Finding Real Joy in our Trials

hmm … Joy amongst trials!? Is this really possible? I’ve read about the “joyful trials” that James writes about but, in as much as I have read, studied and prayed about subject I have yet to find this “joy” when I’m faced with a trail. Clearly there must be a reason why I should be rejoicing when faced with trials but (until the below posted study) I was just not grasping how in the world this was possible.

Being faced with some rather interesting trials and having anything but joy in my heart as I go through them has caused me to dig deeper into what this whole ‘joy thing’ is really about and, as I know that I am not alone in this constant battle to not only stay afloat, but to maintain joy when having a hard time in life I thought that I would share some compiled notes with you all.

“ My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. (James 1:2-5)
"We have just read a challenging portion of Scripture with its commands and expectations. But it is also an encouraging portion as it helps us gain a clearer perspective on Christian discipleship.

Let’s start with that opening phrase, ‘Count it all joy…’ James is telling us how to respond to those times when we encounter trials. He’s telling us to rejoice. Let me remind you what Christian joy is. Keep in mind that it is different from happiness. Joy is an optimistic spirit in response to the events of life. But let me be clear. It isn’t just a grim optimism. True Christian joy over flows to affect the emotions. To be sure, there will be times when we rejoice through tears. And yet, even then, joy will over come the tears of sorrow so that the optimism is felt in the emotions. It may take a little while to get there, depending on the situation, but real Christian joy will eventually show in the emotions as well as in the attitude of the mind. This is the kind of joy that James is pointing us to.

Now, please notice that this is a command. James isn’t offering a suggestion that might be helpful. He isn’t giving pious advice to be accepted or rejected as we see fit. He is commanding us, with all the authority that he has from Christ, to rejoice when trials hit. Christian joy is not optional. It is required. You are to rejoice in the midst of trial. I hope that you see that very clearly. Joy is an obedience issue. A lack of true Christian joy in the midst of testing is not a matter of having a certain kind of personality that just doesn’t do that sort of thing. It has nothing to do with personality. A lack of joy is sin. But also notice that James doesn’t just lay down the law and then leave you on your own to figure out how to obey it. James goes further. He explains how you can obey. He does it in the next phrase. It’s the phrase that starts, ‘knowing’. ‘Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, knowing...’ We do not rejoice despite the facts. We rejoice because of the facts. We rejoice because of what we know.

Here, we bump up against an important aspect of faithful Christian living.You won’t be able to live faithfully unless you know certain things. A person can most certainly receive forgiveness of sins and be reconciled to God if he knows and believes a verse like, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.’ [Acts 16.31] But that verse won’t be much help when you encounter a great trial. If that’s the only verse that you know, it will be hard to rejoice in the midst of trial and very easy to become confused and discouraged. That’s why one of the emphases coming out of the Reformation is that the people of God need to know the Bible. Martin Luther translated the Bible from Greek and Hebrew into the language of the people so that it could be read to them. This is why sermons are to be filled with the content of the Bible, explaining and applying it to life. This is why it is important to have family Bible reading time as well as personal Bible reading time. You will not be able to live faithfully if you do not know your Bible. You will not be able to rejoice in the midst of trial if you do not know your Bible. True Christian joy is a fruit of knowledge. And the more that you know, the easier it will be to rejoice during the tough times.

But even here, there is danger of misunderstanding. So, let me be clear.There are many know the content of the Bibles well. They can quote long passages from memory and discuss the fine points of doctrine made by those texts. But so many of these still do not rejoice. They are, in fact, unable to rejoice. And why? The knowledge that James points to is more than information stored in the brain. Your soul needs to be involved as well.Your soul needs to be convinced that the things that you know are also true.You not only know your Bible. You believe it. You believe those great and precious promises of your God. You believe the warnings as well. You believe what you know. And because of this, because you really believe what you know, you are ready to entrust yourself to your Savior whenever He sends a trial your way. Knowledge, belief, trust. It is these things that produce real Christian joy.

We know from Scripture that when we encounter a trial God is up to something. He is at work. And who can fail to rejoice once he is convinced that God is at work in the situation? James knows this but he wants to be even more specific. So, he focuses our attention on one particular thing that God is doing by sending trials our way. He writes,‘knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.’ When trials hit, God is at work. He is producing patient endurance.

