When Temptation Comes

James 1:2-4 Consider it all joy my brethren, when you encounter various trials (temptations), knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance (steadfastness). And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect (mature) and complete, lacking in nothing.

How many of us consider it all joy when we are slammed with temptations?  Because we have grown up in this world not knowing the love of the Father, we walk as orphans.  Within this orphan mindset is the belief that “It’s up to me; It’s my fault; I must be doing something wrong; me, me, me, me…  Therefore, when temptations come, we don’t count it all joy.  We go into worry and fear and begin to wonder: “What’s wrong with me; what did I do wrong; God must be mad at me because all of this stuff is happening; I need to fast, pray, read, more… it’s all about me, me, me!”

Yet, James, the half-brother of Jesus is telling us that it’s this testing of our faith that produces endurance (steadfastness) and as we allow it to have its perfect work we will grow into maturity and recognize that we really are complete, LACKING IN NOTHING.  Not because we have become better orphans, but because it’s in the seasons of testing that we discover we have a Daddy God who never leaves us or forsakes us.

Jesus demonstrated this life of sonship.  Remember, He was tempted in ALL things, yet without sin!!!  He didn’t wake up and face the day with the thought, “How am I going to avoid sin today; I need to work really hard to be a good son?”  No!  He awoke full of the Spirit and fully connected to His Daddy!  And from this position of sonship, while being tempted in ALL things, He loved and gave; doing all He saw His Daddy doing and saying all He heard His Daddy saying! (John 14)

So, sons and daughters of God count it all joy.  Don’t look at yourself when temptation comes and try to figure out what’s wrong with you.  Look up.  Look into those fiery eyes of Love and ask, “Who do You say that I am?” and let the testing produce maturity in you as you move into the knowledge that you really are complete, lacking in nothing.  You and God against every demon in hell are still a majority!