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Scripture Focus: James 1:2-4, NASB: “Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
Patience is an important concept many of us miss. It is not passive resignation, nor human weakness and failing to act because of our fears of inadequacy, it is this idea we are actively waiting and enduring. It is staying with something and doing all we are capable of doing - working, exercising faith and hope, having assurance and confidence, bearing our moment of suffering and hardship with fortitude. Despite our human nature and desire to alleviate our suffering with quick fixes and satiated solutions that are empty. We exercise faith and assurance of hope in that the desires of our hearts are delayed and resting in the will and purpose of God. Patience is more than simply enduring and getting to the other side - it is enduring well with confidence, courage, and boldness of truth and reality of who God is.
And immediately Jesus had His disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He Himself dismissed the crowd. And after saying goodbye to them, He left for the mountain to pray. When it was evening, the boat was in the middle of the sea, and He was alone on the land. Seeing them straining at the oars—for the wind was against them—at about the fourth watch of the night, He came to them, walking on the sea; and He intended to pass by them. 49But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they thought that it was a ghost, and they cried out; for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, “Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.” Then He got into the boat with them, and the wind stopped; and they were utterly astonished, for they had not gained any insight from the incident of the loaves, but their hearts were hardened. (Mark 6:45-54, NASB).
We choose to take courage and not be afraid of the storms because we have faith in knowing who Christ is; or we allow the storms of life to harden our hearts because we are not willing to gain insights and are left rowing and straining at our oars of life - against the wind of our storms.
Introduction:
As Christians, we understand that patience is not passive resignation, nor is it failing to act because of our fears. Patience means active waiting and enduring. It means staying with something and doing all that we can—working, hoping, and exercising faith; bearing hardship with fortitude, even when the desires of our hearts are delayed. Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well! This perspective, drawn from timeless biblical truths, offers hope and resilience in today’s chaotic world.
Personal Story: A Journey Through Homelessness
“You don’t know what it’s like to be homeless!”
His words hit hard as he stared at me, eyes clouded with shame.
“I’m sure I understand,” I replied gently. “It wasn’t easy for me, and I know it’s not easy for you or anyone else facing it.”
He paused, skepticism flickering. “I don’t think you do. You’re just blowing smoke!” With that, he grabbed his belongings and hurried off. I watched him go, wishing I could’ve shared a coffee, a meal, or my story.
Would he have listened? We all face trials that test us, and looking back on my years of homelessness, I see lessons I wish I’d grasped sooner: Be patient and trust God faithfully. From the mid-1990s to the early 2000s, I drifted through homelessness in Bellevue and Seattle, Washington. Evicted from homes, jobless, or caught in life’s chaos, I stayed in churches, shelters, a pickup truck, even a Mazda 323. The lowest point came when I landed in Seattle with just $50, a backpack, work boots, three cartons of cigarettes, and a few days’ clothes.
Depression swallowed my confidence. Survival baffled me then and still does now. But my father’s lesson stuck: Work hard, no matter what. Despite his health struggles, he provided for us, and that grit kept me going.
Lesson from My Father:
One thing my father taught me was to always work hard no matter what the circumstances were.
I found a day labor hall, showing up daily for $50 gigs—enough for a meal, smokes, and coffee. I roamed Downtown Seattle, avoiding rest, grabbing community meals when I could, or paying $5 for a shelter bed. Then, a tip about a transitional housing program changed everything. Within a week, a bed opened up. Exhausted, sleep-deprived, and looking like death, I followed the program, rested, and rebuilt. That was my last brush with homelessness, and since then, I’ve grown tremendously.
Understanding James 1:2-4: Counting It All Joy
“Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials”
How do we find joy in pain? True Christian faith shines through trials, revealing genuine joy and patience over shallow professions. Early Christians faced oppression, false teachings, and internal strife—challenges we still see today in churches and society. James, steeped in Hebraic wisdom, ties faith to ethics and justice, urging us to endure with purpose.
To grasp this joy, we turn to the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-23, NASB):
Seed on the Wayside: “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one sown with seed beside the road.” (Matthew 13:19, NASB) Inspiration sparks but fades fast when worldly worries steal it. Without understanding, faith can’t root, and joy vanishes.
Seed on Rocky Ground: “And the one sown with seed on the rocky places, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution occurs because of the word, immediately he falls away.” (Matthew 13:20-21, NASB) Faith starts strong but withers under pressure. Shallow roots leave us offended, not resilient, when trials hit.
Seed Among Thorns: “And the one sown with seed among the thorns, this is the one who hears the word, and the anxiety of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.” (Matthew 13:22, NASB) Worldly cares strangle faith. Pride and ambition replace humility, leaving no room for righteousness or joy.