When these trials come they are also a test of Faith. Honestly, this is not my first thought when I am facing financial issues, on-the-job issues, or people issues- a test of my Faith?! So it seems like James wants us to recognize when our Faith is being tested. Now, I don’t know about you, but for me, one of two things usually happens if I realize my faith is being tested. I either notice I have no faith in that particular area or I need to dig deeper in the Word to find scriptures to stand on. Sometimes it’s hard for us to understand what’s happening, but if we recognize a “lack of Faith” our first response needs to be; ‘Get in the Word!’

Romans 10:17 - “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God”
Now here is the reward for your faith being tested-“Your endurance has a chance to grow.” In the NKJV version, James 1:3 reads “knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience”. So with these trials and the recognition that this is simply a faith test, I will grow in patience, which is one area of the fruits of the Spirit.

It doesn’t stop there. The next verse states; “So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything”. Now, there are two things here I want to point out.
First, for your endurance to be fully developed, it means you are probably going to be experiencing that “trial” for some time. It will not just go away over night.
Second, when your endurance has reached its maturity, you will notice your next reward, strength in character, and the ability to be ready for anything. I want to bring to your attention that the scriptures used “anything” and not “something”. I note this simply because we can get caught up in “fighting” one or more battles without letting our patience mature which causes us to fight out of a place of little power. Hence, it may seem like we have been standing on the Word, but some how we are not ready for anything. The disconnect lies in the maturity of our patience. We will be ready for anything if we endure and that’s what the Word says! The next verse says “If you need wisdom – if you want to know what God wants you to do – ask Him, and He will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking.” When facing these trials, we tend not to have a clear understanding of why, and the only one I know who has all the answers is God. So James tells us what to do, go ask for wisdom. God will tell you what to do. In these times, I have also noted the strategy which comes forth from the Holy Spirit.

I may not know what you are going through, but the Lord knows and He has already spoken to you in His Scriptures.
1 Peter 4:12-14 - "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be over joyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you."
The trials you are facing are not strange! You are not the only one! I promise, you are not the first nor will you be the last to go through what you are facing, especially if it was caused by your outward confession of Christ.

Let me share with you one area of caution while your patience is maturing; people will try to unnerve you with their “words of wisdom” which do nothing but add worry. Granted they can be rightfully concerned, but be careful who you share your heart with and listen to. Stand with God and use discernment.

I recall Ephesians 6:13 - “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand”. You know the drill by now; suit up with God’s Armor, get your prayer partner, and stand on the Word the Lord gave you. So let’s go back to the beginning.

Do we have a reason to exude Joy in our “fiery trials?” Yes, absolutely! Without a shadow of a doubt! We must recognize that these trials are tests of our Faith and if we endure, we will grow more in patience. With mature endurance, we will be ready for anything, especially when we have petitioned God for wisdom and we our Joy is fulfilled. It’s not easy, but “You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you”. Count it ALL JOY!

There are many things that James could have pointed to as a basis for joy. But he chose this. Why? The reason is clear. This is what James’ listeners needed to hear. There were many trials, some big, others small. And the temptation to give up was very real. They could hear the evil one whispering in their ears, ‘This is too hard. Why keep at it? Life would be so much easier if you just quit.’ James’ listeners needed to be reminded that those trials were doing good. They were worth enduring. In fact, they were producing the very endurance that they needed to finish the race. James pointed to this aspect of God’s work because of something that both he and his listeners knew. Being a faithful Christian is hard. It isn’t just some walk in the park. It’s a marathon. And getting to the end of the race is difficult. We know that it is difficult because many who start the race don’t finish it. The message that is sometimes preached these days is, ‘Come to Jesus and life will be wonderful.’ Now, that’s true. But it’s incomplete. And because it’s incomplete, it can be misleading. We need to tell people that life will be wonderful for them if they come to Jesus. But we also need to tell them that it will be hard. That’s what Jesus said.

