James 1:1

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ: To the twelve tribes dispersed abroad. Greetings. Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing. (James 1:1-4)

When the mountain of our lives erupts, God designs even the ash to bring forth fruit.

A Pivotal Eruption

Before we begin, keep this verse in the back of your mind: "I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You'll have suffering in this world. Be courageous. I have conquered the world" (John 16:33).

I'm not Miles—my name is Jason, and I've been at this church since about 1998. May 18th is a pivotal date for me. It was May 18th, 1980, at 8:32 in the morning when Mount St. Helens blew its top. I grew up in Seattle, and I remember climbing to the peak of our two-story house with my dad to see if we could see the eruption. We couldn't, but it happened, and it radically changed the region, my life, and even history and science.

The eruption triggered the largest subaerial landslide in recorded history, traveling 110 to 155 miles per hour when it hit Spirit Lake. The eruption column rose 15 miles into the atmosphere, and ash fell on 11 U.S. states. There was a direct blast zone for eight miles where everything was obliterated, a channelized blast zone up to 19 miles where everything was flattened, and a seared zone where trees were left standing but dead from the steam.

By 9:45 the ash cloud reached Yakima, 60 miles away. By 11:45 it plunged Spokane into darkness, with visibility of 10 feet at noon. A mudflow 12 feet high moved 27 miles upstream. 540 million tons of ash covered 22,000 square miles. Fifty-seven people were killed, along with the destruction of 200 houses, 47 bridges, 15 miles of railroad, and 185 miles of highway—energy equivalent to 1,600 Hiroshima bombs.

Why mention it this morning? Because sometimes in our lives things are going to blow up. Some eruptions are big, some small, some personal that no one else even knows about. We are all going to face trials, and we are all currently facing trials. The question is, how are we going to face them?

Consider It Joy

James writes to Jewish Christians dispersed around the known world because of persecution. To people scattered by hardship, he says, "Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know the testing of your faith produces endurance." The goal is that we be mature and complete, lacking nothing. I'm not there yet, and some of us aren't either.

The word "consider" is tied to making a reasoned judgment—an accounting term, to reckon and think it through. It's not that we feel the trial is joyful; we don't look at the trial itself with joy. But when something happens, we can consider it joy as we look at its effect on our lives. Trials are like exercise—at first it's painful and not fun, but as we see results we begin to value it. And just like exercise, if we don't embrace the process, we lose the benefit. Trials will build us up, but only if we participate in the process.

How Trials Test Our Faith

We need a working definition of faith. Biblically, faith is a belief and trust in God based on good evidence, but without total proof. We trust that God is there and working on our behalf even though we can't see Him—substantiated in places like 2 Corinthians 5:7, Hebrews 11:1, and Romans 10:17.

So how do trials test that faith? There are three main lies we encounter. First, that God is not there or doesn't exist—our society loves to teach we're just random accidents. Second, that God is not good—because if He were, bad things wouldn't happen to us. Third, that God may be good and care about some people, but doesn't really care about me.

Shades of these lies accompany all our trials. The temptation to embrace them is dangerous because it sucks out our agency and makes us helpless, tossed around. But we are not powerless. Jesus has overcome the world, and He tells us to take heart in that.

Facing the Trial

How do we deal with trials? First, look at the trial with eyes to learn. What am I learning about myself, about others, about the world? What does God want to speak to me through this? If you're a really good Christian, you'll ask in the middle of the trial. If you're more like me, you'll ask in retrospect.

Second, look for the silver lining. Actively seek what God is doing in the situation—not that God did this to me, because very often my trials are my own fault. Okay, Lord, since I'm here, I may as well learn something.

Third, know that the trial has a purpose: to grow us and build endurance, even when it's our own fault. That was a hard one to write. When we remember a trial is for our growth, we'll find opportunities to grow through it and let it have its full effect. We short-circuit this when we blame-shift—"it's that woman you gave me, Lord." That's a misapplication of Scripture. I'm only responsible for my own actions and intentions.

Asking for Wisdom in Faith

Trials often require more than we can handle, so we must ask for help. "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given to him." But notice verse 6: "Let him ask in faith without doubting. For the doubter is like the surging sea, driven and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord, being double-minded and unstable."

That sounds rude—but even though God wants to give us wisdom, we have to ask in the manner He lays out. This brought me to Mark 9, where a father brings his demon-possessed son to Jesus. Jesus says, "All things are possible to him who believes." The man replies, "I believe; help my unbelief."

