Mental Math for Maturity (James 1:2-3)
- Nicole Whitacre
- Apr 5
- 4 min read
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. —James 1:2-3
Recently, a small set of trials accumulated over the course of my day: first my phone broke, then my stomach started to hurt, and to top it off, my tax accountant asked for more data to complete our return. Tech issues, tummy troubles, and taxes made for a miserable trifecta, I thought. But then I learned that a friend–a wife and mother about the same age as me–was admitted to the hospital with a serious and debilitating condition. It was time to recalibrate my misery measurements. My troubles were small, to say the least.
The apostle James knows that when we face trials, our calculations can often be fuzzy and faithless, leading to a loss of stability in the Christian life. Things just don’t add up the way we had hoped they would, and all too easily, it seems, we lose heart. In these verses, James shows us how to handle life’s trials, big and small. So, how do we cope with the problems we encounter on a daily basis? As I like to tell my daughters and the young women I teach: we must learn from James how to do mental math for Christian maturity.
The first step in this biblical equation is to expect trials. In fact, the certainty of suffering lies at the center of James’ calculation: “Do this when this happens.” James employs no“If-then” statements here, as much as we might like him to. Rather, he assumes that we will face trials, and tells us how to handle them when they come.
Still, we can have a hard time believing James on this point. We’re not completely convinced that setbacks and suffering are as inevitable and immediate as he seems to think. Sure, we know we may have to face a big trial or two at some point in our life. But we tend to wake up expecting today to be pleasant and smooth and we’re discouraged when things go wrong. We expect successes and pleasures of various kinds this week, and we’re disconsolate and discontent when we don’t achieve our goals.
That’s why the first step toward Christian maturity is to believe the truth packed into this little word “when.” Peter backs up his fellow apostle when he writes, “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you” (1 Peter 4:12, emphasis mine). Spoiler alerts are welcome here, for trials are always harder if we are surprised by them and easier to the degree that we are biblically prepared. Expect trouble and you’ll be ready to respond with Christian maturity.
Second, we must expect “trials of various kinds.” Our phone may break, or a loved one may break our heart; we may lose our keys or we may lose our job; we may suffer long-term illness or be sick at heart over troubles in the world and in our home. But mature mental math factors in every big trial and every tiny test. No trial–of any kind–comes to us apart from the kindness of God. Whatever the shape or size of our troubles, we can find comfort and hope by applying these words of wisdom.
Finally, we must “count it all joy” when we face diverse and daily trials. Why? James says that the “testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” At first “steadfastness” might seem like a consolation prize of sorts: “Thanks for playing mental math with James; even though you didn’t win, you get steadfastness!” But steadfastness is the prize worth getting, the maturity in Christ that every Christian longs for. As James 1:4 tells us, “let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” For the Christian, trials produce steadfastness, and steadfastness leads to perfection and completeness. When we calculate our troubles with the mental math of
Christian maturity, we count it all joy and receive perfect joy in return.
For Reflection
What trials did you encounter this past week? Did they catch you off guard?
How would it change your response to trials if you started each day asking God for the grace to anticipate disruptions in your plans?
Thank God that He intends your trials, big and small, to refine you and make you more like Jesus.
Nicole Whitacre is a wife, mother, homemaker, teacher, and author. She and her husband, Steve, and their four grown children make their happy home in Pewee Valley, Kentucky where her husband is a pastor at Sovereign Grace Church of Louisville and the president of Trinity College of Louisville. Nicole is the founder and head teacher of Trinitas Classical Academy and a guest lecturer at Trinity College. She is the co-author of several books, including Girl Talk, True Beauty, True Feelings, and True Life, and the author of True Happiness, forthcoming from Crossway Books.
