Consider it Pure Joy

 Oh friends, back in January I felt led to start a study of the book of James. As a matter of fact, my husband and I both embarked on a journey, yet again, through the book of James. It’s amazing how God prepares your hearts for the next step of life, isn’t it?

James is one of my favorite books of the Bible for its bluntness and practical advice. I appreciate frankness and I appreciate James just cutting straight to the point. 

James encourages us, “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”

What was that?  Consider it pure joy when troubles come your way?  The testing of our faith produces endurance/patience and endurance/patience leads to lacking nothing?

So what does that mean?  Are supposed to walk around laughing as life falls apart?  

Joy is different from happiness in that happiness is an emotional response to our circumstances.  Joy, it seems from scripture, is a place we can “choose” to fix our mind on, as we hope in Christ. 

The opposite of joy is despair.  So because we are commanded to “Count it all joy” we know it’s a choice we have.  The same goes for despair. We have a choice in life to choose JOY over despair.  This command to choose joy is repeated over and over in scripture and it’s also referred to as a gift from God that strengthens us.  Whether God gives us JOY as a gift as we trust that He is working in the midst of our suffering, or He knows that our minds are at peace as we choose JOY over despair, we can’t know for sure. 

One thing we can be sure of is that He created us and knows what we need. I think of Job when he demands answers from God as to why God allows bad things to happen to good people.  God answers Job’s questions with more questions.  God asks Job, “Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?...Who kept the sea inside its boundaries, as it burst from its womb?” And on and on God makes it evident that He is so much greater than us. That His power and wisdom is so infinite compared to our tiny finite ability to comprehend.  What upset God was not the questions so much as the lack of humility in Job’s questioning. 

I realize it isn’t in the questioning of “Why this or Why that?”, but more the posture of my heart through life’s trials. 

It is a determined & focused decision to choose JOY over despair.  To choose faith in the infinite wisdom and knowledge of God above all of my understanding. 

It is less a question of why but of my posture as I walk through trials. 

Am I choosing to humble myself before the Lord?  Am I choosing to put God on his worthy throne as the Lord of All.  The Creator of All. The One who Knows the End from the Beginning?  If I choose this humble posture than I can have JOY & not despair in the midst of whatever comes my way, because I know that my big, massive, all powerful God is still in control. 

And I can be confident of this, that he who began a good work in me will carry it on until the day of Christ Jesus.  

There is no where for despair in that comforting thought.