No Pain, No Gain

James 1:2-4

Dr. “Joey” Alan Le, Ph.D.

Jun 15, 2025

James 1:2–4

2 My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; 4 and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing (NRSV).

whenever you face trials — James does not say, “if you face trials.” It’s not a matter of whether or not trials will come. It’s a matter of when. Trials will come. How will we deal with them when they do come?

trials — There are many “trials” or “tests.”

Persecution
Physical sickness
Bereavement
Family troubles
Financial troubles
Alienation
Rejection
Disappointments
Criticisms

What trials or tests have you gone through or are currently going through?

consider it nothing but joy — What is your initial reaction to James' suggestion to think of suffering as a good thing?

consider it — This is a mental shift to see suffering and trouble from a different vantage point — from the heavenly and divine perspective, it can be an occasion for joy (Osborne, 22).

All people will experience trials, hardships, and suffer. But for the Christian, the experience of suffering does not have to be the end of the story.

God can use suffering as a means to God’s good end.

Have you experienced God's conversion of something painful into something meaningful?

3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance — The reason we can consider trials a joy is that we know and trust God is developing our character and perseverance. God uses trials to purge and remove defects from our immature faith (Lea, 257).

Butterflies

What happens if we humans help a butterfly break out of its chrysalis?

If we make the struggle easier, the butterfly will not survive later on.

The struggle to emerge from the chrysalis is essential for the butterfly's development. It's during this difficult process that the butterfly builds the necessary muscles and forces fluid into its wings, enabling them to expand properly.

We need resistance to grow.

A Child's Loneliness

Earlier this week, my daughter confided with her mom at bedtime that she didn’t have any friends to play with and that she was lonely at daycare.

We were heartbroken.

My first reaction was to go to her daycare the next morning and force the other kids to be my daughter's friend, and to make sure the teachers would enforce those friendships!

Have any of you ever felt that kind of indignation for someone you care about?

Hearing about my daughter’s feelings of abandonment, rejection, and loneliness triggered something in me.

It reminded me of the loneliness that I experienced as a child. I wasn’t smart, I wasn’t cool, I wasn’t athletic. Even though I was surrounded by people, I still felt lonely because I never felt like I belonged or was accepted.

I know how painful it is to be lonely. I know how it feels to be worthless and insignificant. I wouldn’t wish that for anyone, much less, my daughter.

But, if I’m honest, a huge reason why I felt called to be a pastor, a shepherd, is because of my lived pain of loneliness. And a handful of people who showed me some love and attention. That saved me. Loneliness opened me up to empathy. God used my loneliness to make me sensitive to other people’s loneliness, to reach out, and to be a friend and companion.

Deep down, I knew that I shouldn’t intervene for my daughter. It was because I had gone through all that pain that I knew that this was something that Evie would have to learn to deal with on her own. What are some ways you've dealt with loneliness?

Of course, my wife and I will listen to our daughter, talk about her struggle with her, tell her that we understand, and know how hard it can be. We can give her a few ideas about approaching others and asking them to play with her, and to not be afraid to do her own thing. Maybe even keep a lookout for another kid who might be lonely, and see if she can play with them.

But, on the playground, at school, the rest of her life…we can’t be there every moment of every day, making sure she has company. We can’t make friendships for her. She must be friendly and be a friend to others on her own. Those social skills that she gains will carry her through her entire life, even when we’re no longer with her.

It's so painful. But, in my limited experience, this seems to be the right path. For me to be a good father, for us to be good parents, we’ve got to watch our daughter go through the trial.

And here’s the trippy part.

Her sense of loneliness is a sign of growth.

I remember when she was just a little baby. She just minded her own business. She was quite uninterested in other babies.

She didn’t start to really play back-and-forth with other kids until she was about 2 years old.

She never felt lonely when she didn’t want to play with other kids.

It’s only when she wanted to be in relationship with other kids that she felt the beginnings of loneliness.

Her trial of loneliness is a sign of her maturing towards relational wholeness.

Going through it, will help her get through it.

And so it is with us all.

Going through suffering will help us get through it.

Do you have any stories of how your journey through suffering gave you the strength to overcome it?

Time Under Tension

Weightlifters often talk about “time under tension.” The more they can increase the duration of muscle tension, the more their muscles will grow.

The strongest athletes are those who have endured the most pain.

No pain, no gain.

