say with the Psalmist in difficult times,
"Why are you in despair, O my soul?
And why have you become disturbed within me?
Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him
For the help of His presence" (Psalm 42:5).
Stay in the Word. Note the Christ-like traits the Spirit wants to create in you. Pay attention to what goes wrong when you are under pressure. Face the truth about yourself, and surrender afresh.
Be watchful when you feel the pressure building, and switch to a full-on prayer assault. In all this, you are partnering with the Lord to become the person of God you aspire to be in your community and family.
