Joy – James 1: 2

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds…

Imagine that you want to get people together to form a camera club, or a hunting party, or a hotrod association. You find a place to meet, and you kick in a few bucks to cover the cost of name tags and the like. Then you go out and start the work of getting people to join. I may be going out on a limb here, but I’d bet that the main reason people should join the new group is not, “Hey, if you join our club you get to face trials!”

Being a Christian isn’t always “fun.” Sure, we have a reason to fellowship with other believers. We enjoy going to church. There are always those wonderful potlucks where the food is amazing and unending. But there are also Christians who are alone, hungry and persecuted.

James counsels us to think of trials as joy. Is he nuts? Who in their right mind equates trials as joy?

This is a complicated topic and I know that I am not able to do it justice, but I do want to share a few thoughts about trials and joy.

Trials come in all shapes and sizes. Being stalked by a terrorist is a trial of the first order. Being captured, enslaved, tortured or beheaded is worse. But like all things, trials are relative. Sometimes having a cold, or a physical injury can be a trial. Being sued can be a trial, too, both figuratively and literally. There are a million other kinds of trials, too. A favorite pet dies, a spouse cheats, a child makes a bad choice, a friend betrays.

So are these the kind of trials that James is talking about?

To some extent, yes. He refers to “trials of many kinds…” There are, however, trials that are specifically related to being a follower of Jesus. Being ridiculed, losing a job, being excluded, being misunderstood. I would guess that these types of trials are the focus of James’ thought. I also think what he is saying applies to all kinds of trials. I don’t think any are excluded. Whatever you think is a trial most likely qualifies.

Why? Why should a trial be thought of as joy?

We endure the kind of trial that is a consequence of following Jesus because we are doing our Lord’s will. We trust that He is guiding us. We are trying to honor and glorify our king. Bringing honor and glory to our king is a joy. If that takes a little work or requires a little suffering, so what? Sometimes the value of the honor is measured by the cost in pain and suffering. More sacrifice equals more honor for the king, and that means more joy for you.

The trials that are a result of living in a broken world or are the result of bad decisions can also bring joy. Here the joy is revealed as God reveals his glory through his kindness and care for each of us. Sometimes that care is not immediately obvious, but is the result of our faith in God and patiently waiting on his will. Our faith, our trust in God also glorifies Him.

Honoring our God, glorifying Him, is a noble thing, a high calling, pure joy.

Application: Take an inventory of your thoughts and your life. Are you trusting God? Do your choices honor Him? Is the satisfaction you feel at choosing to do what is right akin to joy?

Food for Thought: How would you describe to somewhat what “joy” means?

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