If you have ever attended a service at Westlake Baptist you know that when I preach I love to ask questions to the congregation. I hope that by provoking thoughts with questions, God will lead you to the answer that He has for you. There have been many times I have asked the question, “how many of you want to suffer in life?” Then I generally ask, “how many of you want a strong faith and a strong relationship with God?” It is then that I hit them with the truth that it is nearly impossible to have the second without going through the first. James 1:2-4 says, “My brethren (this indicates James is talking to Christians), count it all joy when ye fall into divers (various) temptation; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect workd, that ye may be perfect (complete) and entire, wanting nothing.” James clearly says you can have a strong faith without some suffering. Now in all honesty we as Christians want a great relationship with God, we want a strong faith, but we want to accomplish it in a way better than Jesus had it. If we study the Gospels we see that as a result of Jesus’ obedience to the Father’s will He suffered immensely. Now I am not going to say that going through suffering is fun or easy. But I want to key in on a word that James used in verse two. The word is “joy.” The Greek word is “chara” which means cheerfulness or calm delight. How in the world can I be cheerful or have a calm delight in the middle of a difficult time in life? If you read verses 3 and 4 you will find that answer. I can be cheerful and have a calm delight in the midst of difficult times if I remember that God is allowing it to strengthen my faith (may be perfect and complete). It is hard to remember (trust me I know) this when we are in the middle of the storm, but it is true. Jesus is trying to conform us to His image. If I were to use the imagery of a potter and clay I would ask, how does the potter form the clay? He does it by pouring water on it, then spinning it on a wheel, and applying pressure with certain parts of his hand to form it into what he desires it to be. Sometimes the potter even has to reach into the clay and pull out clumps that are weakening what he is creating. If I were to use the imagery of a goldsmith or a blacksmith I would ask, how do they form the metal they are working with into the shape they desire it to be? They do it by applying fire to it in order to heat it up so that it become pliable and they are able to shape it. Both of these are true in a Christians life as well. God is a Potter who puts us on His wheel and applies pressure to us and removes clumps (sin) from our life so we are become stronger. God is a blacksmith or goldsmith in that He applies fire to us to melt the impurities (again sin) out of our life so that what is left is pure and able to be molded into the desired image (the image of Christ).
Therefore, for those of you who are going through a difficult time I pray you will be encouraged by these words. God is up to something in your life, or maybe He is up to something in the lives of those around you. He has not left you nor forsaken you, in fact He is right there walking with you every step of the way. In good times and in difficult times may we all remember the words of Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” You may not see what God is doing in your life right now, but when you get to the end I guarantee if we allow the Potter and the Blacksmith to form us, the end result will be a masterpiece (see Eph. 2:10).
By His grace and through His strength may we live for Him