Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. 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. James 1:2-4 MSG

My fellow believers, when it seems as though you are facing nothing but difficulties, see it as an invaluable opportunity to experience the greatest joy that you can! For you to know that when your faith is tested it stirs up in you the power of endurance. And then as your endurance grows even stronger, it will release perfection into every part of your being until there is nothing missing and nothing lacking. James 1:2-4 TPT

Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations. Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith brings endurance and steadfastness and patience. But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4 AMPC

What connects trials and patience (power of endurance)? steadfastness or perseverance? Why count it all joy? An opportunity for faith assessment. Why would anything be tried? To test the quality of its performance (if mechanical), of its worth (for genuineness), of its confession (the seed in Matthew 13:20-22 — by persecution, cares of this world and deceitfulness of riches)

• One ends in offense (deny faith, loss of faith (Matthew 13:21)
• One ends in unfruitfulness (Matthew 13:22; 2 Peter 1:8), didn’t deny the faith but barren and unfruitful, cut off as the Lord implied in John 15

Requirement for self-examination

• that I am still in the faith (2 Corinthians 13:5-14)
• diligence to make my calling sure (2 Peter 1:10)

Every and all trials or difficulties are an opportunity to test the genuineness and quality of your faith. Such opportunity should be an occasion for joy, circumstances not withstanding that I am alive and strong in fellowship with the Lord.

Have trials, temptations, cares of this life drained out the life of Christ in you? Paul testified of such experiences in summary in 2 Corinthians 1:8-9.

Brothers and sisters, you need to know about the severe trials we experienced while we were in western Turkey. All of the hardships we passed through crushed us beyond our ability to endure, and we were so completely overwhelmed that we were about to give up entirely. It felt like we had a death sentence written upon our hearts, and we still feel it to this day. It has taught us to lose all faith in ourselves and to place all of our trust in the God who raises the dead. He has rescued us from terrifying encounters with death. And now we fasten our hopes on him to continue to deliver us from death yet again. 2 Corinthians 1:8-10 (TPT)

Shalom.


Pastor Afolabi Oladele