trials, temptations, pleasure and pain

I’ve been feeding on James chapter 1 the past several days. It’s a challenging passage for folks who find themselves in the midst of hardship. James draws a distinction between “testing,” which comes from God, develops perseverance and maturity, and leads to life, and “temptation,” which comes from our own evil desires, gives birth to sin, and leads to death. One way to summarize the difference between the two would be: testing is God’s gracious nudge toward life by way of refining pain, while temptation is my sinful nature dragging me toward death by way of twisted pleasures.

It’s clear that this passage doesn’t teach that pain is good and pleasure is bad. James invites believers into joy, which is the most profound expression of pleasure. He reminds us that all good and perfect gifts come from our heavenly Father. However, it seems that James is concerned with the possibility that his brothers and sisters in Christ are missing out on the enjoyment of God’s good gifts. That may be because they are unable to recognize the gift when it comes their way.

Unfortunately, I think that I often pray for and expect God to provide the kinds of gifts that will tempt me to delight in something other than Him: material comforts, financial security, uncomplicated relationships, physical health. I may be surprised and disappointed when He doesn’t supply in one of these arenas, particularly when I have prayed a lot about it. Sometimes, instead of receiving comfort and relief from the Lord, I find myself inexplicably in the midst of trial.

It is at moments like these that James suggests I remember the generosity of God; and in particular, the generous way in which He gives me wisdom when I ask for it. How do I consider it joy when I face trials of many kinds? I go to my Father and ask Him to show me what He’s up to. “What are you doing in my life through this, Lord?” This is a prayer that the Lord delights to answer. He loves to give me light in the midst of the storm; not necessarily removing the pain, but rather supplying the kind of discernment that helps me to see His gracious hand at work.

So, God’s wisdom teaches me to see His goodness in the midst of my grief. I think that one of the most effective witnesses to the transforming power of the gospel is that of the person who, walking in the grace that only God supplies, manifests the joy of the Lord as he suffers.

I try to avoid criticism in this blog, unless it relates to my own prideful self. But, I can’t help but mention before closing that the teaching of James seems to fly in the face of the “prosperity gospel.” I invite you to view a brief clip of John Piper’s comments on this topic by clicking on the link below.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ukcV-xtU3hc