James 1:2-4: “CONSIDER IT pure JOY, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”[1]
CONSIDER IT!
Please note the wording here, because it’s extremely important. It is CONSIDER (not FEEL). This word-choice indicates this is something we can CONTROL.
As with forgiveness, we do not wait for our feelings to feel like forgiving, or we could be waiting forever! NO! We decide, with our will—to forgive, because our will is something we can control. (Our feelings follow along after that, just like a caboose—the last car on a train.)
Same here. We do not wait for our feelings to jump for joy and be ecstatic that we are going thru a hurtful trial! That would just be weird! God doesn’t say “You must feel fuzzy, warm and elated all over—in your suffering.”
Instead, we are to decide, with our will, to obey God’s instructions. Again, ‘Consider it ALL JOY’ is not His suggestion; it is His COMMAND!
Jesus did not feel euphoric, with ecstatic goosebumps all over, about His torture on the cross. “Being in anguish . . . His sweat was like drops of blood”[2] over the upcoming ordeal; yet “for the JOY set before Him, He endured the cross, scorning its shame.”[3]
God KNOWS why He tells us what He tells us! WE do not!
Hence, we say to ourselves: “This is GOING TO BE JOY! It’s going to bring a lot of good in the end! Therefore, I will receive this as a blessing!”
This is a conscious commitment to a joyous & positive attitude (not emotion) about the bad circumstances, based upon what God promises about the outcome! (We’ll become “mature, complete, not lacking ANYTHING!”)
Learning from St. Paul
Paul says “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation.”[4]
He had learned to be content in everything. He had cultivated that. This is not something that happens by accident. Paul had worked at (applied himself to)—a God-honoring attitude toward his painful circumstances. And this he wrote, when he was a prisoner!
Again, we must make a concerted, determined effort at it! This is an intentional, willful decision!
Just before that, Paul writes: “Rejoice always, & again I say Rejoice!”[5]
And then there is: “Give thanks in ALL circumstances, for this is God’s will for you. . .”[6]
A PROMOTION
Per Graham Cooke:[7] God is telling us that instead of our normal attitudes and reactions, we should be responding with ‘YAHOO!—this trial is gonna’ give me something – not take something away!’ (Why? ‘Cuz it’s the truth, per Scripture.)
Indeed, we should be calling up friends, saying – “Guess what? Rejoice with me! I got a TRIAL! So, it’s like—my BIRTHDAY! These are gonna’ bring me some upgrades in my life; a promotion!
And your friends should be responding: “Hey dude / girlfriend–I’m JEALOUS!”
Indeed, any trial in our lives DO contain an opportunity for advancement! Every negative situation in our lives—as God’s kids—has an upgrade attached to it!
Therefore, there’s only one thought we should be having in every trial–and that is the one that JESUS is having about it!
Ask the Lord to help you in this; tell Him you want the same attitude about your trial that He has!
So, JOY comes from our having an intentional, settled, decisive conviction that we’re going to face trials with the right attitude. Again–this is a mental, willful decision, not an emotional one!
ACTION Point: Is there any present trial in your life—where you need to adjust your attitude or perspective, and make the conscious commitment to ‘consider it ALL JOY?’ Please DO SO, and note what happens!
My next blogs on this subject will contain testimonies on how this has brought about minor miracles!
[1] NIV
[2] Luke 22:44 NIV
[3] Heb. 12:2 NIV
[4] Phil. 4:12a NIV
[5] Phil. 4:4 NIV
[6] 1 Thess. 5:18 NIV
[7] Graham Cooke’s ministry is called Brilliant Perspectives. He has authored over 20 books, and is a popular speaker around the world—with a passion to empower God’s people to walk in their true identity.