Devotional from January 2025 Christian Union National Fast
By Tim Pillsbury, Ministry Director of Christian Union Vox at Dartmouth
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."–James 1:2-4 ESV
God and the devil both recognize the incredible value and opportunity of suffering. In fact, we humans might be the only ones who do not! So many times, in the midst of suffering, our goal is simple: stop suffering. And we turn all our energy and attention to that task, desperate to be done with our trial.
But James 1:2-4 paints a different picture. “Count it all joy,” he writes, “when you meet trials of various kinds.” James does not call us to enjoy suffering—that would be masochism—but instead to count our suffering as joy. We are to view it not as something senseless, but as a trial of faith, a necessary testing ground which produces good fruit.
James’ considerably more famous brother, Jesus, said something similar about suffering. Thinking about his upcoming death on the cross, just days away, he says in John 12:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” Suffering is not only inevitable, it is necessary for anyone who would bear fruit. James highlights steadfastness—perseverance—as a main fruit of suffering. And in God’s mercy, even that fruit bears more fruit, whose full effect is to make us “perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” What an extraordinary promise!
The devil also tries to capitalize on our inevitable sufferings, trying to bring forth his own fruits of bitterness, wounding, offense, broken relationships, self-protecting vows (“I’ll never get close to someone like that again”), and much more. The difference, then, between God’s way and the devil’s is not whether or not we suffer but how we view it. Are you prepared in the face of trials to “count it all joy”? Are you prepared to forgive, to maintain your hope, and refuse to worry? To look not to your present circumstances, but instead to the One who has promised to bless you with good fruit, refining you ever more closely to His image?
Are you willing, as Jesus was, to fall to the ground and die, that you may be raised up and bear much fruit?
Lord, give us the grace to view our sufferings as necessary stepping stones to the fruit You want us to bear. Let us turn to You in the midst of trials, even as we contend against them. Thank You that You work all things together for the good of those who love You and are called according to Your purpose! Grace us for victory, for perseverance, and make us perfect and complete, lacking in nothing, just as You promise. Amen.
