James 1:2 - Count it all JOY

James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad:  Greetings. ² My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, ³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. ⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. ⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. ⁶ But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. ⁷ For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; ⁸ he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.  ⁹ Let the lowly brother glory in his exaltation, ¹⁰ but the rich in his humiliation, because as a flower of the field he will pass away. ¹¹ For no sooner has the sun risen with a burning heat than it withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beautiful appearance perishes. So the rich man also will fade away in his pursuits. ¹² Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. --James 1:1-12

 Dear Suzanne, Rebecca, Anna and Mikayla,

James major emphasis in this section as well as in the entire book of James is that genuine faith when tested comes forth as gold.  It endures the test...it survives. It is easy to be kind, gentle and sweet when things are going our way but what happens when our comfort is disrupted?  Trials always remind me of an Amy Carmichael quote that basically says a cup filled to the brim with sweet water cannot spill a drop of bitter.  How do you react to trials?  Does your normally sweet water spill bitter?  If your faith is genuine, it will not disappear during the hard times.  In fact, the hard times will strengthen it!


Think of the trials in your life as tools in God's hand.  They have many purposes...I have memorized this list (that is paraphrased from one developed by John MacArthur)  because it is helpful for me to review when I am discouraged in the midst of a trial and "forget" God's ways and purposes.  Here is the list: Trials conform us to the image of His Son,  trials strengthen us,  trials humble us, trials draw us away from the things of the world, trials make us look up to Him, trials reveal those things that we really love, trials make us thankful, trials make us a better tool,  and trials enable us to comfort others.  Memorizing this list also helps me to remember how important it is to respond in the right way to a trial.  Why?? Look how much good they can produce in me!

The first 12 verses of James Chapter 1 give us 5 key attitudes that are needed to experience victory in trials.
John MacArthur breaks them down this way and then includes the reward in verse 12.  This list has been so helpful for me in examining my heart throughout a trial.  Truly, I have grown to love the author of James and thank God for him.  His advice is so direct and practical!  As you read the book you can almost feel his passionate desire that we would walk in "radical" obedience to the word of God.  He NEVER equivocates.

The five attitudes to cultivate mentioned in verses 1-12 are a joyful attitude, an understanding mind, a submissive will, a believing heart and a humble spirit.  Okay...that is a tall order but we need to remember that our job is to just abide and obey and leave the methods and results to Him.   "being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;"--Philippians 1:6


Let's take it verse by verse. We have already looked at the first verse, save the greeting, in the introduction.   So let's  look at verse 2 today which says we are suppose to count it all joy when we fall into various trials. Now why would James say that?  I thought about...I memorized the book of James in May of this year and decided then that he was perhaps speaking as a father here and exhorting us to have the right attitude from the start in a trial.  A joyful one.  I don't know about you but my response to a trial in my flesh is never joyful.  My response is the opposite and so James is reminding us to make a conscious commitment to face them with joy.   "Count" means to evaluate...it is a financial term.  So we "count" them as joy.  Unlike unbelievers, believers can profit both temporally and eternally from a trial.  When we evaluate our life as a Christian our goals and priorities will be different than those prior to our salvation.  We are now living for the things that matter.  Not the temporal but the eternal. We set our mind on things above and not on the things of the earth.  We store up treasure in heaven where moth and rust cannot destroy.

God tells us to expect trials...trials are very varied and individual.  Saved or unsaved we all experience them.  The difference is whether we experience them with Him or without Him.  As a believer God works all in our lives including our trials together for good.  The bible tells us that the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that will be revealed in us.  Before we go any further let's define trial.  From John MacArthur...I loved this definition. "God brings such trials to prove---and increase-- the strength and quality of one's faith and to demonstrate its validity.  The word trial in Greek connotes something that connotes trouble or breaks the pattern of peace, comfort, joy and happiness in someone's life. The verb form means to put something to the test with the purpose of discovering that person's nature or the thing's quality. Every trial becomes a test of faith designed to strengthen; if the believer fails the test by responding wrongly, that test then becomes a temptation or a solicitation to evil." 


When we face trials we must look at them in the light of what God is doing in us.  He promises to change us from the inside out and uses trials to make us more like Him when we surrender to the work of His Spirit through our obedience to His word.  When we find our strength in Him in our trials and trust Him to work in our hearts, our trials are still difficult and still hurt, but we can have joy because we are now living for the things that matter.  It is  a matter of what we value.  What we love.  Where we are placing our hope. Trials by design pull the rug out on us and reveal our hearts.  WHICH IS NEVER PRETTY! They show us what we really value.  When I face a trial I remember that I died and my life is hidden with Christ in God. I live to magnify Him here on this earth.  If I can live for Him in a trial and not give in to temptation, then my life can glorify Him.  Isn't that what each one of us truly wants.  Purpose in your heart at the very onset of a trial to make it "count" for God. Look up and know that He is going to work it for His glory and your good.  Keep your eyes on Him.  Not on your circumstances.  Making the decision ahead of time really helps us to act rightly when the time comes.

Job 23:10  But He knows the way that I take; When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. 


Love
Mom

Addendum from a previous study on John 18:  After writing this post, I reread my post from John 18 and then copied and pasted the relevant parts below.


It is helpful for me when facing anything to always look to Christ's example.  Let's look at His greatest trial...the cross....and see how He reacted.
 
John 18:4 says this:  "Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?” They answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am He.”" 

Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him"....Wow...knowing all that would come upon Him...He went forward and handed Himself over to sinners...the very same ones He knew had rejected Him  and would crucify Him.  What grace! What love!

Jesus focused on the goal...our salvation...not on Himself or on His circumstances. He surrendered completely to His Father's will and laid down His life so that we who believe could live forever with Him.  He showed all around Him in His every word and action the essence of His Father. In doing this He showed us the way to glorify our Father in heaven because He did all He did by depending totally on His Father. Make no mistake...Christ was both God and man and yet whatever He did here on earth He did by faith just as we must do.  He did not use His divine powers.  He did all He did as a MAN.  We cannot take refuge in Him being God as the reason why He was able to do it. This fact is amazing to me...each time Jesus healed or spoke it was not Him it was the Spirit of God working through Him. He faced the cross and surrendered His life for us as a Man...depending entirely on His Father in heaven.  WOW!

Girls...whenever we look at Christ's life...really look at it...conviction will follow.  What an example He gave us for handling trials, offenses, rejection and grief.  He kept His eyes on the goal and focused on the joy (us) that was set before Him and despite the provocation he reacted graciously to all that were around Him.  Our goal here on earth is to glorify Him, to bring Christ close to those who do not know Him and to encourage those who do...to magnify Him.  To glorify Him. How do we do this...by living our lives for Him.  By remembering in offenses and sorrow that they are never about us...they are to be used to make us more like He is in order that others would see Jesus. Girls, don't get in the way by reacting to others in offense and unforgiveness or by retaliating in like manner. Remember grace...remember what we truly deserve and pray for those who may not have treated you like you think you deserved.  Christ reached out in love at the hour He faced the greatest of offenses and rejection - for you - and in so doing, He reflected the glory of God.

Love
Mom