James refers to the testing of our faith through "trials of many kinds" (4). Here "trials" refer to the kind of difficulties we experience in life that challenge what we believe about God and His character. This scripture is certainly applicable to cancer. We are encouraged by James to endure our trials by focusing on the spiritual outcome; when our faith is tested and our beliefs about God are challenged, it either becomes stronger and more powerful, or it crumbles. James is merely attempting to encourage us as followers of Christ to trust in God's faithfulness, compassion and mercy (5) so that our faith prevails in difficult times and we will be rewarded (6). James never suggests that suffering from disease is God's will. In fact, James emphatically directs the church to seek the reversal of illness according to God's will (7). |