Proven Authenticity

“Count it all joy, my brothers, 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 (ESV).

All of us desire authenticity. The choice between fake and authentic is easy. Trials answer the question of whether what your faith is authentic and whether it is based in reality. Difficult circumstances test the authenticity of your faith.

The Greek word for “testing” means to find out if something is genuine. In this case, you are a new creation in Christ who is experiencing the truth of God’s Word in real time. Is what you believe in real and reliable? Am I really on the right path? A trial will show you if your spirit is born of Christ or born of the world. Soak up the truths and apply them to this new time of testing. Level up your perspective and respond in trust. When your faith is proven genuine, your soul and spirit share in this experience and you know deep inside of you that God’s Word is true and you are trusting in Him. Your faith has been proven to be true and this produces maturity and confidence in your inner being.

There are positive effects of experiencing the genuineness of your faith and the reliability of God, where your faith is placed. As you realize how dependable God is, you will gain stability. As you experience God’s sustaining grace, you will become better able to traverse times of trials. When your faith is tested, your ability to persevere through trials increases. You become more stable and increase in stamina.

“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 1:3-4 (ESV). The word for “steadfastness” in Greek means “to remain under” the trial that God has ordained for your growth. As an act of continued faith, you trust God’s provision, protection, and purpose for you in this trial. Notice that as you see your faith being proven to be genuine, you simultaneously are able to remain under the difficult challenge. Sometimes, God delivers you from the difficulty and many times He delivers you through the time of testing. His deliverance is experienced as your faith is proven to be genuine and your spirit has the power to remain under the difficult situation. In every trial, God is with you in the fire. Will you recognize Him and hold His hand? There is always the other Person in the fire with you.

“So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. 7 These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold — though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.” 1 Peter 1:6-7 (NLT).

Faith that is tested and proven to be genuine is more valuable than gold. Have this perspective as you traverse trials. You must endure many trials for a little while, but you can emerge rich in something very valuable: proven, authentic faith.

Prayer: “Dear Heavenly Father, Please give me Your perspective on the trials that I am going through. Show me that my faith is genuine. Help me to experience the validity of Your truth for every situation. Give me the grace to hold up under the pressure of difficult circumstances. Let me see Your goodness and experience Your faithfulness. Please sustain me and mature me. In Jesus’s name, amen.”