The apostle Paul writes these beautiful words found in Romans 8:17 as he explains that if we have placed our faith in Christ, we are God’s children: “Since we are His children, we are His heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory.” There is no adequate word in the English language to fully describe how wonderful and life-changing this truth from Scripture is. Indeed, the fact that if we have placed our faith in Christ, we are children of God, and therefore heirs who will experience eternal life with God forever, makes all the difference for us. There is more to this verse, however, that we have to consider. You see, Paul continues, writing in verse 17, “But if we are to share His glory, we must also share in His suffering.” Paul reminds us in this verse that while here on earth, we will face suffering. You see, suffering is part of living in this world that has been corrupted by sin. I do not have to convince you of this truth. You have experienced it in your own life, and you have seen your loved ones face great suffering, too. Despite this bleak truth, we are not hopeless if we have placed our faith in Christ. You see, the promise we can claim throughout Scripture is that, even in our hard times, God works in us to make us more and more like Him.
We are reminded in James chapter 1 that God uses our difficulties and trials to grow us. After writing the opening statement, in which he named himself as the author of this book of the Bible and “Jewish believers scattered abroad” as the audience of this book of the Bible, James immediately addressed trials and suffering (verse 1). He likely began this letter addressing suffering and trials because the Jewish believers to whom he was writing were “scattered abroad” due to the persecution of Christians that was taking place. To these Jewish believers who were facing persecution for their faith, James wrote, “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy” (verse 2). Notice the words “of any kind” in this teaching from James. When any time of hardship, trouble, or difficulty arises, James told the Jewish believers (and us) to consider any trial they faced as “an opportunity for great joy.” Now, I do not know about you, but I do not naturally consider trials and suffering of any kind as opportunities for joy. I am sure the Jewish believers did not naturally consider their suffering as opportunities for joy either. And yet, that is exactly what James told the Jewish believers (and us) to do. Why? He explained why next, saying, “You know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow” (verse 3). Why did James say that Christ followers ought to look for joy amidst our pain and suffering? The difficulties we walk through, as challenging as they may be, help us grow. Growth, by the way, is no small thing. Growth is critical for strengthening our faith and becoming more and more like Christ.
Only God can take our deepest pain and struggles and bring about spiritual growth, making us reflect Christ, whom we love and serve. What difficulty are you facing right now? Maybe the struggle you are facing seems small, or maybe you are walking through a heartbreaking trial right now. May you take comfort in the truth that God wastes nothing. He is working in you, growing you, and strengthening you even now. The growth God does in your life will have a lasting impact.
Pull out your journal now and reflect by writing down your answers to these questions. Take a moment now to look back on a past trial that you faced. How did God use that trial to grow you and develop your faith? How does the reminder of what God did within you during that difficulty impact how you will walk through and face your present struggle or trial? When you are finished, write out a prayer of thanksgiving to God for how He walks with us and grows us, even throughout the trials we face.
“God, as I remember how You worked in my life through trials and difficulties, I thank You for…”
1This letter is from James, a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I am writing to the “twelve tribes”—Jewish believers scattered abroad.
Greetings!
2 Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. 3 For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. 4 So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. 6 But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 7 Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.
9 Believers who are poor have something to boast about, for God has honored them. 10 And those who are rich should boast that God has humbled them. They will fade away like a little flower in the field. 11 The hot sun rises and the grass withers; the little flower droops and falls, and its beauty fades away. In the same way, the rich will fade away with all of their achievements.
12 God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. 13 And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. 14 Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. 15 These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.
16 So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. 18 He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.
19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. 20 Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. 21 So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.
22 But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. 23 For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror. 24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. 25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.
26 If you claim to be religious but don’t control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless. 27 Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you.
