Meeting Trials (Part 2)

Jul 04, 2025

Is the dress blue or gold?

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My brothers and sisters, consider it nothing but joy when you fall into all sorts of trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you will be perfect and complete, not deficient in anything.

James 1:2-4 (NET)

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Many years ago there was a picture online going viral about a badly lit dress.

The big debate was whether it was a blue & black dress or a white & gold dress. Every image I saw at the time led me to believe it was blue & black…

Which was objectively wrong.

It was actually a white & gold dress, which I can only see now when the pictures are shown side-by-side.

Sometimes a shift in perspective makes all the difference.

I bring all that up because I like the perspective shift that James gives us here. He starts by talking about the various trials we’ll face in life. But then he shifts it completely, labeling it “testing our faith.”

I’d much rather endure a test than slog through a trial.

Yet it’s the same thing…

But a different perspective.

We know from the story of Job that his trials were actually part of Satan testing God, not Job. Although Job probably didn’t feel that way, I’m sure he saw it as a testing of his own faith.

Job endured the testing, and came out better for it.

Incidentally, because of Job’s faithfulness, God came out looking good for Satan’s test too.

(Bonus: Satan gets egg on his metaphorical face.)

Anyway, I say all this to encourage you whenever you’re facing trials, shift your perspective and look at them as opportunities to pass the test of your faith. I’m confident that will make a difference.

— Ricky Ketchum

Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from the ESV®Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright© 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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