I write about Stuff

“When all kinds of trials and temptations crowd into your lives, my brothers, don’t resent them as intruders, but welcome them as friends!” —James 1:2

Trials and temptations are some of the most unwelcome visitors in our lives. They arrive without warning, stay longer than we want, and disrupt our peace. Most of us instinctively treat them as enemies — obstacles to avoid, burdens to escape, or storms to endure. Yet James offers a perspective so startling, so counterintuitive, that it almost feels impossible: welcome them as friends.

Before we can embrace that idea, we have to acknowledge the more common responses we tend to choose.

Some people simply give in. When hardship comes, they surrender to despair. When temptation whispers, they yield without resistance. It feels easier in the moment, but it leads to spiritual weakness and regret. It is, as James would say, the worst possible choice.

Others respond by blaming God. They assume that trials are inherently bad and that a loving God should shield them from anything uncomfortable. When He doesn’t, they question His goodness. But blaming God is really an attempt to play God — to assume we know better than He does what we need.

Still others grit their teeth and wait for the storm to pass. They endure, but without learning, without growing, without seeking God in the midst of it. They survive the trial, but they miss the transformation.

James invites us to a fourth way — a way that feels almost impossible until we understand God’s heart. He calls us to welcome trials and temptations as friends. Not because they are pleasant, but because God uses them with purpose.

The Friends Who Shape Us

Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.” True friends don’t flatter us or leave us unchanged. They challenge us. They refine us. They help us grow. They speak truth when we need it and stand with us when we struggle.

Trials and temptations function in much the same way — not because they are inherently good, but because God uses them to shape us. He knows our potential. He knows the strengths hidden beneath the surface. He knows which qualities can only be developed through pressure, perseverance, and dependence on Him.

Some parts of our character grow through blessings. Others grow only through difficulty. God knows the difference.

A Faithful God in Every Trial

Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that our temptations are not unique — others have faced them, and God is faithful in every one. He never allows a temptation so strong that obedience becomes impossible. He always provides a way out. He always provides strength to endure.

This means we never face trials alone. We never walk into temptation without God’s help. We never suffer without purpose. And because God is faithful, we can look for His fingerprints in every difficulty.

Sometimes He allows a trial so He can deliver us from it — showing His power in dramatic ways. Sometimes He removes the trial from us — shifting circumstances, opening doors, or calming storms. And sometimes He allows the trial to remain because He is strengthening something inside us — endurance, patience, humility, compassion, or faith.

James explains it clearly: “When your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.” Trials are not random. They are spiritual workouts. They stretch us, challenge us, and strengthen us for what lies ahead.

God’s Gym for the Soul

Think of the gym. Few people enjoy the process. The noise, the sweat, the strain — none of it is pleasant. Muscles burn. Fatigue sets in. You push through discomfort because you know the result: strength.

Spiritual growth works the same way. God allows resistance so that our faith can grow stronger. He allows pressure so that our character can deepen. He allows discomfort so that we can become more like Christ.

Trials and temptations are not signs of God’s absence. They are signs of His involvement — His commitment to shaping us into people who are mature, resilient, and spiritually strong.

Welcoming the Unlikely Friends

When James tells us to welcome trials as friends, he is not asking us to enjoy pain. He is asking us to trust God’s purpose. To see beyond the moment. To recognize that God is doing something in us that could not be accomplished any other way.

Trials refine us. Temptations reveal us. Endurance strengthens us. And God uses all of it to prepare us for the future.

So the next time hardship crowds into your life, pause before you resent it. Ask God what He wants to teach you. Look for the strength He is building. Trust the faithfulness He has promised.

These unlikely friends may be the very tools God uses to shape you into who He created you to be.