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A repeated word from a different mouth - James 1:2-4

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Saturday, August 15th, 2026

Hi Ladies,

Have you ever told someone something (maybe a repeated something!), and they just don't seem to get it? Then, one day you hear them say, "So-and-so said this to me, and it really stuck." And you think to yourself, That's exactly what I was trying to tell you!
There is a lot of value in multiple voices speaking similar words of truth and encouragement. And praise the Lord for many like-minded saints who are doing that, both within our church family and beyond! This week, I want to share a "same-but-different" with you on a topic we've talked about a lot over the years. But I hope that hearing it from someone else will maybe help it stick even better. đŸ˜Šâ¤ď¸đŸ™ So, enjoy this devotional on James 1:2-4 from Paul Tautges, a pastor, counselor and gifted writer:

                                  Your Faith Muscle Needs Exercise

“Count it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4).

In Trusting God, Jerry Bridges describes the physical exertion of the Cecropia moth as it exits its cocoon. He then tells the story of a sympathetic viewer who snipped the shell of a cocoon to free a struggling moth. What this person did not understand “was that the struggle to emerge from the cocoon was an essential part of developing the muscle system of the moth’s body and pushing the body fluids out into the wings to expand them. By unwisely seeking to cut short the moth’s struggle, the watcher had actually crippled the moth and doomed its existence.”<1>

Such is the case with the muscle of our faith. If we habitually seek to escape from all painful trials rather than joyfully submitting to them as part of God’s endurance-building program, we may forgo opportunities to have our faith muscles exercised and strengthened.

The Struggle That Strengthens Faith

James 1:2-4 teaches us that knowing the goal of suffering is an important part of being able to “count it all joy” when we encounter “trials of various kinds.” God tests our faith to produce steadfastness, or endurance. The word steadfastness comes from a compound word meaning “to stay under,” “abide,” or “remain.” It is the picture of someone who has been carrying a heavy load for a long time, remaining under its weight instead of seeking to cast it off. Similarly, endurance develops when we remain under a trial while resisting the temptation to run from it. As we stay in our trials, our faith is strengthened. As Kent Hughes says, “The more tests we pass, the tougher we become.”<2>

Staying Under, Not Running Away

God’s good purpose will often be accomplished as we humbly submit to our trials. God may remove the trial when we have learned what it was sent to teach us, or it may be His will for us to remain under it indefinitely.<3> As we mature in Christ, we learn to remain under our trials until God lifts them or accomplishes their character-building purpose.

When suffering comes your way, you have two basic choices: you can choose to persevere under trial and grow in endurance, or you can run from pain and be robbed of growth. One way you gain; the other way you lose. If you decide you have had enough pressure and develop the habit of running from all trials, you will short-circuit the process of your own spiritual maturity.

From Steadfastness to Christlike Maturity

Steadfastness, as virtuous as it is, is not God’s final goal. God does not want you merely to endure but to endure with joy—knowing His goal is to make you “perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” God’s goal is to bring you to the finish line, whole and mature.

Spiritual maturity is what God is after in our trials. And if you want to know what spiritual maturity looks like, look at Jesus. You can be joyful in the midst of suffering when you know and embrace God’s good purpose to develop your faith muscles in such a way that you reflect Christ.

Questions for Reflection

     1. Ask yourself, “Where am I currently tempted to ‘snip the cocoon’ and escape a hard situation instead of asking God to use it to strengthen my faith?”
     2. How have your former trials, in hindsight, grown the muscle of your faith and made you more like Christ?
     3. What would it look like today to remain under your present trial with joy, trusting that God is aiming at making you “perfect and complete, lacking in nothing”?

Editor’s Note: This article is a chapter excerpt from Remade: Embracing Your Complete Identity in Christ by Paul Tautges (P&R Publishing, 2023).

<1> Jerry Bridges, Trusting God (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 1988), 173–74.

<2> R. Kent Hughes, James: Faith That Works (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1991), 19.

<3> In the course of applying biblical wisdom, we may discern that God is leading us in another direction. For example, Proverbs 22:3 teaches that “the prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.” Generally speaking, however, it is healthy for us to avoid falling into escapist patterns.

Source: https://www.biblicalcounselingcoalition.org/2026/08/12/your-faith-muscle-needs-exercise

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