James 1:2-3

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness."

The past few weeks I have been focused on this passage.  It's hard to imagine being genuinely happy when you face trials and have difficulty in life.  How can I be happy when I struggle and when I suffer.  What this passage implies is that trials are good, they should be a joyful thing.  How then can this be?

When we face troubles that test our faith this produces steadfastness or as some translations put it perseverance.  That much is clear it says it right there in verse 3, "testing of your faith produces steadfastness".  But it's when we have trials and if we rely on God and see how he works though those trials to his glory that produces stronger faith.

This makes times of easy going and rest, the most dangerous times for faith.  When things are going well and life is cruising along on easy mode, we tend to fall into thinking we are self sufficient, and place less dependence on God.  It is our sinful fallen nature to rely on ourselves, and during times of rest, its far to easy to forget how much we rely on God for all things.

Should we then desire only times of trial and hardship?  Should we despise rest?  No, I don't think that is what James is trying to get his readers to do.  It is clear that James is trying to  communicate the need to rely on God, and it is those time of hardship and trouble when it is clear we don't just need God, we rely on him for absolutely everything.  So when we face trials and hardship we can be joyous knowing that our reliance on God and our faith is being strengthened.