Trial by Fire
James 1:1-18
Introduction
Why do bad things happen to good people? It is a question that has crossed most of our minds. We have all seen people, that from our perspective, deserve an easier life than they experience. Where is God in all of this? There are a few options. One is that God cares but that he just is not able to help us. Perhaps God sends trials to us to punish us for our sins. Maybe God sends hardship because he just does not like us. None of those options seem to bring much comfort. Is there any other answer? Thankfully, James teaches on this subject. As a brother of Jesus, we should perhaps listen to what he has to say on the Christian response to trials. Throughout this message, I am going to try and apply these principles to our experience with autism. I do this not because we are the best example of good people but because practical examples may help this to seem less theoretical. Let us see what James can teach us.
The Myth
One of the things that we must realize is that James understands something that we may still be confused about. Many Christians assume that God’s primary concern is that we have an easy, comfortable and trouble-free life. When this does not happen, we are left wondering what went wrong. What likely went wrong was our expectations of God. What makes us think God is primarily concerned with our comfort? Is that how we raise our children? Do we try to just give them an easy life, providing all the toys and candy they want the moment they want it? Do we do their homework for them and when they become adults send them a cheque each month so they won’t have to suffer through a job? Or do we try and prepare them for the trials that will and should come in order for them to mature? James understood that trials in life are not a fluke but are a necessary part of life. James knew this in a very unique way. If trials were based on God’s correction or displeasure, then Jesus should have had the easiest life ever. Yet Jesus faced trial after trial. There was a constant stream of people trying to trap him, humiliate him and turn the people against them. How did James know? James, though the half-brother of Jesus, was one of those people. James did not believe that Jesus was the Christ and not only did he lack faith, he publicly mocked Jesus. It was not until Jesus‘ resurrection that James believed. What James saw through the trials created by himself and others is that they did not destroy Jesus but rather strengthened him. It is out of that experience that we understand James‘ teaching.
The Truth
So if the myth is that trials are to be absent from the Christian life, the truth is that God uses trials to transform us. James gives us some very detailed teaching on this.
James says something surprising when he suggests that we should be joyful when trials come. The reason for the joy is not that there is religious value in suffering. The reason is that suffering actually produces a positive change in us. James says that trials produce perseverance and perseverance matures us. It is as we encounter the resistance of hardship that we grow as human beings and as Christians.
If God had given us a choice on whether or not our children would have autism, I would have taken a pass. However, having dealt with autism over the last nine years, I will grudgingly admit that autism has made me a better person, a better husband, a better father, a better follower of Jesus. I can honestly say that my growing moments have been when life was the hardest and not the easiest.
James then moves on to talk about prayer. This is easily misunderstood. James is not talking about prayer in general, but rather prayer for wisdom. Even then, he is not talking about wisdom to pass that school test or about the kind of car you should buy next. This is about wisdom in the context of trials. What kind of wisdom? Not wisdom about why this is happening. Job wanted that information and God made it clear he was not getting the explanation he wanted. The prayer for wisdom is for dealing with trials, to be able to see what we can learn, to make good decisions and to understand where God is active in our life.
Dealing with autism is not easy. When we first discovered that Logan and Abby had autism, there were many dreams that were dashed. We could have easily fallen into despair. My first prayer was that the children would be healed. Beyond that, my prayer is that I would be the best dad that I can in these circumstances. I don’t know how to be the dad and husband I need to be. But God does and he has continually guided me through this journey.
James then goes on to make a comment about the rich and poor. This is a theme that is very important to James and it will appear again. But why does James mention it here? It is easy for us to judge our circumstances by outward appearances. The clearest example is that of the rich and the poor. The rich are blessed and the poor are cursed, it seems pretty obvious. Except that is not the way God sees things. In fact it is often the exact opposite. In God’s economy, things are upside down as we see in the Beatitudes. The lesson for us is that things are not always what they seem.
Any time you are going through a trial, it is easy to fall into “why me?” syndrome. The fact that other people seem to have it so easy seems to reinforce this.
Especially in the early days of the children’s diagnosis, I would sometime look at other typical children with some resentment. Why were their brains wired correctly and Logan and Abby’s not? Why did all the other parents have such an easy life? The truth is that things are not always what they seem. Our three typical children have all talked back to us, Logan and Abby have never. There are blessings where you least expect them.
Perseverance and endurance is a virtue, but how does one keep it up? Why should we bother to endure? I work out on a treadmill but I do not enjoy it. Why don’t I quit as soon as I get tired? Because I have a set time to work out and keep my eye on that time, knowing that at that point the work will be over. James encourages endurance by reminding people that one day we will stand before God. No matter how hard things are at the moment, they will not always be that way. God has an eternal reward that will make up for whatever suffering we go through today.
If you were to talk to me the morning after a sleepless night or in the middle of a meltdown or during one of Logan’s escapes, you would not find me particularly cheerful. But in quieter moments I can remember that this is not the way it will always be. One day we will stand before God and Logan and Abby will no longer have trouble communicating or relating. Everything will be made perfect and that hope gives strength for today.
Why is God doing this to me? Have you ever asked that question? Have you felt like a small animal or insect being tortured by a thirteen year old boy? James brings perspective to these emotions. Why is God tempting you? He is not, that goes against his nature. God is not someone who enjoys pushing you to see what it will take to make you give up. Temptations do not come from God, they come from our own weakness and desire for comfort and gain. God uses these trials to bring about spiritual growth but that does not mean he brings the temptation. For example if my children have to deal with a bully, I will help them to learn from that experience but I am not going to hire a bully in order to facilitate a teaching moment.
Why do my children have autism? I don’t think God is testing me to see if I will give up. I think that they have autism because that is how their DNA worked. At the same time, God uses this genetic disorder to work in my life and the life of my family.
My favorite part of this passage is “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17 NIV) Again, this is a verse that we often rip out of its context. In the midst of trial and confusion about God’s activity in our life, James reminds us that God only gives good things. God has good gifts for us and those gifts will only get better.
What does God have for our family? It is not punishment by severe autism. The good gifts that God gives us are patience, strength, joy, laughter, love, hope, peace and numerous little miracles that remind us that God is working in the life of Logan, Abby and the rest of us.
Conclusion
Why do bad things happen? Why do bad things happen to you? God is not a sadistic bully that enjoys to introduce pain into your life. But nor is he a jolly old grandpa that just loves to spoil his grandkids with all sorts of treats. While we would love comfort and ease, that is not God’s priority. God is more interested in who we will become than keeping the old us satisfied. That growth come through trials. Those trials are not sent from God, but they are not deflected either. God works through those trials, strengthening and transforming us. We may feel as if we see the full picture but we do not. God sees far more than we do. He understands what is truly happening and he sees how that fits with eternity. You may be suffering right now but there is much more to the story. You may not understand now but you can pray to God and the Giver of all good gifts will give you the wisdom you need.
