Perfection Through Trials

July 1st, 2026
by Lance Waldie

James 1:2-4 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Since the trials of life are God-given and have a divine purpose, it is no wonder James tells Christians to “consider it all joy…when you encounter various trials.” The verb “consider” (Gr. hēgeomai) is a Greek aorist imperative signifying urgency. It means to “have an opinion” of something, as in gathering information and forming a conclusion about a subject, in this case “various trials.” “Trials” (Gr. peirasmos) is the same word translated “temptations” in other contexts. Yet the two are distinct, for although God does test His people (e.g., Job), He never tempts anyone with evil (Jas. 2:13-14). Context always determines whether the word is translated “test; trial” or “temptation.” In James’ context, Christians were undergoing the trial of persecution, and James encouraged them to embrace this with joy. Jesus said as much in His Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matt 5:11-12).

Of course neither James nor Jesus ever told their listeners to go looking for trials or to consider the trial itself as joyful. Certainly Jesus did not consider the cross or the horrors of His beatings leading up to His crucifixion as joyful. Trials, by definition, are difficult and painful. Yet joy can be found in the midst of them. It is our perspective of suffering that we must “consider.” Whereas many have abandoned their faith due to suffering and various trials, Scripture is clear that sufferings are meant for the good of believers. James says to consider the fact that one’s faith, being tested by trials, “produces endurance” (v. 3). Note the present participle, “produces” (Gr. katergazomai), for it speaks of an ongoing work, the result of which is “endurance” (Gr. hupomonē)—also translated perseverance, steadfastness, or patience. Paul loved the term, using it 16 times (e.g., 2 Cor. 6:4; 12:12; 1 Thess. 1:3). John likewise uses it seven times in the Book of Revelation in the context of trials (e.g. 1:9; 2:2; 13:10; 14:12).

Yet James is not simply looking to encourage Christians in patient endurance. Important though it is, endurance itself is not the end-all. Endurance is supposed to progress to its “perfect result so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” Since James affirms elsewhere that no one will ever be truly perfect (3:2), sinless perfection is not what he has in mind. Clearly, he wants Christians to remain faithful throughout their lives. So, the “perfect result” of perseverance, though unstated by James, would reflect the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:6; cf. Rom. 6:22), to include remaining in Christ—loving Him and one another (John 15:1-17; cf. Rom 13:8; 2 Pet 1:6). Obviously this perfection is not one single virtue; rather, when one understands God as sovereignly working through our sufferings, we endure and consider it a joy to be a part of what God is doing in our lives and in the world He created. It seems that God’s desire for His people is not necessarily to understand all that He is doing but to trust Him in all things. So when Christians endure trials, we are attaining their “perfect result.”

James teaches us to value character above comfort—character that comes from trials. He thus stresses that our spiritual maturity trumps our physical growth, for if we value the physical over the spiritual, we will never “count it all joy” when we face trials. Living for the day, not the future, will cause us to shake our fists at God when He puts us through trials. Job said, “But He knows where I am going. And when He tests me, I will come out as pure as gold” (23:10, NLT).

Food For Thought
The perfection Jesus called us to (Matt 5:48) is that of a maturing character where we love Christ and are complete. That can only come through trials. It does not come through reading books or hearing sermons. It comes through sufferings, the result of which will be our perfection.