When you choose to follow Jesus, what do you think your life is going to look like? A lot of people start their faith journey with the wrong expectations. They might listen to people who promise that God will always keep them healthy, wealthy, and safe from any kind of pain. But the book of James—which is like the “Proverbs of the New Testament”—tells us a totally different truth. The Christian life is actually a journey where God uses life’s toughest challenges to change our character and make us look more like Jesus.

James was actually the half-brother of Jesus. Growing up, he didn’t even believe Jesus was the Messiah! It wasn’t until he saw the resurrected Jesus face-to-face that his life completely flipped. He went from a major skeptic to a totally surrendered follower and leader of the church. He wrote this letter to early Christians who were suffering and fleeing for their lives. His message to them is the same message for us today: Hard times are a normal part of life, but God uses the fire of those trials to purify our faith.