1.3 – What does the church need most from James today?

[Amanda]

This is a tough choice! I think, though, that the most needed of the topics for the church today is steadfastness in suffering. Realistically, I think this topic is one of the most needed topics to discuss in general, regardless of time period or even circumstance. One of the most difficult yet most guaranteed things to endure in this life is suffering, and I think that addressing that is important. I think it’s also important to touch on the concept of suffering being a positive experience, in the sense that our faithful reaction to that suffering and what comes after that can be used to glorify God. It may be painful, frightening, uncomfortable, or any other number of things, but we can trust that He will see us through and provide for us in ways that we can’t even imagine. Not only that, but we can use our testimony to better help others face their own suffering.

So much of today’s society (and really the world in general) focuses on how to avoid suffering and how to be as hedonistic as possible, but tests of faith and endurance as essential to our experience here on this fallen earth. If we pretend that they don’t exist, if we only preach prosperity, for example, then we are missing an entire piece of the puzzle. It is easy to be faithful in pleasure, but we need to build our foundation and learn to be faithful in times of suffering as well, whether it is emotional, physical, spiritual, or anything else.