The Greek word for “endurance” depicts a person under a heavy load, determined to stay there rather than trying to escape. It is the spiritual trait of remaining constant under trial and showing steadfastness, energy, and stamina (Lea, 270)

It’s not a single, one-time push, and then you’re done forever. This kind of “endurance” is a deep quality of character (Nystrom, Loc. 12,919).

How long did you endure your hardship(s)? Did the duration teach you anything?

Repping to Failure

The Greek word “endurance” or “perseverance” means “press to the limit” or to “try one’s ultimate resources" (Walters, 39).

It is not a passive submission to circumstances. It is an active, heroic perseverance to be steadfast through the most difficult circumstances (Loh, 13).

If you're into weightlifting or bodybuilding, this is the goal of “training or repping to failure.“ By pushing our muscles to their limits, to the point where we can’t even do one more rep with proper form, we can maximize muscle growth and get stronger.

Have you ever reached what you thought was your breaking point?

Progressive Overload

In the world of fitness, physical strength requires “progressive overload.” This means that you’ve got to consistently challenge your muscles with increased resistance and intensity over time. That’s how you prevent plateaus.

Spiritual strength is no different. If in one season of your life, you felt strong and steady in the Lord, then you can bet that life will throw you something troublesome, casting doubt and threatening to separate your intimacy with the Lord.

The process of spiritual maturity requires a progressive overload.

Every new trial forces us to go to God more (Osborne, 23).

Have you experienced this pattern of increasing hardship and suffering?

Caregivers Group

A person who gives long-term care for a loved one who has a physical or intellectual disability carries a heavy load. From dressing, to feeding, bathing, and driving them to doctor’s appointments, and on and on…it is exhausting and can be overwhelming.

It is truly inspiring to see such people endure, determined to stay and continue caring for and about their loved ones. They ain’t going nowhere. They are put to the test. And they prove to be “made of the right stuff.”

They have the ability to pass the breaking-point and not break (Loh, 13).

Caretakers are the toughest, most loving people you’ll ever meet (Hughes, 19).

They became tough by being repeatedly tested and not giving up. The more tests they pass, the tougher they become (Hughes, 19).

4 and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.

let endurance have its full effect —

Enduring suffering builds within us the strength to overcome it.

If you are a caregiver, how does James 1 encourage you?

If you know a caregiver, what can you do to support them?

How Are Pearls Formed Inside an Oyster?

How are pearls formed?

When a parasite burrows through the hard shell of an oyster, it irritates the oyster’s mantle. It’s like the oyster getting a splinter. Ouch!

The oyster protects itself by secreting a barrier around the intruder, with the same substance it uses to create the shell.

Every day, the oyster secretes a thin concentric layer. It takes about 2 years for the oyster to produce a pearl 5 millimeters in diameter (link).

Every irritation is an opportunity for a pearl.

What are some irritations that need some covering?

27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

One of the outcomes of considering suffering nothing but joy is that we become more generous people. We are open-minded, now. We don’t just see hardships as hardships. We see hardships as stepping stones for a higher, better life. We become open-hearted, and open-handed.

Instead of using our suffering as an excuse to be selfish, we are able to endure that suffering, and still be generous with our money, time, and effort.

A person who is spiritually mature, a person who has true religion, would be generous in taking care of orphans and widows. They would care for and care about people who are taken advantage of because of their circumstances.

God calls us to use our resources wisely and generously to help others in need (Nystrom, Loc. 13,118).

In what ways can you increase your generosity?

Reflection Questions

What trials trouble you most?
In what ways has that trial enhanced your endurance?
Has suffering made you more empathetic?

Takeaways

God can use hardship and suffering to teach us endurance.
Going through suffering helps us get through suffering.
Allow your pain and suffering to make you more empathetic and generous.

Works Cited

Hughes, R. Kent. James: Faith That Works. Preaching the Word. Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1991.

Lea, Thomas D. Hebrews, James. Vol. 10. Holman New Testament Commentary. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1999.

Loh, I. Jin, and Howard Hatton. A Handbook on the Letter from James. UBS Handbook Series. New York: United Bible Societies, 1997.

Nystrom, David P. James. Vol. 59. Kindle ed. The NIV Application Commentary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1997.

Osborne, Grant R., and M. Robert Mulholland, Jr. James, 1–2 Peter, Jude, Revelation. Edited by Philip W. Comfort. Cornerstone Biblical Commentary. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2011.

Walters, J. Michael. James. A Bible Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. Indianapolis, IN: Wesleyan Publishing House, 1997.

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