The Lodestar

Contrary to popular understanding, suffering in life is not a roadblock but a crucial step in the journey towards Christian perfection. This transformative process can bring us closer to God.

Our bodies warn us when we approach the fire and trigger the reflex to withdraw from the heat. So, if we are about to touch a hot iron, the heat warns us, or if we feel it accidentally, we withdraw our hands immediately. That safety mechanism is built into our bodies to protect us from burning. The Greek word for “trial” is related to fire. Trials could be sickness, death, financial problems, or adversities a believer faces that test his faithfulness to Christ. In times of suffering, like in the case of fire, the tendency is to avoid or get out of it as soon as possible. But it is our faith that can empower us to endure and overcome.

James explains that sufferings are “tests,” a word used to purify precious metals. For a Christian, suffering is like precious metals passing through a purifying fire, not a destructive fire.

To achieve the goal of purifying, the piece of gold must stay in the fire for a specific period and temperature that the smith has determined. However, the work of metal that comes out of the fire, without all the impurities that tarnished it, glows to the delight of the goldsmith.

That is why steadfastness is crucial in times of suffering. Steadfastness means staying in the fire until thoroughly purified. Staying in the fire until God’s purpose in our lives is fulfilled will reward us. The crown that God has offered to those who endure suffering is not one that rulers wear; it refers to the crowns given to the victors in the athletic competitions in ancient Olympics. This promise of reward should motivate us to endure and persevere.

God sometimes allows suffering in life, but it is never to destroy us but to take us to a higher level of perfection. Though it is hard to endure hardships, the fact that the Lord, who allowed them to happen, is with us, as in the case of the three young men thrown into the fire (Daniel 3:8—40), helps us face them and endure them.