Becoming Mature

All across America, students have taken some form of end of the year testing, to gauge what they have learned over the course of the year. Here in Tennessee, we titled our test TNready, it was supposedly designed to follow the curriculum that teachers in the state taught. While I am sure everyone has opinions about high stakes testing, that is not what I am here to discuss.

The book of James, was writtten to Jewish believers who were undergoing almost double persecution. First they were being perseucuted along with all the other Christians, whom Rome had convinced itself they were political dissentents and out to overthrow Rome. Secondly, when they left Judaism they were thrown out of the Synagogues, lost property, and were treated as dead by their own families. They were in the midst of testing, I guess it could be termed RUready testing! 

 Let’s look at James Chaper 1 

1 James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings.

2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Do you see the words, the encouragement, the admission that we are going to be tested???

Let’s take this message apart.

First he tells the belivers to see testing as joy! I know growing up in school and later in college, I never, NEVER looked forward to testing, and I can say as an adult, I don’t like tests and trials. Yet James tells me to consider it all joy when I encounter various trials. The Aramaic Bible renders it “Regard it as all joy” So what is the lesson here? First when we are in the midst of testing, our attitude during the test is VERY important. Remember Paul said in Philippians 5:18 “In everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” Honestly do we give thanks, and worship in the midst of our testing? Secondly he reminds us that our emotions are more of a choice than we like to admit. We can choose to be happy, or choose to be angry, we get to choose, but mostly we allow the enemy to choose for us. 

Verse 3 tells us that our tests build up our endurance and patience. I have learned asking for patience is always answered by something that requires patience. In the same way as we go through trials and tests, it is supposed to build up our ability to endure and fight the good fight of faith. We live in the "I want it now" mentality. With no exercise diets, get rich quick, and a plethora of other shortcuts to the things we want now. So when God brings a trial in our lives, many can't make it through because they haven't got the patience or endurance to run to the end. This has caused a Christianity that is incapable of fighting or standing.

So far James has told us to regard our trials as joy and allow them to build up endurance and patience. There is a third reason that trials are necessary in our spiritual experience is that they mature us and equip us. Today's world needs believers that are mature and able to represent the Kingdom of God with all of its power, yet we have too many believers fighting, giving up, or living a gospel that is focused only on the stuff of this world. Maturity brings a different point of view especially in the realm of wants versus needs. Children or childish people want everything they see, regardless if it really meets the needs in their life. Mature people don't live for the stuff, but just what they need to live life. Its amazing how our ideas change as we get older. Now a good book, a quiet place to read and time alone with God, means more to me than a trip to any amusement park.

As we end this brief rendering of these verses, take some time today and ask God what is He saying to you. Read these verses for yourself, and allow God to open them up to you in a powerful way.

Grace and peace be multiplied to you.
Eric
pastorstansberry@gmail.com