Maturity According to Design
Please, please, please read James before considering my writings. The depth and punch of each sentence in James carries weight that cannot be adequately addressed in 1000 words from me. I will be limited to addressing the verses my own current experience hails me to consider for my personal growth. If James chapter 1 was the only scripture available to me, I could spend the entirety of my existence striving to learn, act and believe it with my whole heart, mind and soul.
Before diving into James, we must recognize the audience: the letter of James is not a message for the non-believer. James is addressing Christians that have accepted and follow God, the scriptures and Jesus Christ. If you read this as a non-Christian and try to live it, it will become a law that binds you to a strict duty that you will never fulfill by self-discipline and determination. You cannot perfect yourself through willpower.
How many times do I “Consider it pure joy…whenever [I] face trials of many kinds”(vs. 2)? Usually my response is dismay, irritation and bitterness. Trials are hard and challenging. James provides a reason to “Consider it pure joy.” “Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (vs. 3-4). What does it mean to be mature and complete? In today’s world that concept has become murky and unclear. My generation, along with several others, have generally accepted as foundational truth the idea that “mistakes define us.” Yet James suggests that Christians ought to strive for maturity and completeness: the opposite of making mistakes.
These things—maturity and completeness—are strange concepts to our depraved minds. In the instance between children and adults, “maturity and completeness” are more obviously observed. For instance, a child does not work a job to provide food for their family, maintain an orderly house, drive, grocery shop or instruct younger people in proper ways to perform these tasks. Yet, in the comparison between Christ and us, the answer is not quite obvious. From pure observation of humanity, to “be human” is to be broken, self-absorbed, make mistakes, fail and provide excuses to our shortcomings (which we presume are justified explanations for our incompetence). Is it reasonable to assume humans will fail? Yes. Is it reasonable to assume failure is an acceptable way to live? No. For the Christian to accept that “mistakes define us” is to reject the redemptive and sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit sent by Jesus Christ to aid us. Here-in-lies James’ point: perseverance through trials creates maturity and completeness; knowledge of that information should give cause to be joyful.
The example of riding a bike pops into my mind. When a child first begins to ride a bike, they fall off, tip over and skin their knees and elbows. Yet, the goal remains the same: maturity in bike riding. Perseverance in the trials (falling off, skinned knees and elbows) produces maturity and completeness. Before long, the child will be fully (completely) able to ride a bike.
While the analogy is not perfect, a similarity can be observed. The few “traits” I mentioned in the second paragraph that are to “be human” are like failing to ride a bike. We fail to be fully and completely human. In the English language, we insinuate this reality often without realizing it. When describing instances of the Holocaust, it is frequently described as “inhuman” or “inhumane.” The horrors and atrocities committed seem so degradable and despicable we have castigated them from being considered “human” actions. Yet, these men and women were human: fallen, self-absorbed and failures to be “fully/completely human.”
This skirts philosophical discussion, but I think it is important to recognize: the fallen state of humanity is not supposed to be normal humanity. By renewing our minds through examining scripture (Romans 12:2), one comes to realize that Jesus is the only normal human. Jesus was completely and perfectly human at a level we cannot even attempt through willpower; (this is not to dispense with his divinity but to recognize that because of Jesus’ divinity he contained the capacity to exemplify the design of humanity perfectly and completely). In short, we are broken, misplaced and incomplete: not fully human according to our design. Continuing the bike analogy, imagine that failure to ride a bike led every person to carry bikes on their shoulders. This is incorrect. Does it function? Does it work? Are you still capable of treading territory? Absolutely. Is it working according to design? Absolutely not. Sin is like misusing the bike; it might function but not according to the original design.
The struggle over “nature vs. nurture” is keen these days. According to scripture, every man is sinful and broken but not without hope of redemption (Rom. 3:22-24). We are not a “pre-determined” species bound to fulfill the “nature” of our biological limitations given at birth. What a hopeless worldview that is! The miracle of the Gospel is the redemptive resurrection of a man’s dead soul by the power of God through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ! By God’s grace we can change. This is a beautiful and wonderful mystery! Rather than providing excuses for our sinful desires, accept the redemptive power of Jesus’ resurrection and truly live.
The reason for addressing these issues with worldview is quite practical: the average reading of James 1:2 is reduced to “it is your duty to be joyful in trials.” This is a lawful injunction upon the believer which is not supported by scripture. Rather that taking James 1:2-3 as a duty, consider it a renewed state of mind (Rom. 12:2). Because we know with absolute certainty the end of the road is glory with Christ, endure trials with joy. Run the race, endure the trials, knowing the truth: every step of obedience to the Lord is a step towards maturity and completeness in Christ-like manner. The moment you accepted Jesus as Lord and Messiah, you stepped onto the track. Accepting Jesus wasn’t the end, it was the beginning! Choosing to follow Jesus doesn’t instantly mature and complete us, it is the start of a life-long journey.