God is not asking us to be perfect. He's asking us to let Him make us perfect. That's the process of sanctification—being made more and more like Jesus through various trials as we submit and participate. So instead of asking "Why is this happening to me?" the question becomes "How should I face this, and what do I need to change in me?" This is where the Bible becomes our cheat code. In my experience, the Bible can whisper in devotions, but it shouts in trials.

The Reward of Endurance

"Blessed is the one who endures trials, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him" (v. 12). Notice it doesn't say "when we emerge victorious" or "when we have defeated the trial." It says we'll be rewarded if we endure.

Jesus won the victory on the cross. He doesn't call us to win the battle; He calls us to endure and to stay with Him. Sometimes we face trials we will not defeat—trials that will bring us literally face to face with Jesus. But we are called to endure. Ephesians 6:13 says, "Take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand." That was the theme verse of Bibleman—the grape and the cape—who put on the whole armor of God. God calls us to stand, not necessarily to stride bravely forward. The victory belongs to God.

The Life Cycle of Sin

"No one undergoing a trial should say, 'I am being tempted by God,' since God is not tempted by evil and he himself doesn't tempt anyone. But each person is tempted when he is drawn away and enticed by his own evil desire. Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin. And when sin is fully grown, it gives birth to death" (vv. 13-15).

God is not the reason we struggle—that's us; it's always been us. Our flesh has a self-destructive desire to indulge in sin leading to death. We're very good at failing because our flesh wants us to fail. The trouble is we have 20/20 vision for other people's failings. I could draw you a roadmap to why you're in your situation, but I extend unwarranted grace to myself and judgment to others.

Because I started as a junior high pastor, here's how I think it through: there's a guy named "Don Away," because "drawn away" sounds like Don Away, and he meets "evil Desiree." On a trip they meet and produce a son named Sin. Sin was cute for a while, but as he grew he became harder and harder to deal with, and eventually destroys Don's life and drives him to an early grave.

What could have prevented this? If Don had stayed home, he wouldn't have met Desiree. He could have rejected her. The problem is that once we indulge that initial temptation, we add fuel to the fire and it's harder to extinguish. And when we find ourselves in sin, we go through a cycle of self-punishment. But Jesus took the punishment for us. When we're tempted to beat ourselves up, we should immediately stop, repent, and turn back to Him—He suffered enough. Fight the temptation at the very beginning.

Every Good Gift and the First Fruits

"Do not be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. By his own choice he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures" (vv. 16-18).

When the Bible says "do not be deceived," it's a strong indication we're likely already deceived. Our temptations look good—there's something attractive about them, otherwise we wouldn't fall. You don't fish with lures that aren't designed to catch fish. Satan is very good at using our flesh against us. But everything good and perfect comes down from God. God is the source of good, He doesn't change, and He chose us to be firstfruits—an offering brought to Him out of the first part of the harvest.

What does that look like? If you garden, you know the joy of finding that first tomato before the rats do—or a strawberry off the plant rather than the store. I planted fruit trees last year. Every morning I stop the car to check my peach trees, waiting for that day the fruit is ready. When God calls us firstfruits, this is how He looks at us. He's not saying, "These people are disgusting." He's saying, "I cannot wait for that first peach." Our minds tell us God is just disappointed in us, but He says, "No, you're my firstfruits. I am so excited for that first bit of fruit."

"By their fruit you will recognize them" (Matthew 7:16). Look for God in your garden, and you'll find His fingerprints all over it. God built creation to talk about Himself. Everything in creation sings God's glory if you look. Ask Him, "Show me who You are today," whether you're in your garden, driving your car, or playing music—He will speak through His creation.

God's Checklist for Trials

I was hoping God would give us a nice clean checklist—and it's moments like this where I love teaching the Bible, because He does. "My dear brothers and sisters, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for human anger does not accomplish God's righteousness. Therefore, ridding yourselves of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent, humbly receive the implanted word, which is able to save your souls" (vv. 19-21).

First, listen and don't interrupt. I have a Larry King quote on my office wall: "I never learned anything while I was talking." God speaks through His Word, His creation, His people, and the voices of your spouse and children—if we stop talking long enough to listen.

Second, be slow to speak. How often have we said something and instantly wished we could take it back? Once the words are out, they're out for good or evil. It's better to bite your tongue than to fix the mess you made with your words.

Third, be slow to get angry. We have to learn to respond, not react. Reacting is off-the-cuff; responding is thinking it through. There's a technique called "going to the balcony"—when a conversation heats up and your ears get warm, mentally step out and watch the interaction from above, trying to figure out what each person is really saying, so you can respond dispassionately. Repent quickly when you do lose it, because human anger does not accomplish God's righteousness.

