James 1:2 (CSB)
Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials.
Valuable, beautiful pearls are formed in adversity. A pearl is actually formed in an oyster as a defense mechanism against foreign irritants that have made their way inside. When a foreign object, such as a grain of sand, a piece of shell, or any type of hard object, makes its way into the oyster, the oyster reacts by producing a substance called nacre.
Nacre is composed of layers of calcium carbonate crystals that are secreted from special cells inside the mantle tissue of the oyster. This substance covers the irritant with layer upon layer upon layer, which gradually builds up over time, forming a smooth, beautiful pearl.
Some of the most beautiful and valuable pearls come from the northern shores of Australia. In this area, there are some large oysters that produce large, symetrical pearls. Not all pearls are symmetrical. But these pearls on the northern shores of Australia are, by and large, some of the largest and most symmetrical pearls in the world. In order for the Pearl to be symmetrical, the oyster has to be flipped over and over again. The more often the oyster is flipped, the greater the chance the pearl is going to be symmetrical.
So two things are important in forming a beautiful pearl. First, there needs to be a foreign irritant introduced inside the oyster, and second, the oyster needs to be in constant turmoil. The formation of a beautiful pearl requires adversity. The same can be said about the depth and character of your Kingdom joy.
When James says to consider it great joy whenever you experience all different kinds of adversity, he's referring to the formation of your Kingdom joy. In the following two verses, James goes on to say, James 1:3–4 (CSB), “because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing.”
Just as the Pearl is formed through the oyster's response to constant turmoil and foreign irritants, remember that your Kingdom grit is formed through how you respond to the trials you face. When you're able to face adversity knowing that God has allowed it in your life for a purpose, it will totally transform how you respond to the difficult seasons in your life.
Think about the fact that the most valuable pearls come from oysters that have been flipped repeatedly. A mature faith, which is of great value, can be strengthened in the most tumultuous times of your life. Peter reinforces this truth in 1 Peter 1:6–7 (CSB) when he says, “You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials so that the proven character of your faith—more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
Do you want your Kingdom joy to be strengthened? If so, James and Peter are both reaffirming that your faith needs to respond to irritants and turmoil with a Kingdom perspective, knowing that God is forming something eternally beautiful, strong, and valuable in your life. So be encouraged today because God is using your irritating trials and turmoil to refine, strengthen, and shape you into your Kingdom purpose.