THE JOY OF TRIALS
Let me share with you the different ways our text is translated to give you a broad view of what we are dealing with. First, we will look at some of the context of the verse.
JAMES 1:2-4, "2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, [a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."
New Living Translation
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy.
English Standard Version
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,
Berean Standard Bible
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you encounter trials of many kinds,
Berean Literal Bible
Esteem it all joy, my brothers, when you might fall into various trials,
King James Bible
My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into diver's temptations.
Good News Translation
My friends, consider yourselves fortunate when all kinds of trials come your way,
The Pulpit Commentary calls this verse THE STRANGE PARADOX, and truly they are right, for what can be more paradoxical than being happy about the things that make you sad? Paul backs up James by writing in Romans 5:3, "Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance." Then Peter joins this support group with these words in 1 Peter 1:6, "In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials." These godly men are constantly linking joy with trials, and that is what we call paradoxical thinking. This means we need to change our minds about how we react to the negatives that come into our lives and produce trials of all kinds. By nature, we feel negative about trials, and don't even consider rejoicing over them. It seems to us that we must endure them with sadness rather than gladness. But we are wrong, and we need to change our perspective and see the trials of life as opportunities that will lead to joyful conclusions. That is what the Word of God is trying to convince every believer when they face trials. This is no time to frown and be down, but a time to rise up and rejoice in the choice to be delighted in this chance to grow in the joy that God wills for us to have.
If life is too easy you tend to relax and become satisfied with who and what you are. If life gets hard and challenging, you must battle upward and become stronger and wiser as you climb. The trials make you a better person. Jesus made it clear that the paradox of joy is real, and trials can be a blessing. He said, "Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." If you never have any trials, you will cease to grow, and so join the always joyful group and be joyful in your trials. The great Alexander Maclaren wrote, "This paradox of Christian experience has seemed so startling that the future tense has been proposed as the true rendering; but a much deeper and grander sense results from adhering to the present tense. It is possible that joy should live side by side in the same heart with sorrow, and neither converting the other wholly into its own substance, and each made more noble by the presence of its opposite. "Central peace" may "subsist at the heart or' endless agitation." Greek fire will burn under water. Flowers bloom on the glacier's edge. The depths of the sea are still, while winds rave, and waves heave and currents race above. In the darkest night of sorrow and loss, starry and immortal hopes will brighten in our sky, and the heart that is united to Christ will have an inward solemn blessedness which no tempest of sorrow can extinguish." He goes on, "...the true nature and purpose of all sorrow. It is temptation, or, more properly, trial. It is intended as a test, a proof, to reveal us to ourselves and so to better us. We do not get to the bottom of our sorrows till we look at the moral purpose which they serve, and regard them as discipline rather than pain. They take a shallow view who contemplate only the smart of the wound and leave out of sight the surgeon's purpose. They take as shallow a view who dispute or deny the benefit of sorrow and assert that happiness tends to a sweeter virtue than it does. There is a lowly self-distrust quickly passing into calm faith which only sorrow can produce. The will is never bowed into submission without being softened in the furnace, and there is no real goodness but from a submissive will. The props round which the heart twines its tendrils have to be cut down, that it may fasten itself on the only true support. Only when we have nothing else to lean on do we lean all our weight on him." Paul sums it up in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, …16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, yet our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17For our light and momentary affliction is producing for us an eternal glory that is far beyond comparison. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.…" He sums it up even quicker in Phil. 4:4, "Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice." Always means even in times of trial. Any time you are not rejoicing in the Lord you are out of His will and need to start looking at life with a joyful perspective. "…give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."1 Thessalonians 5:18.
By Gain from Suffering is the title of a poem by Annie Johnson Flint. She joins the joy in trials group with these words-
1
Pressed out of measure, pressed beyond all length.
Pressed so intensely, seeming beyond strength.
Pressed in the body, pressed within the soul,
Pressed in the mind till darksome surges roll.
God is my hope and God is my joy.
He is the resurrection life I enjoy.
2
Pressure by foes, and pressure from our friends.
Pressure on pressure, till life nearly ends.
