Count it all Joy!

Date to the prom; that's joy. Magna Cum Laude; more joy. First job; even more joy. Wedding day; some say the best joy. Baby's birth; is there a greater joy? Better paying job; definitely more joy than the first. Grandparent's Day breakfast; can't wait for that joy.

Memories like these create a monumental highlight reel of joy. We place stakes in the ground of our past to re-visit those accomplishments and experiences with friends and family. And aren't we all notorious for re-telling our favorite childhood memories with old friends and new acquaintances with phrases like, "Remember when we...?"

To this day, one of my favorite memories was the zip line across the driveway with rope and a horseshoe!

Unfortunately there are memories we've been charged to recount that seem more like blooper videos and blundering mistakes caused by our own ignorance, apathy, or lack of self control.

Remember that phrase in the Bible, "Count it all joy, brothers, when you enter various trials?" Many of you have probably scratched your head and wondered, "What was James thinking?" I know I have. He says trials, those moments that disrupt the natural rhythm of life, are supposed to be times that we count as joy. Yeah right!

I think most of us would agree that the devastation caused by setbacks such as bankruptcy, cancer, job loss, betrayal, and death aren't worthy of our joy. Yet, every time I read James's letter, that phrase "count it all joy" sounds more like a command than a suggestion.

But what if we removed just one word? What if we removed the word "it"?

The word "it" seems to emphasize the circumstances of the trial rather than the result the trial is actually producing. There's no way our hearts can be happy when bad things happen in life. The pain of life will always hurt. Death will always have a sting. We are wired to feel and express those emotions.

What we must learn to realize is that the trials, the pain, the hurt has purpose. You see, the joy isn't found in the trial itself. Rather, the joy is found in the character the trial is producing on the inside.

When we only experience the good things in life we rely too heavily on our own intelligence, ability, and strength. When circumstances beyond our control, the seemingly bad things in life, the things that require someone else's intervention, we experience a process of change and maturity that we would never know otherwise.

So, count all the joy that can be experienced knowing that all of life's circumstances are working in you to create a more perfect version of yourself if you'll learn to yield to the work God is doing through your glad obedience!