City Life Starter

I. The Word: James 1:2-4

2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

Additional Audio Resource

I travel often by plane, especially those grueling long-haul flights (10+ hours) to my destination.  After years of traveling, I have learned that air travel is one of the safest ways to travel, much safer than driving.  Though it might be the safest method of traveling, there is a downside of traveling by air, turbulence.  I have had my fair share of turbulence that makes me to tighten up my seat belt, hold onto the armrest and start praying for Jesus to intervene.  Turbulence can occur during the flight that can make you wonder if you will ever make it to your destination.  I have been on some flights that had turbulence the whole duration of traveling.  After experiencing some serious turbulence, I had do some research on turbulence but more importantly on planes.

The companies that produce commercial airlines such as Boeing & Airbus conduct important test called “stress test,” applying various pressure on the plane to ensure the structure integrity.  These intense tests can last days and months to ensure the safety of the planes that will carry tens of thousands of travelers during the plane’s lifetime.  After discovering that the plane I am on went through various stress test to ensure the structure integrity, it brought some comfort in air travel.  (Video Below)

In today’s text, James writes to his readers about facing various trials.  James, the brother of Jesus was responsible for believers in Jerusalem.  These were Jewish believers, who left Judaism in order to worship Jesus Christ. They faced not only persecution from Romans, but from fellow Jews who considered them as traitors and followers of a false messiah.  It is to these faithful believers James is writing and encouraging to face and endure trials.  

During life as a Christian, there are seasons of turbulence that will rock your core, where you will start to wonder if you will ever make it through it.  It is also a time of discovery, a season to discover who you are and whom do you trust.  Moreover, trials are inevitable. Every person who calls on the name of the Lord will face various trials.  If you believe or were taught that genuine Christianity offers a worry-free life, comfort, and blessings, this is not the message of the Gospel.  We see Jesus in the Gospel, going to the cross and dying on our behalf.  Would this be considered worry-free, comforting, and a blessed life?  

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Hebrews 12:2

Our Lord and Savior endured the cross, despising shame for you and I, “for the joy that was set before Him.”  Joy on the cross?  He fully understood that if He went to cross to die on our behalf, in the future, you and I will come to Him and receive salvation.  

When you are going through trials, it is difficult to see the end, much less to be aware of what is happening to your spiritual body.  What these trials are doing is applying grueling stress (some time to the point of breaking) to produce men & women who will be able to endure and patiently wait for the final reward.  How is your spiritual structure integrity?  Are you able to handle the grueling stress of trials and tribulations?  If you are going through trials today, know that you will make through it, that there is an end, even if you don’t see it now.  I would like to encourage you to embrace the process, that though you might not like it, please know that the process of going through a trial is producing in you character and integrity, molding and shaping you to become more like Jesus!  JY