James 1:2
Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds.
Anyone else ever wanted to use a black highlighter over the above verse?
I mean, the word trials is synonymous with pain. As a matter of fact, Webster defines it like this:
a person, thing, or situation that tests a person’s endurance or forbearance.
synonyms:
nuisance, pest, irritant, problem, ordeal, inconvenience, plague, thorn in one’s side, one’s cross to bear;bore; informal pain, pain in the neck, pain in the butt, headache, drag, bother, nightmare, albatross; nudnik, burr under someone’s saddle, trouble, anxiety, worry, burden, affliction, ordeal, tribulation, adversity, hardship, trying time, tragedy, trauma, setback, difficulty, problem, misfortune, bad luck, mishap, misadventure
Well, that just sounds something worth being joyful over now, doesn’t it! Surely, God didn’t really mean we should be joyful when we are in pain. Or did He?
Let’s look at this another way. As a matter of fact, let’s take a look at the next couple of verses.
James 1:3-4
Because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature.
Have you ever worked really hard on something? Maybe it was a craft like a painting, wrote a song, a book, crocheted a blanket. Or maybe you have done something athletic like made it on a team, lost weight, ran a marathon, triathalon or biked a century. Or how about saved up for something like a down payment on a house, a new car, cellphone or other big ticket item. Whatever it was you had to sacrifice. You sacriced time, money and yes, sometimes a little pain.
As a matter of fact it just might have been a nuisance, pest, irritant, problem, ordeal, or inconvenience.
The point is, when it was over you made it! You finished! You persevered! You probably learned a little something along the way. If nothing else, you learned you can do it! How sweet was that reward!
There are a lot of trials on Earth you would much rather avoid like, the death of loved one or an illness. However, even these have nuggest of joy. You grow stronger as you persevere through the trial. Maybe you find a friend to travel with you. Or perhaps you grow closer to God as he travels with you.
God never promised us he would get us our of trials, but he has promised he will go through them with us.
That is joy!
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