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James 1:2 & 3 – “Consider it nothing but joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into various trials. Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance, [leading to spiritual maturity, an inner peace]. And let endurance have its perfect result and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfect and completely developed [in your faith], lacking in nothing. (AMP)
James 1:2 & 3 – “My fellow believers, when it seems as though you are facing nothing but difficulties, see it as an invaluable opportunity to experience the greatest joy that you can! For you know that when your faith is tested it stirs up power within you to endure all things. And then as your endurance grows even stronger it will release perfection into every part of your being until there is nothing missing and nothing lacking.” (TPT)
How does one ‘count it all joy’? It’s beyond mere human understanding to be joyful when we are going through the hard times in life.
How does a young girl of thirteen ‘count it all joy’ when she’s helping to take care of her cancer-riddled grandmother, watching her die a slow and painful death? How does she continue to trust and pray to a God that says healing is readily available when her grandmother finally does pass away?
I was that thirteen year old girl, watching my grandmother fight such a courageous fight without once questioning why ‘God was doing this to her’. She never lost faith in that time, although I know she longed to be released from her body so wracked with pain that she couldn’t stand it some days. She was my hero during that time.
I don’t know why she had to pass away and go through all that she did. All I do know for sure is that my God was with her through it all. He didn’t cause her pain, He didn’t give her cancer to teach her a lesson. I believe that God was willing and able to heal her. I’ve had several people in my life who have passed away from cancer since then. And everytime I do have those questions of ‘why?’. I still don’t have an answer, but I chose to trust the one who knows all and sees all and provides for us all. I don’t believe God is put-off by our questions.
I chose to trust the One who can give a peace that surpasses my very limited understanding. The One who gives joy despite what I am going through. Because joy is not a feeling. I believe joy is a supernatural gift. Joy comes from the inside out, while mere happiness comes from the outside in.
Rick Warren defines joy this way: “Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be alright, and the determined choice to praise God in every situation.
I think it’s interesting that he says joy is a choice. Because when you’re walking through a faith-testing kind of circumstance, most people’s last instinct is to choose joy. It’s counterintuitive. But not for you. Not for us as believers! Joy is our greatest weapon. Praise that overflows out of the heart of trust and contentment in our Savior is our weapon.
Psalm 18:34 – You’ve trained me with the weapons of warfare – worship; now I’ll descend into the battle with power to chase and conquer my foes.
Wow! Come on.
I love the Passion Translation of this verse. “For you know that when your faith is tested it stirs up power within you to endure all things.” So why do we go through seasons of difficulty? Because when our faith is tested, it produces the fruit of endurance. If a runner never pushed himself (or herself), they would never improve. The muscles in their legs would never get stronger. Their cardio would never improve. Their lungs would never expand their capacity to hold more air, etcetera and so on.
Our world is ripe with “invaluable opportunit[ies] to experience the greatest joy that you can”. I’m not saying it’s easy. Choosing to trust – to live in that place of joy and peace in the midst of the chaos around you, is hard sometimes.
But in the end, what does that endurace produce? The last part of this verse says: “And then as your endurance grows even stronger it will release perfection into every part of your being until there is nothing missing and nothing lacking.”
I don’t know what you’re going through right now, friends. I know these last few weeks and months have been trying for all of us. We are living in unprecedented circumstances. But God was not surprised by COVID, and He’s not scratching His head wondering “Gosh, what am I gonna do now?” Nope. He’s got a plan, and it always involves His peace and joy – even as we walk through the fire.
In His Love,
The Sanctioned Love Team
