OVERCOMING PART 4 - TRIALS

“My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.” (James 1:2–3)

Trials are one of life’s certainties. No one escapes them. Some trials come suddenly—a diagnosis, a job loss, a betrayal. Others linger—a chronic illness, financial strain, broken relationships. For many, trials raise the questions: “Why me? Why now? Why this?”

But the Bible approaches trials from an entirely different perspective. James 1:2 tells us to “count it all joy.” That phrase often seems impossible at first glance. How can we rejoice in the midst of pain? Yet this passage reveals that trials are not random accidents but divine appointments designed to refine faith.

Modern psychology agrees that adversity shapes resilience. A 2021 study in Frontiers in Psychology found that people who endured hardship but leaned on faith and community demonstrated greater long-term well-being than those who avoided challenges altogether. The Bible said it first: trials work patience, experience, and hope (Romans 5:3–4).

James writes to scattered believers facing persecution. Their livelihoods, safety, and even lives were at stake. Into that context, he declares:

• “Count it all joy” – The Greek word hegeomai means “to lead, consider, or deem.” Joy is not the automatic response; it is the chosen perspective. We do not rejoice in the pain, but we rejoice through the pain, knowing what it produces.

• “Divers temptations” – Not limited to temptation toward sin, but encompassing “trials of many kinds”—physical, emotional, spiritual.

• “Trying of your faith” – Trials are tests, not to destroy faith but to prove its genuineness. Like gold tested by fire (1 Peter 1:7), faith is purified under pressure.

• “Worketh patience” – The Greek hupomone means endurance, steadfastness, the ability to remain under the weight without breaking.

  
  

Thus, trials are not punishments but processes. They are the classrooms where God develops endurance, maturity, and stability.

• There is reassurance in situations, circumstances, yes trials — one way or another they will work out for good, Romans 8:28 tells us "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” We were never told all things workout good or all things are good, not once does the verse say this, it simple states “all things work together for good”. Some times, this “good”, is for those watching us.

• Trials produce beauty, praise and glory to the Lord Jesus Christ:  1 Peter 1:7 “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:”

• Even in the midst of our trials, in comparison to what is on the other side  they are considered light and mild: 2 Corinthians 4:17 “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;” 

Charles Spurgeon famously said: “I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages.” Trials, like waves, may seem violent, but they ultimately press us closer to Christ.

Consider Job. He lost wealth, health, and family, yet declared, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” (Job 13:15). In the end, his trial revealed the steadfastness of faith that comforted generations.

In modern times, we see this truth echoed. Joni Eareckson Tada, paralysed as a teenager, has spent her life ministering to others with disabilities. She once wrote: “God permits what He hates to accomplish what He loves.” Her trial became her testimony.

The Nature of Trials

Trials can affect every part of life:

• Physically – illness, weakness, or pain.

• Emotionally – grief, loneliness, betrayal.

• Spiritually – doubt, dryness, or attacks from the enemy.

Yet each trial comes with divine purpose. Without rain, the ground never produces fruit; without resistance, the muscle never grows stronger; without trials, faith never matures.

How to Overcome Trials

1. By Adjusting Perspective

   
   

   James says “count it joy.” Joy is not denial of pain but recognition of purpose. See the trial not as meaningless suffering but as meaningful shaping.

   
   

2. By Anchoring in God’s Promises

   
   

   Romans 8:18 reminds us: “The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Trials are temporary; glory is eternal.

   
   

3. By Depending on God’s Strength

   
   

   Paul testified in 2 Corinthians 12:9 that God’s strength is made perfect in weakness. In trials, we learn dependence like never before.

   
   

4. By Remembering God’s Faithfulness

   
   

   Looking back at past deliverances fuels faith in present struggles. David faced Goliath with courage because he remembered God’s help with the lion and the bear (1 Samuel 17:37).

Trials are all around us. Families breaking apart. Young adults crushed by academic pressure. Parents weary from financial stress. The world seeks relief through escape—alcohol, entertainment, or avoidance. But Christians are called to perseverance, not escapism.

Research from the American Journal of Psychiatry (2020) showed that individuals who engaged in regular faith practices reported greater resilience during crises compared to those who relied only on secular coping mechanisms. The Word of God, prayer, and fellowship with believers are not mere comforts—they are survival strategies in the storms of life.

Practical Steps to Face Trials

• Pray honestly. The Psalms show us that crying out is not weakness but worship.

• Seek counsel. Proverbs 11:14 reminds us there is safety in a multitude of counsellors.

• Stay connected to the body. Trials often tempt isolation, but Hebrews 10:25 calls us to fellowship.

• Remember the end. Every trial is temporary; eternity makes today’s burden lighter.

Our Closing Challenge

Trials are not enemies but instruments. They are not detours but directions toward maturity. The fire that tests your faith will not consume you; it will refine you.

“Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.” – Kahlil Gibran