How to Be Thankful When Tragedy Strikes (James 1)
[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]“ 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 1:2-4[/perfectpullquote]How can you be thankful when tragedy strikes? Think of a tragedy that you have had to endure in the past. Maybe you suffered from a sickness, loss of a job, or loss of a spouse? Maybe you were sick and had to miss a special event. Our initial human response is to complain and tell others how unfair it is that we have to go through this situation. Having gone through many trials myself, I have always had a choice to make: I could either whine and complain about my circumstances or I could accept what was going on and decide to learn and grow from the situation. Many times I chose to complain, definitely more than I should have. When James begins his book, he assumes that his readers are going to have many types of trials and tragedies in their lives, but he also lets them know of the benefits of going through such trials.
One of God’s creation that represents this concept beautifully is the butterfly. When a butterfly is ready to come out of its chrysalis, it has to really struggle with all of its might to break free. If you have ever witnessed this, then you know how tempting it can be to help that little guy out so he does not have to struggle as much, but do you know what will happen if you remove this trial? He will be too weak to fly and he will most likely die shortly thereafter. Something similar happens with children. If we remove every hardship from their lives and do not let them learn how to grow through them, we will rob them of growing in a way that will benefit them in their lives.
Nobody likes trials, but they do enjoy the benefits of the growth that takes place once the trial is over. Think about all of those tests that you took while you were in school. Were you excited when there was an exam coming up the next day? Are you now glad that it is over and have you received the benefit of graduating high school or college? James wants us to be grateful for the process because we know that on the other side is something that God has specifically for us. God desires every one of us to grow in our relationship with Him and it seems like the most growth can happen when tragedy strikes.
Right now, we are facing several tragedies (COVID-19, social and political unrest, uncertainty for the school year, etc.) and while we may not like it, we still need to count it all joy. When we do, we will grow in our faith in the Lord who watches over everyone. In these uncertain times, we need to lean on the Lord who desires to have a close relationship with us. “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12.
– Pastor David Guenin
