Did you see the awful tragedy of the Waukesha, Wisconsin Christmas parade ruined with tragedy as a suspect drove a red van through the parade route, running over participants?
How did you process this event? What thoughts did you have?
How should what we believe about God shape the way we respond to suffering and trials?
Suffering is never pleasant to experience or to talk about, but it is an inevitable fact of life. The New Testament was written by and delivered to a suffering people. James, the church in Jerusalem, and all of us are not immune to suffering. So what causes suffering and how should we respond when we experience it? What hope does the gospel give to those who are suffering? We will consider those questions today.
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.
James 1:2 NLT
What does the fall of man have to do with the presence of suffering in the world? (Look to Genesis 3:1-19 for guidance in this section.)
What is the difference between suffering because of sin and suffering because there is sin in the world? What would be an example of each? Which kind of suffering is James addressing?
Suffering exists because sin exists. Before the fall of man, there was no suffering. So then, trials are a natural consequence of rejecting God’s best for our lives. While it is true that suffering can happen because we messed up or did something wrong, that is not what James is talking about. James is referring to those trials that crop up because we live in a fallen world. Those are the trials that affect all people regardless of how they live.
And to the man he said,
Genesis 3:17 NLT
Since you listened to your wife and ate from the tree
whose fruit I commanded you not to eat,
the ground is cursed because of you.
All your life you will struggle to scratch a living from it.
What kind of suffering was introduced immediately after the fall? How do you experience this suffering?
When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.
Romans 5:12 NLT
What is the ultimate fruit of sin and suffering? Have you ever made this connection? How does this reality highlight our need for Jesus?
Do you ever come home exhausted at the end of the day? Experience problems in your home and in the workplace? Ever have a conversation with a friend that you wish you didn’t have to have? These are just a few of the ways that brokenness has introduced itself into your relationships. Not only has sin broken our relationships with other people and with the created order, it has broken our relationship with God. One of the greatest trials we face in this life is death, which is the ultimate fruit of sin. This is why we need Jesus to give us hope in the middle of our trials.
What do you remember about James’s audience? Why might it seem odd for him to tell them (or us) to “consider [suffering] pure joy” (v. 2)? Does this mean that we can’t be hurt or disappointed at suffering? Explain.
After the initial shock and rush of emotion that comes with suffering, what two truths did our pastors say we needed to remember? How does focusing on this help us to embrace our suffering in a way that honors God?
What is radical about James’s approach to suffering? How does it compare to the approach of your non-believing friends and family?
James’s audience was scattered because of persecution. Yet, James seems to be telling them that trials were good for them or at the very least were redeemable. After all, it is hard to be joyful about something that isn’t good for you.
James 1:2 brings a few key truths about trials together. First, trials will always be part of your life; that’s why James said trials of “many kinds.” Knowing that trials are coming helps keep us from being rocked when they come. Shock and hurt is understandable; but after that initial reaction, there is greater peace to be found because of the second truth—namely, that suffering is used for God’s purpose. While the Bible never identifies God as the author of suffering, He is sovereign over suffering. He takes all of our pain and all of our grief and uses it to further His purpose in our lives and in the world.
For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.
James 1:3-4 NLT
Is someone without faith in Jesus capable of seeing the greater purpose in suffering? Why or why not?
How might the perseverance that is developed in the furnace of suffering prove to be useful in other areas of life?
Based on what James says in verse 4, what purpose does God have in our suffering? What choice do we have to cooperate with this purpose?
For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!
2 Corinthians 4:14 NLT
What are we denying God and ourselves if we fail to embrace our suffering and see it in light of eternity?
These verses open with the words “because we know.” Faith in Jesus Christ was assumed by James in the letter. So when we read about suffering, this radical way of thinking about it is only possible for those who have faith in Jesus. They are the only ones able to see suffering in light of eternity and the hope of the gospel. Furthermore, as we heard from our pastors this weekend, verse 4 could actually be phrased “let perseverance.” In other words, we must let perseverance take effect. We participate in the work God is doing through our suffering when we choose to see suffering from His perspective. Our trials may not seem good to us, but God can bring good from them.
Praise God for being near to us in our suffering and trials. Thank Him for using painful experiences to give you more of His grace and to advance His mission in the world. Pray for those you know who are walking through trials, and ask God to show you ways you can support these brothers and sisters.