The purpose of the letter is to help people handle hard times. In hard times, people begin believing the wrong things about themselves, their circumstances, other people, and God. They are tempted to do things they might not normally do in order to stay safe, fit in, and get by in a dangerous world. James writes this letter to help people understand how to live as true and faithful followers of Jesus during dangerous times. He writes about how we can stay faithful to Jesus by seeing ourselves and our circumstances through God’s perspective.