“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.” (James 1:2-3)
James’ words can be very reassuring, and he opens his letter with this encouragement. He probably knew firsthand about troubles since Jesus’ family and followers would have endured a lot of heartache and fear following Jesus’ death and resurrection. They would have been very open to attack for their faith.
Context (James 1:2-18): What a great chapter for us, even though it was originally written for James’ Jewish brothers and sisters scattered abroad. It’s all about faith and endurance. James tells us how to approach God, what being faithful looks like, how easy it is to fall into bad habits, and how God rewards our faithfulness. Continue reading “James 1:2-3 – Being Tested”