Fourth, clean out the garbage—all of it. Whatever you consume, participate in, celebrate, or tolerate: if it's filth, get rid of it. You cannot contain weeds in a single area; they spread. Moral filth is an invasive species. In North Carolina they have kudzu, a vine that covers entire hillsides—beautiful until you realize it's choking and destroying everything. That's what sin does in our lives.

Fifth, receive the word humbly. It's easy to read the Bible and think, "That verse is for my wife," or "That's for the guy who cut me off." Humility looks at the Bible and asks, "What is it saying to me? What is my responsibility?" The word is implanted—when we're saved, God lives in us and writes His word on our hearts, and the more time we spend in Scripture, the more He reminds us.

Be Doers, Not Hearers Only

There's one vital step left. "But be doers of the word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves... The one who looks intently into the perfect law of freedom and perseveres in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer who works—this person will be blessed in what he does" (vv. 22-25).

Sixth, do what God has called you to do. It's not enough to know it; the growth is in the doing. When football season rolls around, I know what the players should be doing—sometimes better than the coaches. If you're a Seahawks fan like me, you're on the one-yard line with the best running back in football and you throw it. That one still hurts. But if I were put on the field, all my knowing wouldn't amount to anything, because I'm not that guy.

Notice this comes with a promise: if you do it, you will be blessed. God blesses those people who do what He teaches in His word—not if we learn, but if we do.

Religion That Is Pure

James offers some loving reassurance: "If anyone thinks he is religious without controlling his tongue, his religion is useless and he deceives himself. Pure and undefiled religion before God the Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained from the world" (vv. 26-27).

Thanks for putting it gently, James. Throughout the book he returns to the tongue again and again. In chapter 3 he calls it a fire, a world of unrighteousness that sets forests ablaze, a restless evil full of deadly poison—we bless our Lord with it and with it we curse people. The tongue is the instrument designed to give glory to God and bless those around us. It is the most powerful thing God created, and when we misuse it, it doesn't lose that power.

If you want to be a good Christian, take care of those who cannot take care of themselves—widows and orphans—and keep yourself unstained from the world. I recently talked to someone with the opportunity to join a crimes-against-children investigation team. It's vitally important work, but the level of filth and depravity you're exposed to makes it challenging to remain unstained and unjaded. We're called to care for people, but also not to be stained by the world as we do it.

Beauty From Ashes

We are all facing trials, and we are called to endure in them, learning about God, others, and ourselves as we face them. The way I grow in my faith is to endure trials with joy. When I endure, I will be rewarded. Verse 12 describes that reward as the crown of life. There's something about a crown—when you're rewarded you know it's good, and God promises us we will be.

Mount St. Helens showed us so much about God's creation. Standing near Lake Ryan about ten days after the eruption, ecologist Franklin stepped onto the ash-covered ground and saw fireweed poking through. He and the others found plants, insects, algae, and even pocket gophers that had survived underground. Franklin said, "All of us smart ecologists realized that we didn't have the correct working hypothesis." God designed His creation—including us—to be resilient and fruitful. They thought the trial had left nothing but a wasteland, but God had designed His creation to be ever fruitful.

Seedlings grew one to three feet a year because the ash provided weed control; by 2009 the trees stood 70 feet tall. The ash even functioned as an insecticide and reduced flammability. Elk returned to the blast zone almost immediately, breaking the crust so plants grew, drawing more elk—a symbiotic recovery. The lupine plant sent taproots into the pumice, breaking it apart and turning it back into soil.

In the aftermath, researchers found a 1/140th scale model identical in every feature to the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon is described as the work of a small stream over millions of years—yet here was the same structure produced in a very short time by a lot of water and mud moving fast. This shows the account of Noah's flood is at the very least plausible, which science often rejects. Peter writes, "By the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water" (2 Peter 3:5-6).

Just like Mount St. Helens, if we take time to find the joy in our trials, we'll find the love of God written all over it like a gemstone. There's even a gemstone called Hellenite—a green obsidian discovered when workers cutting equipment after the eruption superheated the ash, fusing it because of the particular mineral makeup there. In this trial we saw the beauty of endurance, and God will use the trials in our lives the same way if we consider it all joy—and we may even find a gemstone we can share with others.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, as we close today, I thank You that You do bring beauty from ashes—quite literally in the case of Mount St. Helens, and figuratively in our own lives. Help us, Father, as we go through various trials, to consider it joy, to look at it with eyes seeking how we can grow and how we can rest in You. Lord, help us to learn from You, to allow You to refine and change us, and to be brought closer to You and made more like You. Give us opportunities, Jesus, to share with the people around us, and help us to remember to give You the glory, as You have glorified Yourself in and through us. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.