Pure Joy

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.       

James 1:2-4 NIV

What a concept. Not only does it say when you face trials (not if ) it says that you are to consider it an occasion for joy!

I'm thankful that this says "trials of many kinds" and not: "really serious trials only." Sometimes life brings major trials and this is definitely a time to find our joy in Jesus and carry on. Yet, life can also bring little trials. Probably not considered a trial in some minds, but when it causes you to either stress out or learn to lean on Jesus.. I think it can be called a trial. I'm going through said type of trial. It's not a huge major trial like an illness of a family member, personal illness or a long separation from a spouse, those are major trials.

Life is bringing stressors that could either drive me inward- toward self dependence or upward - toward greater dependence on God and His leading. These stressors are minor things like: finances, timelines, housing options, automobile repairs and replacements. Yet, when all thrown together it makes for instability.

After some time praying yesterday, trying to discern what God's will is for a few situations in life I was reminded of the passage above in James. God was reminding me that the physical outcome of these decision aren't the only way my life is impacted. He reminded me that I'm also being stretched and grown. "The testing of your faith develops perseverance." This is hard because it's testing my faith, but in the end, I'll be better off for having gone through this process with the Lord and with my husband. We're on our way toward being made more mature and complete in Christ. We'll be better servants, spouses and parents by working through these life changes and learning to live in faith.

After reading James, I looked those passages up in my favorite commentary, by David Guzik. I liked what he had to say about the topic:

i. Patience/Perseverance is the ancient Greek word hupomone. This word does not describe a passive waiting, but an active endurance. It isn’t so much the quality that helps you sit quietly in the doctor’s waiting room as it is the quality that helps you finish a marathon.

ii. The ancient Greek word hupomone comes from hupo (under) and meno (to stay, abide, remain). At its root, it means to remain under. It has the picture of someone under a heavy load and resolutely staying there instead of trying to escape. ... The Greek commentator Oesterley said this word patience describes “the frame of mind which endures.”
...
c. Develops perseverance: Trials don’t produce faith, but when trials are received with faith, it develops perseverance. But perseverance is not inevitably produced in times of trial. If difficulties are received in unbelief and grumbling, trials can produce bitterness and discouragement. This is why James exhorts us to consider it pure joy. Counting it as joy is faith’s response to a time of trial.

I like how he described patience as "active endurance." This is life: a heavy load, a marathon, requiring ongoing movement while enduring. You can't really escape it, but trying to do so can lead to bitterness and discouragement- no thanks! Might as well develop a "frame of mind which endures." Heaven knows I'll have many more things to endure, great and small trials, in the road ahead.

i. “It is occasionally asserted that James asks his readers to enjoy their trials . . . He did not say that they must feel it all joy, or that trials are all joy.” (Hiebert)

Guzik said: faith's response to a time of trials is: joy. We aren't being told to enjoy our trials (see above) but the response of a person who's faith is in Jesus is: joy. Joy because we are growing. Joy because God knows best. Joy because we are developing perseverance. Joy because life has greater meaning than any of these trials. Joy because we are loved by our Father.

Joy has been on my mind lately. I recently heard a sermon on the radio by David Hocking. He's a straight shooter and was clearing up the misnomer that joy is relative to our emotional state or mood. It isn't. Joy isn't happiness, although they can coincide. Joy is what you experience during times of trials and during times of blessing. Joy is a fruit of the Spirit. When you have the Holy Spirit in your life, you have a part of the Trinity living in you. This is one of God's gifts to us.

"If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will [your] heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"   Luke 11:13

I am reading the book Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream in which the author, David Platt, made the point that in the verse above Jesus compares gifts to our children to the Holy Spirit. This is God's gift to us. When we need comfort, He gives us the Comforter (HS), when we face trials in faith, He gives us the Spirit that produces joy.

"But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!"   Galatians 5:22-23

How badly I want to possess all those qualities mentioned in Galatians. I want to love, to be kind, to be joyful and gentle and self-controlled. I guess this takes time. It takes daily turning to the Lord in faith and asking His Spirit to keep working in me. Which is what I'll do :)


On a lighter note: here are some little things that bring me simple joy (which is probably actually happiness).

Fruit! I love having fresh fruit!

The graph that my husband makes from his spreadsheets that represent our debt going down. These spreadsheets change weekly, daily sometimes, as he reconfigures the "theoretical" numbers to give the most accurate timeline (ignore the blue line when it drops.. we're not there yet). Oh how I love him!

Love notes on the mirror. A reminder that he loves me too :)

'Love' notes on the dishwasher make me pretty happy too!