As we continue to memorize verses in James 1 together, James begins to talk about the value of steadfastness. We go through various trials and confess that we are not in control, but God is. James doesn’t say that if we confess this, then God will take away the trial, but instead James says, “let steadfastness have its full effect. . . .”
And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. – James 1:4-5
In other words, the trial may remain. You don’t know how long it will remain, but it will. Now this may not sound encouraging to you because we usually want to get out of trials quickly. Going through trials to produce steadfastness is something that is completely opposite of what we want when we are in the midst of thinking life is out of control. God says that he’s actually working in such a way that the trial will lead to wholeness. How can this be? Well, James already alluded to it in last week’s passage. God is testing our faith. Meaning, God is calling us to admit and confess that we’re not in control, but instead Jesus is in control. We depend on him for everything! James reveals that as we depend on him, we realize that our life is not found in anything other than Jesus himself.
My hope is that you would seek Him this week, and that as we gather together as believers this Sunday, we would be reminded of the fact that Jesus is our life. I hope that our trust in Jesus and the gospel will be bolstered this week as we realize that Jesus’ life, death and resurrection causes us to know that we can endure. The fact that he’s coming again gives us confidence that we will be made perfect when we see him face to face!