James 1:1-11

Be Still: God of Wisdom, please guide my reading by your Spirit. Speak to me today.

Read: James 1:1-11

'Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.' (v2-4)

Encounter: Today we find ourselves in the book of James. The book is thought to be written by a man called (surprisingly) James who was a brother of Jesus and a key leader in the early church.

James jumps straight into his letter with what seems quite a jarring statement - he tells us to 'consider it pure joy … whenever you face trials of many kinds.' Pure joy when we face trials? What?!

I think this is one of those verses we can easily misread. James isn’t saying 'look at the trial and feel happy.'  He’s not asking us to go for fake positivity, suppress negative emotions or pretend everything is amazing. Trials are rubbish! They’re sad and hard and painful! James would have known that too - he would have faced years of persecution and was martyred not long after he wrote this.

Instead, James is inviting us to consider trials from a new perspective. This new perspective is about looking for what we can learn about God and ourselves in these trials. It’s about seeing where we’re growing in perseverance. It’s about knowing that these trials help us to be 'complete, not lacking anything.'

Apply: Are you going through trials at the moment? Or do you know someone who is? Pray for yourself or for someone else that they will be able to 'consider it pure joy.' Pray that by the power of the Spirit, they will be able to adopt a new perspective on the trials. Remember that we don’t need to force joy - it is a fruit of the Spirit which means it's what we get when we’re full of the Spirit. Ask Jesus for his joy and his perspective on the trials.

Devote: Jesus, source of joy, fill me with your joy today! Help me to experience your joy, bring your joy and choose your joy even in the trials of life. Shift my perspective to align with yours today.