“The more afflictions you have been under, the more assistance you have had for this life of holiness.” -John Flavel
Good, Fast and Cheap
Have you ever heard the phrase Good, Fast, Cheap? It has to do with the choices people have to make when it comes to building, repairing, or making things. The idea is that you can usually only choose two out of those three things, but not all of them at once.
Take a kitchen renovation as an example.
If you want it to be fast and cheap, it’s probably not going to be very high quality. Your contractor is going to be sourcing the cheapest materials they can find and rushing through the job to meet the deadline. The end result might be fast and cheap, but not very good.
If you want it to be high quality and done quickly, it’s going to cost you a lot, because that contractor is going to demand a pretty penny to bump other projects off their schedule and work long hours to make sure it’s finished in time without sacrificing quality.
And if you want it high quality and inexpensive, don’t expect it to get done any time soon. You might have to spend a few weeks at the University of YouTube to figure out how do it yourself (to cut costs), or wait until a knowledgeable friend has the time in their busy schedule to come lend you a hand for free.
One application of this principle is that the best things in life don’t typically come quickly or cheaply. Good things (like a strong relationship with God) take time and resources to develop.
That seems to be the first point James wants to make about our walk with God in chapter 1.
Faith Grows Stronger Through Adversity
Wouldn’t it be great if we could have a relationship with God that was good, fast, and cheap? Imagine waking up tomorrow with a strong, dynamic faith like the heroes of the Bible had:
The wisdom of Solomon.
The boldness of Elijah.
The courage of Esther.
The strength of Samson.
The generosity of the widow.
All of it… overnight! Now imagine it didn’t require any hard work or sacrifice, and you didn’t even have to rearrange your busy schedule to make it possible. Would that be great?
Of course it would! But James here with an important message: That’s not the way life and faith work.
Professional athletes know this principle well. When they are training to get stronger physically, they hit the gym and push themselves to take on greater and greater physical challenges. They know the key to growing stronger is to face resistance and push through it. Slowly but surely, your body rises to the challenge and now you’re able to do things that were impossible before.
But you don’t get there by lounging by the pool. You get it by suffering in the gym.
On the spiritual side, the opening section from James teaches us that a strong, resilient faith is hard to cultivate when life is always easy:
“2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4 (NIV)
If we take this message to heart (which we should), we’ll realize that we need difficult seasons of life in order to develop a stronger faith. No one really enjoys those moments as they’re happening, but at least we can take solace in the fact that they produce something positive in us.
Living in Light of Eternity
“Time is short. Eternity is long. It is only reasonable that this short life be lived in the light of eternity.” -Charles Spurgeon
A few months ago I shared this quote from Franklin Roosevelt in a post about a similar topic: “A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.” Smooth seas are fun! I like them a lot, and I know I’m not alone. And if all God cared about was our day-to-day comfort and happiness, he’d probably give us a nonstop dose of them.
But as much as God values our short-term happiness, he actually values our long-term holiness even more.
I believe there are many seasons of life when God can help us grow to maturity while also giving us a comfortable, convenient life. But sometimes he has to choose between keeping us happy and helping us grow, and we have to realize that a loving father will choose holiness over happiness.
The reason for that is in James 1:12:
“Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.” (NIV)
God has such a strong desire to spend eternity with you in Heaven that he is willing to temporarily interrupt your happiness on earth to make that possible. Our responsibility is to stand strong in the faith through those trials, ask for the wisdom we need for our journey (James 1:5), and live in light of eternity. By doing those things, we’ll ensure that we don’t lose out on the crown of life God has prepared for us.
For Further Study:
Why does God allow us to be pushed beyond our limits? Read 2 Corinthians 1:3-11, especially verse 9.
Why do I need other Christians to help me on my journey? Read Ecclesiastes 4:9-12.
Is my suffering a sign that God is angry with me? Read 1 Peter 4:12-16.
Watch the Sermon
This summer I am preaching through the book of James at Southwest Church of Christ. This post is based on my sermon from June 9, 2024, which you can view here: