James 1:1-4 (NLT) This 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! Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

First things first–Which James wrote this book? There are three people mentioned in the New Testament who might fill the bill of being the author. James, the brother of John, could have written it before he was killed with a sword at the direction of Herod. However, the timing would seem a bit off because the letter is written to the Jewish believers who were dispersed because of persecution. James, son of Alphaeus, who was an apostle among the twelve main disciples, could have written it. It is thought that he very likely would have named himself as an apostle, but he should not be completely discounted as the author. The most likely candidate is James, brother of Jesus, who became a leader in the Jerusalem church and was instrumental in the council held in Jerusalem concerning the gentile believers.

To whom is this letter written?–To the Jewish believers who had fled from Jerusalem because of the persecution against them that followed the killing of James, brother of John. They dispersed into several areas surrounding Israel, especially along the eastern Mediterranean Sea and areas north-northeast of Israel.

Finally, what does the letter discuss?–Although the book contains many teachings concerning how to live as a follower of Jesus, I have selected five primary topics: Responding to Troubles; Dealing with Other People; Proving We Have Faith in Jesus; Humility; Self-Control. We’ll cover these, as well as other teachings, during this study.

Now for Lesson #1–Responding to Troubles (Part 1)

“…when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.” Who in their right mind would say that? In this case, someone who considers himself a slave to God and to Jesus. A slave would do whatever his/her master commanded. A slave’s job is to do whatever the will of the master is. A slave will deliver any message the master sends. This slave is making a statement at the direction of the Holy Spirit. James is relaying the message that the response to trouble is to be joy.

First, the troubles. We know what those are–bad times, problems, persecutions, afflictions, tests, trials. We all run into troubles from time to time. No person is exempt from troubles. So successfully dealing with troubles is not going to be based on who your are. Rather, successfully dealing with troubles is going to be based on how you approach the trouble, on your attitude about the reality that you are facing some problem.

Now, the joy. How in the world can we have an attitude of joy when facing problems? And why are we able to have such an attitude. Why would James tell the scattered Jews to respond to troubles with joy?

The apparent answers lie in the next verse. When our faith is tested (troubles), our endurance (KJV = Patience) has a chance to grow. Not only does it have an opportunity to grow, as it grows and becomes fully developed, we become mature and complete and will lack nothing.

Let’s see if we can sort this out. Troubles put us in a position to become more able to deal with life because, as we have to deal with and overcome them, we develop the additional endurance or patience we will need in the future times of trials and problems. We mature and become fully developed through–are you ready for this?–the hard times we have to face in life.

No hard times = no endurance = no maturity. It has been my observation that lack of maturity results in people becoming self-centered, self-serving, childish and rude. Therefore, facing troubles and allowing our patience to grow prevents us from being filled with those negative character attributes. And for that, one can be thankful, even joyful.

Think for a moment back to a problem or trial you had to face in the past. Did you survive the problem? Did you learn how not to make the same mistake again? Did you have your faith in God’s ability to guide you strengthened? Were you able to gain some wisdom that helped you to handle another test later on in your life? Were you able to share what you learned with someone else who had to face the same trial, and you were able to help that person in a hard time? If you can answer “YES” to these questions, then you can be thankful and joyful.

The problem helped you develop into a wiser, more capable person. Your faith matured and your endurance was strengthened, too, because of facing and dealing with the trouble. You are a better person today because of the test you passed. You can have joy because of the trial’s effect on your life.

Have you ever met someone who seemed to keep their joyful, positive attitude regardless of what life threw at them? That person has developed the maturity needed to remain joyful in all circumstances. Hard knocks don’t destroy their joy. They rely on God to help them overcome troubles and give Him glory when He does that. They remain joyful because they know they don’t have to face trials and tests alone.

You can have that type of joy, too. Place your trust in the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Ask Him to help you deal with adversity when it comes. As you overcome troubles, learn from your mistakes and help others avoid those same mistakes if you have the chance to do that. Thank God that you are growing more mature and better able to deal troubles.

We’re all facing a serious trial right now. People are becoming sick at an alarming rate, and too many are dying from a virus. We see shortages in grocery stores, long lines waiting outside businesses because managers have placed a limit on how many people can be inside at one time, and there are big “x-es” on floors marking six foot distances.

This trial we face today is giving us an opportunity to have our patience and endurance increased. Let’s take advantage of this opportunity to practice treating our neighbors like we want to be treated. Let’s be patient with business owners and service workers who are overloaded with little rest. Let’s purposefully endure this hardship so we can better deal with whatever life throws at us next. Let’s make up our minds to keep our joy in spite of all the negative news we hear. This is a chance for us to grow in maturity and in our faith.

In our next lesson, we will take a brief look at responses to trials that do not bring growth because they do not take advantage of the opportunity to have our endurance increased.

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