Get the most out of the test

In the Epistle of the Apostle James in chapter 1, after speaking of the fact that we have to consider it with great joy to find ourselves in various tests because those tests of our faith produce patience among many other things, the Apostle James also gives us a warning and He says: "But his complete work be patient so that you are perfect and complete without missing anything."

After speaking of the importance of trials and regarding them as a reason for in a sense to rejoice spiritually in them because such trials produce in us the quality of patience that is essential to Christian character, the apostle James makes a small warning as well. and he says: "But his complete work may have patience so that you may be perfect and complete." In other words, I believe that what the apostle James is telling us here is that: let's make sure that we absorb all the positive effect that the tests have so that the patience that we have to develop reaches its maximum expression, so that our character as Christians I reached a level of perfection almost or at least of utmost development.

And he says that we make sure that patience has its complete work. We have to ask the Lord that when we go through a difficult situation, that we have everything that is needed to see exactly what He wants to accomplish in that work, that we can correctly interpret and get the most out of those situations. test.

I think that is why immediately the apostle James in verse 5 says: "And if any of you lacks wisdom, ask God, who gives generously to all and without reproach, and it will be given to him." Why this association in the mind of the apostle James between tests, patience, developing that test and that patience to the maximum and asking God to give us wisdom? I believe that wisdom and I could also add spiritual discernment is absolutely important so that we can understand and discern the purpose that God has behind each circumstance, each situation including trials in which we may find ourselves.

We need wisdom and discernment to understand what God has behind the situation I'm going through. When we are going through trials one of the things we have to say to the Lord is: Lord give me understanding, give me wisdom to know what it is that you are trying to achieve and accomplish through this time of lack, of trial, of difficulty. what part of me are you trying to perfect and confront through this particular situation?

One of the reasons why many times we get impatient with trials and sometimes we stop praying or seeking the Lord, or we begin to doubt God's mercy and we separate ourselves from the Church, from the brothers, we do not continue serving the Lord and then what happens? The test instead of producing the good that God has produces bad things, rather a departure from the things of the Lord.

But one of the things that this happens is because we are not precisely discerning what God wants to do through this test, we are not having the wisdom to interpret them in light of God's benevolent purpose and therefore we consider them rather as something negative instead of positive and we do not understand the reason that God has behind it. That is why the apostle James says: no, ask the Lord to give you wisdom to interpret the tests, so that then that test can have its maximum effect and can produce in you then a character that says here, he calls it "perfect and complete ". That is what we have to aim for in the Christian life, to reach the utmost Christian perfection.

Colossians 4 for example, in Colossians 4 chapter 12 Paul says: "Always pleading earnestly for you in our prayers so that you may be firm, perfect and complete in all that God wants." That should be the goal of our life, to reach the highest perfection, to realize the Christian character to the maximum.

Also in First Thessalonians chapter 5 the apostle Paul says there in verse 23: "And the same God of peace sanctify you completely and all your being, spirit, soul and body be kept blameless for the Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." How interesting is it? that says: That God says sanctify us completely and that all our being, all the parts of our being are preserved blamelessly.

In other words, as Christians we must aim for perfection, develop all the qualities of Christian character, be more and more like Christ. Interestingly, the tests, the difficulties of life produce that effect on us, that is why God uses them. God is like a very skilled doctor or surgeon who is cutting things out of us, He is operating in our life. Trials, difficulties have a virtue and a capacity to break us, to iron things out in us like no other type of experience.

It is interesting that the negative in the hands of God, such as pain in the hands of a good surgeon or a bitter medicine in the hands of a good doctor, produces rather an effect for life and for spiritual growth, and for the formation of the Christian character, to reflect that perfection of Christ's character. Rather, the word perfect in the original Greek is the idea of being complete, of taking something to its maximum expression. It does not necessarily mean that it is perfect in the sense that it does not have defects because we will always have defects in our character but it does mean that we can round out our character.

And then we can understand why Santiago says to make sure that patience has its maximum expression, that when we go through trials we do not prematurely get out of the test by understanding its purpose and its benevolent effect but that we let it take its full effect so that then we can come to reflect that character of Jesus in all its magnitude and perfection. One more reason why we have to count for great joy when we find ourselves in various trials.