The Christian life is filled with ups and downs. One day, you feel on fire for the Lord. The next, you feel distant from Him. One week, you feel like you’re walking in deep intimacy with your Maker—spending regular time in the Word, living in close fellowship with other believers, and offering radical sacrifices for the faith. The next, you question if God is even there, filled with doubt about the existence of God because of the daily suffering around you.
Many of us would love to live a steadfast life, one that is firmly rooted in the Lord, but our day-to-day faith is anything but. Thankfully, the book of James offers us great encouragement into the steadfast life. It reminds us that though our faithfulness may shift as quickly as the weather, the Lord is perfectly steadfast and stable. He does not change like shifting shadows (James 1:17), but is stable, constant, and true. We can root our lives in Him.
Who Is James?
Though there are several men named James throughout the Bible, the book of James is often attributed to the half-brother of Jesus. James didn’t believe in Jesus as the Messiah during Jesus’s life on earth, but after the resurrection, he placed his faith in Christ. In fact, his faith was so sincere that he was martyred for his faith in 62 AD.
The book of James is typically known for its application of the gospel, as it offers many imperatives, or instructions, for how to live out the Christian faith. It’s a convicting and practical book that calls out sin quite frankly, exposing our many failures. For example, James talks about favoritism, warning about when we prefer people who are rich over people who are poor (James 2:1–4). It talks about the importance of expressing faith not just with our words, but with our actions—of feeding the hungry and clothing the poor, for example, rather than just wishing our poor brother well (James 2:15–17). It reveals to us that if we want to honor the Lord, our faith must be expressed through our actions.
In the same vein, the book of James also points to the beauty of God, the One who is compassionate and merciful (James 5:11). It inspires us that as Christians, we can grow in our steadfastness as we follow Christ.
What Does Having a Steadfast Life Mean?
For many of us, steadfastness in our faith comes easily—but only in a few, very specific situations. If the sun is shining, we had a full breakfast, and no one interrupted our Bible study time, we feel content and full of faith. As soon as the storm comes, we’re hangry, or a wandering toddler wakes up before our morning alarm, we waver. Thoughtful words of kindness are replaced by a quick temper. Self-control turns into impulsive sensuality. And to top it all off, we even justify our sin because of daily stressors or trials.
In Scripture, though, God calls us to be steadfast in all circumstances. He reminds us that living a steadfast life does not mean that we won’t face trials. Nor does it mean that we’ll be immune to suffering or temptation. Rather, it means we rely on Christ, even in the midst of trouble, knowing that even our trials produce endurance.
The book of James speaks to this topic plainly, addressing suffering within the first few verses. James says to “consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:2–4).
It’s an amazing admonition, isn’t it? To count trials as joy?
This work of being joyful or steadfast in all things doesn’t come easily or naturally. In fact, the word “consider” in these verses reminds us that it requires mental work to endure suffering well (Osbourne, 23). In our flesh, we view suffering as bad, meaningless, and deplorable. It takes a special work of faith and of spiritual maturity to see our situations as the Bible presents them: with eternal purpose.
Remarkably, the Bible tells us that we can have joy in the midst of suffering, and this spiritual joy is unlike any earthly happiness. For many people, to have joy even in the midst of the hardest days of our lives sounds miraculous, impossible even. But by the grace of God, there is a peace and a joy that transcends understanding. As we meditate on the truths of God’s word, we find hope that God uses all things for good (Romans 8:28). Whether spilled milk, a long line in traffic, or a scary health diagnosis, God uses all things to transform us and renew us. There is purpose in our suffering—greater, better, and more magnificent than we could ever imagine.
That means that every single trial, whether in the form of tests or temptations, has a purpose. As we resist the temptation to despair, grumble, or covet, we grow in Christ-likeness. Our endurance in the faith grows. Our maturity in Christ deepens. Just as our Savior endured difficult days, circumstances, and people, so can we. God uses all things, including our suffering, to transform us in His image.
How to Have a Steadfast Life
James is a very practical book. It talks about the actions that should be the overflow of our faith—from how we take care of the poor to the words we say. It also offers us many great reminders, not only about how to work out our faith in actions, but also about the steadfastness of Christ.
After all, we fail, over and over and over and over again. Our faith will waver, from morning to evening. Our words will, at times, reflect the impurities of our hearts. So to that end, the book of James reveals the inconsistencies of our character, while reminding us of the unchanging, faithful, never-ending love of God. It also offers us hope that we can grow in godliness and steadfastness—remembering that every stress is ordained by God to grow us in the image of Him who does all things well.
To learn more about the Steadfast Life and the book of James, check out The Steadfast Life study at The Daily Grace Co.
Sources:
Osborne, Grant R. James: Verse by Verse. Lexham Press, 2019, 24.
