Enjoy Your Trials

Enjoy your Trials

James 1:2–4 Consider it a great joy, my brothers, when you experience various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 But endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.

The Point: By applying God’s wisdom to life’s trials we will find joy and grow spiritually.

I. Trials can bring joy vs 2

A. Trials are a part of life vs 2

1. “Consider” is an imperative – do it NOW once and for all!

2. “great joy” to count up each aspect of “Joy”

2 Corinthians 7:4 I am acting with great boldness toward you; I have great pride in you; I am filled with comfort. In all our affliction, I am overflowing with joy.

1 Thess 1:6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit,

B. We will all face trials vs 2

1. “When” It’s not “if” trials come but WHEN they come

2. “Trials” means any kind of struggle because of “life issues”

II. Trials can lead to spiritual maturity vs 3-4

A. “knowing…the testing of your faith produces endurance” vs 3

1. “knowing” – knowing based on the result of an experiment

2. “testing” – process of refining gold, removing of impurities

3. “endurance” – staying power

B. “Endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete…” vs 4

1. “complete work” is when God has completed working on you

2. “mature and complete” – perfectly mature.

Often we ask, “why is God letting this happen to me?”

The answers:

1. We are not perfect we need to change and grow.

2. We have unconfused sin

3. We have areas where we need to grow.

Application:

1. Prepare for trials they will come.

2. When facing a trial ask God what impurities He is trying to remove from you.

3. Enjoy your trials; they are evidence that God isn’t done with you.