Joy in Trials
“Count it all joy, my brothers,” Wouldn’t it be great if that’s where the verse stopped. It’s easy to take joy when life is easy and everything goes our way, but that’s not where the verse ends. “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet various trials,” James 1:2 (ESV ®). Excuse me! Take joy in trials! You must be kidding me.
This is where we need a definition of joy. Some people differentiate between joy and happiness because I am not happy when I face trials. In fact, I get upset, frustrated, mad, or sad. However, when we look up joy we find “happiness” repeated, but I also find another word, “rejoice.”
What if instead of “Count it all joy,” it said “Rejoice.” “Rejoice when you meet various trials.” Rejoice is a verb. It tells us what to do instead of how to feel. How do you rejoice?
I am reminded of a story from The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom. While being held in a concentration camp with her sister they are reminded that God said to be thankful for everything. So Betsie, Corrie’s sister, started thanking God and Corrie went along with it, but then Betsie said, “Thank you, Lord, for the fleas.” Corrie was not about to be thankful for the annoying bugs in their bunk and let Betsie know it. She eventually gave in, but was still unhappy about it.
Corrie and Betsie were leading a Bible study in the barracks, and the guards never bothered them. They later found out that it was because of the fleas that the guards wanted nothing to do with what was happening in the barracks. Corrie and Betsie were able to hold a Bible study because of the annoying bugs in their barracks. Then Corrie was able to rejoice and thank God for the fleas.
Paul and Silas were in jail after being beaten. Instead of complaining to each other about the situation they were in, or blaming each other, they started singing and praising God. They were praising God before the doors flew open and the shackles broke off. They rejoiced in their trial.
Rejoicing through trials is the opposite of what we want to do. We want to complain, and ask God to make it stop. When we feel beaten down by circumstances and can’t see a way out most of the time our last thought is to rejoice, if we think it at all. But having joy and rejoicing through whatever our life circumstances are, is part of what defines you as a Christ-follower.
Romans 8:28 (ESV®) says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.”
Scripture for reflection:
Acts 16:16-40
James 1:2-4
Romans 8
Galatians 5:22-24