Pressed into knowing none to help but God,
Pressed into loving both the staff and rod.
3
Pressed into liberty where nothing clings,
Pressed into faith for hard and hopeless things.
Pressed into life, a life in Christ the Lord,
Pressed into life, the life of Christ outpoured.
Angela Perritt reminds us that we are all in the same boat when it comes to trials. There are many different levels, to be sure, but no one escapes some painful level of trial. She wrote, :"I know when you are going through a trial, it feels like you are the only one who has ever experienced anything this hard, this hurtful…this intense. But let me reassure you…you are in good company! In almost every story in the Bible, whether it’s Ruth struggling to make ends meet, Abraham clinging to God’s promises in the midst of the waiting or Moses trying to lead a group of reluctant followers through the desert, as a daughter to the King of Kings…you, my dear, are part of an amazing lineage of overcomers! Never forget the lessons we can learn from those who have gone before as they persevered through their trials and taught us that with God, our trials can turn into triumphs." She adds, "Listen, it’s not a matter of putting on a fake happy face and pretending to be happy when in reality you are hurting. It’s not about pretending you don’t suffer, struggle with doubts or fail to see how God can bring anything good out of the situation. It’s a matter of choosing to find that joy in the midst of the heartache. It’s a matter of submitting to God’s plan instead of our own and realizing that His ways are not our ways…but His ways, in the end, are always good because He is good." The point is, joy has to be a choice. Our text says count it joy, or consider it joy. You have to choose to accept your trials as a joyful opportunity to climb higher in your walk with God. You can choose to let a trial send you into depression, or you can choose to let a trial propel you into aggression to find out how it can lead you to a greater and more successful Christian life. Count it all joy because this problem is a pathway to praise when you see how it becomes a blessing.
All my doubts I give to Jesus.
1
All my doubts I give to Jesus.
I’ve His gracious promise heard:
I shall never be confounded,
I am trusting in that word.
I am trusting, fully trusting,
Sweetly trusting in His word.
I am trusting, fully trusting,
Sweetly trusting in His word.
2
All my sins I lay on Jesus,
He doth wash me in His blood,
He will keep me pure and holy,
He will keep me close to God.
3
All my fears I give to Jesus,
Rests my weary soul on Him.
Though my way be hid in darkness,
Never can His light grow dim.
4
All my joys I give to Jesus,
He is all I want of bliss.
He of all the worlds is Master.
He has all I need in this.
5
All I am I give to Jesus.
All my body, all my soul.
All l have, and all I hope for,
While eternal ages roll.
J. C. Morgan
Paul writes in I Thessalonians 5:18, "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." You are always in the will of God when you are always thankful no matter what trial you are facing. Face them all with a thankful heart, for each of them will lead you closer to God and His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus. Grow through trials by thanksgiving in all circumstances. We can do this because of the promise of Jesus when he says, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. John 10:27-29. We have a security in Jesus that enables us to be thankful in all circumstances, and in all trials. We have His promise, and we have His presence as one who suffered many trials. Hebrews 4:15 says, "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin." Jesus is our compassionate partner in our trials, and He will enable us to face them with joy and courage because He knows they can be conquered and overcome. Then, we have another partner in the Holy Spirit, and we read in Romans 5:13, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope." By the power of hope, we can have joy and peace in believing that every trial can be a blessing in the end. Psalm 46:1 says, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Many other Bible promises join with these to make it clear that each Person in the Trinity is with us in the battle to make all trials times of growth and victory. Therefore, "Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:16. Even if we sometimes fail in trials and allow them to lead us to discouragement, we have this good news from Paul in Romans 8:38-39, "For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." Thank God that we can rejoice even when we lack the faith to be joyful in trials, for we never cease to have the love of God in Jesus our Lord. If you cannot find the joy in your trial, then find joy in your security you have in Jesus, and this will give you joy no matter what you feel about your trials. Joy in Jesus overcomes all else.
