Counting Joy

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

~James 1:2-4

Life is full of unavoidable trials. People are going to let us down, break our hearts, and disappoint us. Some events in life are going to make us doubt and question what we are doing and why. We don’t have control over what other people do, and we can’t always be in control of events that occur in our lives, but how we deal with situations is within our control.

Counting the trials of life as joy seems to be a contradiction, but when we read the above verse in context, it isn’t the trial but the result of the trial that we count as joy. Trials test us, our faith, and our character. The result of the trials in life is that it makes us stronger, increases our faith, and draws us closer to God. Even circumstances that feel as if they will break us serve a higher purpose. Withstanding trials doesn’t mean we can’t cry, feel anger, depression, or doubt while going through them.

Some people think that being a Christian means never wavering or expressing any of the emotions that come naturally but Christ expressed all those emotions in His life. He was angry with the money changers (Matthew 21:12); He was moved to compassion (Luke 7:12-15); He showed great love (John 13:23); His heart was broken when Judas betrayed Him (Mark 14:10-72); He was abandoned (Matthew 26:56); He experienced doubt on His way to the Cross (Matthew 26:39); He felt agony when being whipped and beaten, and suffered physical and mental pain while on the Cross; and He gave up hope when God turned away from the sin laid upon Him (John 19). Yet, through everything He suffered, Jesus did not sin (1 Peter 2:22), and instead of hating those who had tortured and hurt Him, He asked God to forgive them (Luke 23:34).

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:2-4).”

Steadfastness “literally means fixed in place but is chiefly used figuratively to indicate undeviating constancy or resolution, as in steadfast faith.” We can be steadfast in our faith no matter what we are going through in life because of all the things Jesus went through for our salvation.

“Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world (1 John 4:4).”

Read Esther 1-5

©2018 Marie McGaha