How would you describe your relationship to Jesus today? Here are some options – pick one:

I am a Sunday follower of Jesus– meaning, I attend church once a week, and that’s good enough for me

I am a convenient follower of Jesus– I follow Jesus, but really only when it fits in my schedule

I am a knowledgeable follower of Jesus – I know a lot about Jesus, I have studied the scriptures enough to have an intelligent discussion about him

I am a SERVANT of the LORD JESUS CHRIST – my life has been paid for by Jesus, and my life is completely under his submission – he speaks, I listen and follow

“Because the testing of your faith produces perseverance”- so, the trial is testing your faith – hard things lets us know the actual state of our faith – lets put it another way: The very nature of faith is that it must be tested in order to prove it is faith.We all have faith in something and trials show where our true faith lies –

SELF-RELIANCE- when trial comes, you may rely on intellect or reasoning, so your faith is actually in yourself to figure things out –

FINANCIAL RELIANCE– Maybe you try to buy your way out of trials because you have resources to do so – money can get you out of lots of jams

FRIEND RELIANCE – you have a friend or group that you turn to when things get tough – they provide and prop you up – not a bad thing unless it takes place of Jesus

SUBSTANCE RELIANCE– maybe your go to is alcohol or a drug of some kind – pressure leads you to “take the edge off” by retreating into addiction.

James is advocating here that the reason you can be joyful when hard things happen is because your true measure of faith is being revealed – what SHOULD your faith look like? Begins with ASSUMPTION that GOD is GOOD and that he is ALWAYS working on your behalf – If you only believe that God is good when you get your way, you will never experience joy in trials – Ecclesiastes 3:11– he makes EVERYTHING beautiful in its time.

Let PERESEVERANCE finish its work, so that you may be MATURE and COMPLETE, lacking in NOTHING – Key word FINISH – those that change the world are those that finish the race – and he gives us the payoff of why we can be joyful in hard things – because there is a process God is taking us through, and MATURITY and COMPLETENESS is the goal – If you are pain averse (we all tend to be) and are unwilling to endure the hard stuff, you will never approach it with joy, will never be fully released into your calling in the KINGDOM of GOD.

What does it mean to be mature and complete?

Identity– you know who you are in Jesus – you’re no longer influenced by the world, but you influence the world – you are a thermostat, not a thermometer (Matthew 5:5) – quiet confidence that everything is good, b/c you know who you are

You live like and look like Jesus– the characteristics that used to define you, your allegiances and reliances have changed – your life is now, as James began his letter, in service to Jesus – GALATIANS 2:20– no longer I, but Christ in me.