"If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it." Mark 8:34-35
Jesus, here, promises life in its fullness. But He also promises a cross.You need to lose your life for His sake first. James understood that. His listeners understood that. We need to understand that. Being a faithful disciple is both wonderful and difficult, glorious and painful. We pursue it in the hope that one day being a faithful disciple will be even more glorious and not painful at all. And what is needed for us to arrive at that day? Patient endurance, continuing to put one foot in front of the other as we run the marathon, eagerly looking for the end of the race. And while we are slogging away, the world, the flesh and the devil are doing their best to trip us up. They will try to discourage us. ‘It’s too far and too hard. Just give up.’ They will try to foster unbelief. ‘You’ve been abandoned. No one cares. You’ve been left alone. Not even God thinks about you. What ever is at the end of the race certainly isn’t worth this.’ They will try to confuse you. ‘Are you sure that you’re doing this right? Is it really supposed to hurt like this?’ And then they will tempt you with the pleasures of this life.

Faithful Christian discipleship is hard. But here is James, our fellow runner. And he is shouting encouragement to us. He is telling us that the trials that we find so difficult are actually for our benefit. They are producing the endurance that we need if we are going to run the race to the very end. He is telling us that these trials are part of God’s way of getting us to the finish line. And so, when they hit, when you encounter atrial, rejoice! Rejoice because of what you know. God is at work. He is blessing you with what you need. He is using the trial to bless you with more endurance. Thank Him for what He is doing. Be optimistic. Good will come out of these trials. And so, as you submit to God in your trials, rejoicing because of what you know, you’ll find your self getting stronger and stronger. You'll be better equipped to plod on until you come to the finish line that you have so eagerly desired.

There are good reasons to rejoice and to continue the hard work of faithful Christian living. But none of this will do you any good unless you believe it. If you don’t believe that faithful Christian living is a difficult race then there is no need for patient endurance. If there is no need for patient endurance then trials are only an annoyance instead of a blessing. And if you view trials in this way there will be no joy. All that you’ve read is of no value unless you believe it. And that takes the grace of God. And so, I would urge you to pray. Pray that God would enable you to believe what you’ve heard, to believe it deeply. As you do that you will see your joy grow.

I would also encourage you to think about the finish line. Often. We are in the midst of a long race. But in this race everyone who finishes wins. There is no coming in second. Everyone who finishes the race comes in first. Everybody wins. Nothing in this life is worth the pain of the race. But after you cross the finish line it will all be worth it. Pray that the Spirit will make heaven so very real to you that we all will run with endurance all the way to the end."

-H. Leon Ben-Ezra paraphrased by me to fit this post

Pondering a Mountain

Trials and tribulations. All of us face them in our lives, but what do we do about it? How do we cope with them and is there any hope for a ‘bright tomorrow’ when faced with a mountain? These are questions that we all ask ourselves at one point in time or another and my battles with a few of my own ‘mountains’ has brought me to ponder the subject on a deeper level lately.

There are many things that happen in life that make absolutely no sense to us and that tempt us to question the will of God. However, sooner or later we come to the realization that it is not our place to question the will of our Creator but to have faith and hope as we keep trusting in Him.

Being a child of a loving God does not make me immune to life’s trials. The Bible clearly teaches that God loves those who are His children and He “works all things together for good” for us (Rom 8:28). So that must mean that (even though we cannot always see it) the trials and tribulations He allows in our lives are part of the working together of all things for good. Therefore, for the believer, all trials and tribulations must have a divine purpose.

As in everything, God’s ultimate purpose for us is to grow more and more into the image of His Son (Rom 8:29). This is the goal of the Christian, and everything in life, including the trials and tribulations, is designed to enable us to reach that goal. It is part of the process of sanctification; that is, being set apart for God’s purposes and fitted to live for His glory. "In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which perishes, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 1 6-7) Simply put, faith will be made sure by the trials we experience so that we can rest in the knowledge that it is real and will last forever.

If we were to step back and look at things, we would notice that our trials develop godly character with-in us that enables us to "rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us” (Rom 5:3-5). Persevering proves our faith. "I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13).

