What does James 1:4 mean?
Verses 2, 3, and 4 are all part of the same crucial idea. James has instructed Christians to "account" for hardships as joy, because such moments grow our faith. Even when we're heartbroken over what has happened, we can trust God to use it to make us stronger. Why would God want us to label as "joyful" those terrible moments? Because trials test our faith. When we keep trusting God through the trials, our faith in Him grows. And, from God's perspective, our growing faith in Him is far more important than not experiencing hard things.In fact, this verse says that perfection—complete maturity—is found only in perfect faith in God. More specifically, James uses the concept of endurance—steadfastness or perseverance—to describe the ability to trust God more and more. As a runner gains endurance by suffering through another mile, Christians also gain the ability to trust God through trials. Each experience grants us a deeper, stronger level of trust in Him. In all areas of life, growth only comes through overcoming difficulty. Spirituality is no different.
James writes that we shouldn't make the point of our lives an all-out effort to avoid trials. Instead, we should make the most of them by letting "endurance"—trusting God through another trial—create the result in us that it always does. Namely, more maturity, and more trust in God. In fact, James goes so far as to say that the one who can trust God without stopping, no matter how terrible the trial, will have arrived at perfection, complete maturity.
None of us is there, yet, but every believer in Jesus is on the way. We just need more trials to keep us growing in that direction.
James 1:2–18 begins with a challenging command for Christians. We are to classify hard things in their lives as ''joyful,'' because those ordeals help us develop a deeper trust in God. Christians who trust God also seek wisdom from Him—and not from ungodly sources. We continue to trust Him through difficult experiences, in part, to receive the crown of life promised to those who don't stop. We don't blame Him for our desire to sin, but we do credit Him for every good thing in our lives.
How important is it for Christians to trust God? It's so important, James writes, that we should call our worst moments joyful things, because trials help us trust God more. People who trust God ask Him for wisdom—and then take what He gives. People who trust God make a bigger deal about their rewards in the next life than their wealth in this one. People who trust God don't blame Him for their desire to sin; they give Him credit for all that is good in their lives. They look into His Word, and they act on what they see there.
