The Priority of Perseverance and Maturity in Trials (Part 2)

1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, 

To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings.

2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:1-4 ESV)

As parents, part of our job is to put certain trials into our children's lives. Parents have to make their children eat healthful food and not just junk food all day; parents have to make their children do their homework and not just play all day. To a child, vegetables and algebra might feel like intense trials that we're bringing into their lives. Ask a child: hey, would you rather have the benefits of healthy eating patterns; would you rather have the benefits of a good education, or would you rather eat junk food and play all day? The child might say, 'Hey, I'm willing to take the risk of being unhealthy; I'm willing to take the risk of never getting a diploma, if it means getting out of the trials you're describing.' Good parents subject their children to the hardships of school and chores and healthful family meals because the parents are wiser than their children. We as parents value our children's maturity (more than they do, most of the time). Through trials, our children gain perseverance, and–God willing–they come to value maturity as well.

We who trust in Christ are children of our heavenly Father. Our Father values our maturity. Our Father will bring us through trials in order to work perseverance in us to bring us to the maturity we need. We need maturity so that we can consistently glorify God, so that we can better love and serve others, and so that we can have greater inner peace and joy despite our circumstances.