Let this verse from James tumble around in your brain for a
moment. This is a hard teaching.
“Consider it pure joy,
my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds” James 1:2.
Consider it pure joy when Satan comes and assaults your life
or the lives of those you love, consider it pure joy when troubles come shaking
your very foundation, and consider it pure joy when success comes and threatens
to steal your heart and faith or the heart and faith of those you love.
Consider it pure joy when ____________. You fill in
the blank.
Intellectually I get the concept. Verse 3 gives the
reason why “because you know that the
testing of your faith produces perseverance.” Yet, as I consider viewing
troubles and temptations with joy I find words coming to mind like “yes but”
and “this is different”. I see little joy in troubles and tests when
they affect me negatively or restrict what I want. I am focused on the
temptation or trial and how it affects me, either in ways I like or ways I do
not.
Our culture has conditioned us to meet so many expectations
that make us good, accepted, responsible, and successful. You know the
list. Our religions have conditioned us to act, do, and achieve in
certain ways that make us good Christians. I bet you know that list as
well. Our focus in living becomes driven by the expectations of others
and we live to please others or ourselves. We pursue an endless list of
futility trying to be happy and trying to meet the expectations placed on us by
the world and by our religions. We pursue what will never bring us joy
and peace and we don’t even know it. We have been duped and deceived.
We question God. We pray for His help, and though sincere often our
prayers are misguided only asking Him to bring us what we think will make us
happy. Frankly, as human beings with the gift to choose, we are incredibly
stubborn and self-centered. Our tendency is to choose the Lord when He
serves our purposes and when convenient. We rely on ourselves and
rationalize our choices keeping God in the wings. And we struggle with
James 1:2.
Our Lord has not changed. He offers incredible joy,
great peace, and a wonderful life for those willing to seek Him. But God
will not share us. He will not settle for anything less than our
complete trust and allegiance to Him. This is a sobering realization. Viewing
trials with joy requires our focus to shift. Jesus calls us to “seek
first His kingdom and His righteousness”. Reading James in the mindset of
putting Christ first, throwing off all caution, trusting Him completely, with
no reservations is exciting, liberating, and a cause for joy. “How?” we
ask. Trials and temptations are avenues to the promise God gives to be
there every time and to give us everything we need. It is a
promise, but how do we know it’s real? Test Him, try Him, call on Him and
let Him deliver you.
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. James 1:12 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10.
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. James 1:12 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. John 10:10.
Scotty Elston
Shallowater , Texas
Shallowater
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