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James doesn’t say ‘if’ trouble comes your way but ‘when’ it does. He assumes that we will have troubles and that it is possible to profit from them. The point is not to pretend to be happy when we face pain but to have a positive outlook (“consider it an opportunity for great joy”) because of what troubles can produce in our life. James tells us to turn our hardships into times of learning. Tough times can teach us perseverance. For other passages dealing with perseverance (also called patience and steadfastness), see Romans 2:7; 5:3-5; 8:24,25; 2 Corinthians 6:3-7; 2 Peter 1:2-9.--Life Application Study Bible notes