Seed on Good Soil: “But the one sown with seed on the good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces, some a hundred, some sixty, and some thirty times as much.” (Matthew 13:23, NASB) Understanding breeds endurance. Trials refine us, yielding faith, patience, and blessings.
Let’s break this down in bite-size nuggets of scriptural truth and application.
Understanding Not -
In the interpretation of the parable of the Sower - Christ expounds to his disciples the meaning and understanding. He addresses the first seed that fell to the wayside and being snatched up quickly by the enemy:
“When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom the seed was sown beside the road.” (Matthew 13:19)
Sometimes, we may hear something. It may be an inspirational spark. However, it is quickly taken away by the cares and the worries of this world. A person lacks understanding and is not able to cultivate real faith. Their joy in life appears to be diminished quickly. And hearing something is not the issue. Allowing it to take root is at issue. Our lack of understanding - faith, joy, and patience - has no foundation and is easily snatched before it is able to secure itself within our hearts, minds, and spirit.
Easily Offended -
The second part of the parable is where Christ expounds on the seed that fell into the stoney places.
“The one on whom the seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away.” (Matthew 13:20-21).
The NASB does an interesting thing here. In the King James Version, the word anon is replaced with the word immediately in the NASB. This appears to keep with the Greek context. Here, the seed does take root, however, it is not able to fully root itself in the ground. Our faith may be immediate. Our joy may be even received with great enthusiasm. Yet, when life happens - we falter and become offended. Our faith and joy diminish - so does our patience with God. We become easily offended and angered.
Selfish Pride and Ambition
The third part of this parable deals with those who appear to blossom and do well. They may appear to be quite successful. Yet, at what cost?
.”And the one on whom the seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.” (Matthew 13:22)
Without genuine and authentic relationship with God - our faith is weakened and choked by the cares of this world. We prefer the accolades of men rather than submit with humility to the divine providential sovereignty of who God is. We strive to prove ourselves and deny God’s grace and mercy. Our desire is to prove to others - to the world - we matter, have significance and value, and attain our status through grit and personal determination and will power. It is the quintessential idea that I am fully capable of pulling myself up by my own bootstrap's mentality and attitude.
Yes, there may be great success and achievement in our lives - yet at what cost? How many have relied on deceitful tactics and manipulations to attain their status? Faith, joy, and patience are choked, and the person has no fruit of righteousness, love, or compassion. This is what the savior meant later on in Matthew 16 that those who shall find their lives - they shall inevitably lose it because they do not have anything of sustenance, value, or worth to show for what they attained - it is vanity as Ecclesiastes reveals (Ecclesiastes 1:2, 14; 2:17; 3:19; 12:8).
Genuine - Authentic - faith, patience, and joy bear real fruit -
The final aspect of the parable that Christ expounds upon is that of the seed falling on good ground.
“And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.” (Matthew 13:23)
And what is this fruit we bear? Galatians 2:16-25 lays this out by giving attention to how we are to walk by the Spirit and not carry out the desires of the flesh. The Apostle Paul contrasts how the desires of the flesh are in opposition to the nature of the Spirit and lists the desires of the flesh as:
Sexual immorality
Impurity
Indecent behavior
Idolatry
Witchcraft
Hostilities, Strife, and Contention
Jealousy
Outbursts of anger
Selfish ambition, dissensions and factions
Envy
Drunkenness and carousing
Contrasting this - Paul then lists out the fruit of the Spirit:
Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Gentleness
Self-control/Discipline
Joy and patience comes when we hear and understand. Through our trials, we bear real fruit of our faithfulness to God. We persevere and endure. Our faith grows and becomes a well-spring of blessings. Through our joy and patience - our faith strengthens us and we become resilient. It is how we choose to respond in those times where we face our trials.
What Does “Count It All Joy” Mean?
Compelling Truth explains: "‘Count’ means to consider... When trials come, the way we respond is more important than the trial itself." It’s a choice—see trials as injustice, despair, or a chance to trust God.
Ligonier Ministries adds:"To count afflictions as joy, we must look to the future... Jesus endured the cross for the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2)." Our joy isn’t fleeting; it’s anchored in God’s promises, not circumstances.
Hebrews 12:2, NASB: “looking only at Jesus, the originator and perfecter of the faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Personal Reflection: I realized my happiness wasn’t the issue—it was my joy, tied to growing in faith.
Our joy, therefore, does not come from the people around us (while they may have great influence on our sense of joy). Nor does our sense of joy come from the things we strive to attain, or the accolades and achievements we receive from men (and there is nothing wrong with setting goals and accomplishing those goals and finding joy in the process of working toward them).
No, our greatest sense of joy comes from our Heavenly Father, through His Son, Jesus Christ, and bestowed upon us by the power of the Holy Spirit. When we walk in faith obedience - when we obey without delay - we are walking in enduring faith, trusting in Him and His guiding hand and divine plan and purpose for our lives. This is what I have personally come to realize in my own life. That it is not my happiness that was at stake. It was my own sense of joy and how I needed to live and grow in faith.