Let me remind you that we are dealing with a paradox here. A fallen world will always have trials, and human nature will always hate trials. So how can we expect to have joy in trials when they bring sadness and sorrow with them? We need to focus on Jesus as our example. Jesus felt angry at the Pharisees and the injustice of their beliefs and actions. He felt sad at the death of Lazarus. He felt despair on the cross when he cried out, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" Jesus was fully human, and he had all of the negative emotions that we have, and yet he never lacked joy. Even as he faced the cross, He did so with joy, for he looked beyond the pain and sorrow of it all to the joy that would result. Hebrews 12:2 tells “For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” He went through the pain of hell with the joy that it would lead to heaven for Him and all who would trust in Him as their Savior. What a paradox is this? Jesus counted it joy to die and suffer the hell of separation from His Father in heaven. He did it for the joy and everlasting pleasure it would achieve. He looked not just at the pain He had to endure for a short time, but to the pleasure he would enjoy forever. In other words, He had a long-range perspective. He did not dwell on the negative emotions of the moment, but on the positive emotions of eternity. We need to develop this same perspective to be able to count it all joy in our trials. They come and go, but joy in Jesus is forever. So, listen to Peter in I Peter 5:7, "Cast all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.” He knows how you feel, for He has been there, and He will guide you to see the joy that will by yours beyond the trials. Paul reminds us in Romans 8:28, "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." Paul has found the same perspective that Jesus had. He wrote in 2 Corinthians 4:17, "For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison." He sees trials as small and temporary in comparison to the weighty and permanent joys of glory that God has prepared for us.
This paradox we are exploring helps us accept feeling the negatives of life while at the same time being joyful in our long-range vision of victory in Jesus. Going back to the negative emotions of Jesus we learn that it is okay to feel as He did. He felt anger at his own disciples and the many who followed Him, and expressed it in strong language in Matthew 17:17, "You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you?" He knew the pain of frustration with unbelieving people, and this made Him angry, but He never gave up on them, for He saw the future of glory for them. You need to look beyond your feelings to count it joy in your trials. Your feelings are not the end of any story. Joy is to always be the last word, and in the context of these negative words of Jesus he did a miracle to heal a young boy, and all could rejoice in His choice to end the sorrows of it all with the joy of victory. Joy was always the last word for Jesus even when He felt the deep negative emotions of life. David had many negative emotions in his life, but he never let them be the last word. He said in Psalm 94:19, "When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought me joy." Joy was the last word because he could experience joy in God even while feeling the deep negative emotion of anxiety. Live the paradox of joy in times of sorrow by making joy the last word, and this means to do as Paul advises us to do in Philippians 4:4, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" Why? Because in God's plan joy is the final word-"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:4. Listen again to Peter as he leads us to the final word of joy-"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls” 1 Peter 1:6-9. With short range vision you see and feel the reality of negative emotions, but with long range vision you can see and feel the joy of God's ultimate plan for you. This means it is alright to feel the reality of negative emotions in the trials of life, but with faith you need to feel the joy that is promised as the final word. Joy in sorrow sounds crazy, but it is what Jesus had, and what He wants for us as well.
So, what do we do when the trials of life lead us to feel negative emotions? One of the best things to do is to take them to God in prayer. In Psalm 62:8, we read, “Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us” We need to express our negative emotions before God. Do not hide them and try to deny the reality of them but pour them out before God. Tell God you are down and doubtful and discouraged. Tell Him your trials are driving the joy out of your life. Confess you are weak and are being overcome by negative feelings. Don't pretend you are in control but pour it out that you are in the dumps and can't get out by yourself. This kind of honesty before God is a key to finding joy in your trials. Share your trials with God and He will share His joy with you. The New Testament does not hide the trials that early Christians had to face. It declares them openly with the joy that came with them. Paul shares this in 2 Cor. 8:2-3, "“Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability” Out of severe trial they were overflowing with joy and rich generosity. In I Thess. 1:6 Paul wrote, "You became imitators of us and of the Lord; in spite of severe suffering, you welcomed the message with the joy given by the Holy Spirit” In Hebrews 10:34 we read, "You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. "These early Christians had to pour out their heart to God over their severe trials, and God poured out to them the joy of the Holy Spirit. Let God carry your negative emotion and choose His joy to carry you forward. Chose joy as your final word, for that is God's final word.
