James 1 has some alarming words, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." How should you read these words? As a command? Then I fail--much too often. As a challenge? That feels better. As a promise? Hmmm... What if it's a promise that perfection (being "complete") is the outcome of trial. If I read this as a promise, then my joy flows from the promised result. I don't need to work up more joy in the face of trial, feeling a failure when I don't.
This leads me to ask, then, "How should I read the Bible?" If it is read mainly as commands--and there are commands in Scripture--then how I respond is focused on me. My response. My attitude. My ability. There is a place for this. However, this also turns Scripture reading into one of those commands, so that if I'm not reading Scripture I'm already behind. I am already failing.
What if instead of reading the Bible as command we read it mainly as gospel--good news. James' words are really good news if something good can come from our trials. Not just something good, our perfection in the trying of our faith! What if we approach Scripture with the same mindset of it being good news. Might that change our devotion to its study and reading?
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