It took me a long time to come to terms with this simple, and yet, practical truth. See, I had this false bravado ideal and understanding of my own sense of worth. My own sense of power. My own sense of freedom and fun. My own sense of belonging was diminished by other people. I invested in other people to help me feel happy. I had lived most of my life being a people pleaser because I craved to be satiated by their approval and validation of me. It took a lot of energy and effort to do everything in my power to simply get some sympathy and admiration. I blamed other people out of my own anger and my life was fruitless. I looked to others to rescue me and to - in a lack of better words - honor and kinda worship me. What I thought faith was really was no more than a weak-minded immature individual who failed to root himself into the good ground of faith of who Christ is.
Every season I experienced suffering was because of my own lack of faith in God. I robbed God of His provisions for me. I prayed - “God I want to know you more” and then things happen in my life where I am put through the refiners fire. What do I do instead? Certainly not run to God and believe he will provide and make my path straight. No, I turned to myself and said - “I got this, not my first rodeo, and here I go again because I gotta pull myself out of this.” And turn from God and his provision from me. Because, for me, how I was able to survive and make it through most of the storms in my life was through cunning resourcefulness. Unfortunately, it never created any enduring and longevity of stability in my life. It was all meant to satiate my own appetite and desire for relief - never satisfying me.
What do I mean by being satiated vs. satisfied?
Satiated means to be completely full - filling up to the point of excess.
Satisfied means one is able to meet basic needs where one attains emotional, spiritual, and temporal fulfillment - being content.
Both convey a sense of fulfillment, however satiated implies being full to the point of exhaustion, whereas satisfied refers to a more balanced state of contentment.
Being satiated indicates a sense of relief or exhaustion from the challenges one faced, while satisfied reflects a more balanced spiritual, emotional, and temporal state of acceptance and contentment.
Where I thought there was joy and genuine happiness in my life was an illusion and I mostly rode the merry-go-round going nowhere fast.
Breaking Pride and Finding Faith
My homelessness stemmed from weak faith. I leaned on resourcefulness, not God, chasing fleeting highs on a merry-go-round to nowhere. The last two times I hit rock bottom felt like shipwrecks—cycles I couldn’t escape until pride broke. Lesson Learned:
"My pride and ego had to be demolished for humility and grace to take root. Then faith and patience were able to work." Living in my Mazda at an Assemblies of God church, I worked as a janitor. One night, a man’s words stung:
“Tim, you think church folks owe you something... No one owes you anything but yourself.”
Fuming, I heard God’s voice: “Who’s responsible for where you are?” That humbled me. My entitlement had fueled resentment, but faith in God—real faith—pulled me out of homelessness for good.
The Trial of Faith Works Patience
Patience isn’t passive; it’s trusting God’s timing through prayer and action. Here are practical ways to develop patience: Identify the root of your impatience.
Delay the need for instant gratification.
Seek God’s purpose in waiting.
Practice gratitude for blessings.
Christian Teaching:
"We can grow in faith only if we are willing to wait patiently for God’s purposes and patterns to unfold in our lives, on His timetable." God, like a wise parent, knows instant fixes stunt growth. Patience builds resilience.
Personal Growth:
I’d professed faith but lived choked by worldly cares. Cleansing my heart—inside first (Matthew 23:25-26, NASB)—aligned me with God. “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may also become clean.” (Matthew 23:25-26, NASB)
Made Complete, Perfect, and Lacking Nothing
“Perfect” and “complete” aren’t about flawlessness but wholeness through wisdom and faith. While Proverbs 9:10 is referenced generally as “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (NASB), this awe fuels wonder, turning trials into growth. For this update, I’ve kept it as a general reference since it wasn’t directly quoted earlier. However, here are principles supported by NASB scriptures: Principles for Completeness: Know your identity in Christ:
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10, NASB)
Pursue God: “But he who boasts is to boast in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises mercy, justice, and righteousness on the earth; for I delight in these things,” declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 9:24, NASB)
Honor commitments: “All the paths of the Lord are faithfulness and truth to those who comply with His covenant and His testimonies.” (Psalm 25:10, NASB)
Act in faith: “Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.” (James 2:17, NASB)
Embrace sorrow as joy’s teacher: “For our momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.” (2 Corinthians 4:17, NASB)
Conclusion
Do I know homelessness? Yes—the shame, exhaustion, instability. But James 1:2-4 taught me faith breeds perseverance, maturing us. We can’t stop storms, but we can adjust our sails. Reflect: How do you face trials? Trust God—He’ll guide you through. Call to Action:
Share your story of growth through trials below. Let’s pray together!
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