“Count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
But let patience have its perfect work,
that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
(James 1:2–4, NKJV)
When my children were little we would sometimes eat at McDonald’s, back in the day when the Happy Meal prizes were impressive, even collector’s items. One of those prizes was an Inspector Gadget figurine that was assembled by parts found in various Happy Meals. Each part, such as an arm or a leg, had its own unique function, and when assembled made a complete Inspector Gadget.
James gives us that sort of picture for how the Spirit of God is building us to be like Jesus. Various trials that we encounter in the course of our lives are unique opportunities to contribute to the whole of becoming like Jesus.
That’s why when we face trials of various kinds, intensities, and durations we can consider it all joy. We don’t typically associate hardship with joy, let alone all joy, yet if we know each one is contributing to the whole by God’s handiwork of grace we can rejoice. It’s not unlike the labor pains of a pregnant woman, where her labor pains are accomplishing something she eagerly desires.
The goal of the testing of our faith through trials is that we may be “perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (Jas. 1:4). James could not stress the goal more forcefully. By the Spirit’s sanctifying work, Christ is being formed in us. We are growing in the grace of our Lord Jesus and in the knowledge of Him. We are dying to self and living to Christ. We are decreasing; Christ is increasing.
The outcome of this sanctifying process is our being fully mature in Christ (Matt. 5:48), no longer stumbling (Jas. 3:2), the finished product of God’s handiwork of grace (1 Thess. 5:23). Our growth happens in spurts and often through the hardship of growing pains that continue throughout our lives, to be perfected in glory.
James lays great stress on faith. Trials both prove our faith (to be authentic) and improve our faith (strengthen). Our journey in this world is by faith in our King and His kingdom, and that journey can be an arduous one. Yet the light is not merely at the end of the tunnel; it is with us in the tunnel directing us in the way of righteousness, and dispelling the darkness to give us peace and joy.
It was no easy feat and required a lot of Happy Meals, but we managed to collect all the parts to form a perfect and complete Inspector Gadget. So with us, our God is at work in and through us toward the day His kingdom will be ushered in in fullness, all because Christ reigns.
How is our personal journey qualified by Christ’s kingdom?
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This course will involve self-paced study under the direction of a mentor. Each lesson will feature a video interview related to a book I have written and will include a study guide. Links to books and supporting materials will be provided.
The course is free. Watch for an announcement about the availability of Thy Kingdom Come later this summer.
The featured book for this session of Kingdom Disciplines is A Living Faith: A Devotional Journey through James (Stanley D. Gale, Reformation Heritage Books, 2023). Click here to read a sample devotion.
