Triumph In Trials Part 2

You've either just come out of a trial, you're right in the middle of one, or you're about to walk into one. That's not pessimism — that's just the Christian life.

Continuing our series "A Faith That Works," Pastor Ron completes the passage in James 1:5-12, covering the final two principles for triumphing in trials: a believing heart and a humble spirit. He also unpacks the powerful promise at the end of the passage — the crown of life.

A Believing Heart:

James 1:5-8 tells us that if we lack wisdom in the midst of a trial, we should ask God — but ask in faith, without doubting. The doubting man is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed. A believing heart doesn't waver. It trusts God even when the path isn't clear, and refuses to be double-minded.

A Humble Spirit:

Whether rich or poor, trials have a way of stripping away our self-sufficiency and reminding us that we need God. The rich man is told to rejoice in his humiliation — because trials divorce him from his dependency on resources that are passing away anyway. True believers, rich or poor, come to God the same way: broken and dependent.

The Crown of Life:

James closes this section with a beatitude: blessed is the man who endures trials, for he will receive the crown of life. That word crown — stephanos — spoke of joy, royalty, victory, and honor. All four are wrapped up in the promise waiting for every believer who endures.