James 1:3

06:09

James 1:3 Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance (NIV)

The testing of your faith develops perseverance. So what, exactly, is testing and perseverance then? Well, according to the Oxford English dictionary, testing means difficult and the verb, to test, means:

test1

• noun 1 a procedure intended to establish the quality, performance, or reliability of something. 2 a short examination of proficiency or knowledge. 3 a means of testing something. 4 a difficult situation that reveals the strength or quality of someone or something. 5 an examination of part of the body or a body fluid for medical purposes. 6 Chemistry a procedure for identifying a substance or revealing whether it is present. 7 a test match.

• verb 1 subject to a test. 2 touch or taste before proceeding further. 3 try severely; tax (a person’s endurance or patience).

So to me, testing is not a case of sitting an exam, of seeing if I have passed, or got a particular grade. Instead, testing means seeing how strong something is, what the quality is like how it reacts under stress. How will you ever know how strong your faith really is if only good things happen to you? If you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth, if you always have enough money, have a nice house, good clothes, pots of money in the bank, a wonderful marriage, well behaved and intelligent children, and never have a days illness? It is when the bad things happen, when life hits with a vengeance, that you really know just what you are made of and whether you really do believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God who died on the cross to save each and every one of us and that He is now seated in heaven at the right hand of the Father.

Look again at the definition for test. In chemistry, a test is a procedure for identifying a substance or revealing whether it is present. So the tests we go through identify or reveal whether faith is really present in our lives.

Trust also means a difficult situation that reveals the strength or quality of someone or something. The tests we go through show us (and others) what our faith is made of and whether it stands up in the face of opposition or when things don't work out the way we want or expect. It demonstrates the quality and strength of our faith.

Remember the parable of the sower (Matthew 13:1-23) when some of the seed was thrown onto a footpath, some fell on rocky ground, other seeds fell amongst the thorns and some seeds fell on good ground? The seed that fell on the footpath represents those people who hear about Jesus but don't understand it and the enemy comes and snatches it away. The seed that fell on the rocky ground represents those who hear the message, receive it with joy but do not have deep roots. When times of trouble come, or they are persecuted for their faith they turn away. The seed that fell in the thorns is the people who hear the word but it gets crowded out of their lives by the cares and worries of this world, by the desire for wealth and other things. The seed that fell on the good soil, however, represents those who truly hear and understand God's word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, even one hundred times as mush as had been planted. It is when the times of testing come that you will know whether the seed has been planted on good soil, a footpath, rocky ground or in thorns.

So where has the seed been planted in you? When you face problems in life, do you get down on your knees and pray, turn to God? Or do you look to man, try and sort things out yourself, believe God is punishing you for some wrongdoing, or turn against God because bad things are happening and you thought you would lead a charmed life once you became a Christian? As the saying goes, the proof of the pudding in in the eating.

And as for perseverance:

persevere

• verb continue in a course of action in spite of difficulty or lack of success.

— DERIVATIVES perseverance noun.

— ORIGIN Latin perseverare ‘abide by strictly’.

-perseverance

• suffix forming nouns: 1 denoting a quality or state: perseverance. 2 denoting an action: utterance.

— ORIGIN French, from Latin -antia, -entia.

This means carrying on believing in Jesus regardless of everything that is happening, trusting in Him no matter what we are going through, whether we have money in the bank, full health, a roof over our heads, clothes to wear, food to eat or not. Continuing to believe even when we seem to be getting nowhere and everything is going wrong.

The Message translates this verse as:

You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colours. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.

Woah! Isn't that amazing? Our faith life is forced out into the open and shows its true colours. Times of testing are times when we can allow our faith to grow, when we really show what we are made of, what we believe in, and it is a witness and encouragement to others.

So what do we do when trials come, when the time of testing seems never ending and there is no light at the end of the tunnel? When life seems unbearable, when it is just one problem after another, yet another set back or hurdle to overcome, we know we can take it all to God. God is there right by our side no matter what we are going through, no matter how hard life is. We need to hand everything over to God, to trust in Him even when things seem impossible, and then to turn our eyes on Jesus, to fix our sight on the truth.

The trials we face strengthen us as Christians. They demonstrate to ourselves, and to others, exactly what we are made of and show up our faith for what it really is. Do we really stand on the Rock, under the shelter of the Lord God Almighty, in the shadow of His wings? Or do we flit here and there, trying out this faith, this religion, this idea, until we find one that we are comfortable with , one that lets us do everything we want to do without fear of criticism? After all, everyone has a right to be happy, a chance at life, a shot at the best things, don't they? So why not follow a religion that lets us be happy, use those drugs, sleep around, take what we want, when we want? Ignore the bad things in life, concentrate on what we want and everyone else can go hang themselves. God helps those who help themselves so go for it, don't worry about the next man because he can look after himself.

If you are truly a believer in Jesus, you will know that He is the only way to God. No other religion, no matter how good it sounds, how believable it is, how logical, how promising can ever lead you to God. Jesus said "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6).

Which way are you going?