At the same time, we must be careful never to make excuses for our "trials and tribulations" if they are a result of our own wrongdoing. God will forgive our sins because the eternal punishment for them has been paid by Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. However, we still have to suffer the natural consequences in this life for our sins and bad choices. But God uses even those sufferings to mold and shape us for His purposes and our ultimate good. The more I study and reflect on this the more I fully realize how trials and tribulations come with both a purpose and a reward. "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to those who love Him" (James 1:2-4, 12).

Through all of life’s trials and tribulations, we have the victory. "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord, Jesus Christ." These verses encourage us to see that although we are in a spiritual battle, Satan has no authority over the believer in Christ. God has given us His Word to guide us, His Holy Spirit to enable us, and the privilege of coming to Him anywhere, at any time, to pray about anything. He has also assured us that no trial will test us beyond our ability to bear it, and “he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Cor 10:13).

A Simple Butterfly Reminder to use Struggles for Future Growth

A cool breeze loosened another curl from my braided hair, sending it whipping across my face which, in turn, sent a shiver shooting down my spine. I am of a rather ticklish nature, you see, and the soft touch of even my own Irish curls torments my nerves in ways that words cannot describe! After giving myself ample time to do a full body shudder, I calmly but yet firmly placed the ill behaved curl behind my ear and continued on with my work.

Summer had just drawn to a close, and the bright blue sky of which I had grown so fond during the warmer months was now hidden by deep grey clouds that threatened rain, but never brought it. I was in the middle of sorting freshly dug potatoes that smelled earthly in that wonderfully familiar way, when the sun’s warm rays reached out from a break in the clouds and smacked me right in the face. Being a bit surprised by the warmth of my long lost sunny friend, I sat there, a bit bedazzled, for a while. Not knowing when I would next have the chance to appreciate the company of my longtime companion's warm rays again, I decided to take a brief moment to properly greet him.

The autumn leaves crinkled and crunched beneath my body as I laid myself down upon the ground. The rice-ekrispies in-a-bowl sound almost deafened me as I re-positioned myself underneath the looming branches of the great oak tree that towered above my head.

I closed my eyes and listened to the rustling sound of leaves being tossed about in the gentle breeze. The reminder that leaves were falling off the trees, and not staying on them, was not comfort to me, as I was dreading the cold months ahead. Just as I started to get lost in thought, I felt a light tickle upon my face. Fearing another shiver attack coming on, I opened my eyes to recapture the unruly curl and set it back in its place. To my utter surprise, however, it was a butterfly that was brushing up against my face! I sat up and gazed upon its bright colors as it fought the blowing currents and flittered here and there around the tree. Most of its kind had already migrated south, so this one must have really been running late.

Butterflies and moths have always caught my attention, so it was no surprise to me that I was so captivated by its presence. As I watched, a multitude of memories came back to me from my youth, when I studied and collected wide varieties of moths and butterflies.

Seeing it’s determination in fighting the wind reminded me of the time I watched a cecropia moth emerge from its cocoon. It was a rainy day when the top of the cocoon finally broke open and the moth attempted to free itself. As I watched, I could see the moth struggling to exert its newly-formed muscles, and it was very noticeable that the moth's progress was slow. The urge to reach down and widen the opening of the cocoon to make it easier for the moth was so over whelming for me! I knew that with a few moments of my help, it would be free from its prison. I knew all too well, however, that if I did this in an effort to relieve a struggle, I would cripple the future of this creature. You see, what my studies had taught me is that the battle to get out of the cocoon was an essential means of developing the muscle system of the moth’s entire body. The pressure of these muscles working together was necessary to push the blood into the wings and fill them out to their full dimension.

At that very moment, I realized: the moth’s present hardships, were essential for its future maturity. I was struck by the determination of these moths, who endured their current trials for their own good. Each and every growth stage of the moth would be achieved only through struggle, and each struggle would be necessary for the insect to attain full growth.

If this concept is true for the growth and survival of a moth, how much more is it true for us? We cannot reach our own potential, or even survive, for that matter, if we do not face our daily struggles with a striving toward future achievement. Now, every time I see a moth or butterfly, I am reminded to go forward with determination whenever faced with a challenge, so that I will give my self opportunity to achieve growth, and not to be crippled by my foes.