Pure Joy

²Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, ³because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. ⁴Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. – James 1:2-4

This, like most of James, is very challenging to live.  I mean, does he seriously expect me to consider in a trial that is so burdensome I find it difficult to do anything and I don’t even want to wake up for another day, that it is “pure joy”.  Not simply be thankful, not kind of happy to be alive, not it could be worse so be grateful, not it’ll get better later so look ahead, not any sort of thing that is reasonable, but “pure joy”.  Not a little bit of joy, but “pure joy”.

Why is it pure joy?  James says that we are being tested in our faith to produce perseverance.  However, it is only by persevering in faith that we are able to perfect our faith.  Too often, we think we believe but our faith is not tested.  Then when the our world seemingly ends and we have to decide upon believing every word God says or doing something easier, our faith gets truly tested by our choices.  Even if we decide to hold onto faith at that crossroads, we then find that every day is a challenge and it is actually a much more difficult road.  Our faith is tested over and over and over again.  It is along this part of the journey that most people fail.  They reason that they were doing it right and God wasn't providing a reward.  Other people have better lives doing whatever they want to do, so why keep believing. ... Will we continue to believe even if the road is harder and more difficult?  Will we believe even if others think we’re crazy and seemingly hate us?  Our faith is shaped through fires and pounded until it is molded into perfection.  It is made to be “mature and complete, not lacking anything”.

It is said that a strong person believes that they’re strong enough to face their journey, but a person with strength has faith that it is in the journey that they will become strong.  Not only should our faith be molded in trials so that we have witnessed God’s miracles and know Him to be faithful, but we should have faith to know the trials are making us who God wants us to be and for the purpose He has for us to do. 

“The circumstances we ask God to change are often the circumstances God is using to change us.” – Max Lucado

It is only after putting these faith positions together that we can consider it pure joy to be in a trial.  We can take comfort in that we are being made strong.  We know that nothing is more joyful than being completely dependent upon God, believing with no doubt, trusting Him in all things, and doing exactly what He has set before us.  That is pure joy indeed.