“Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. And let perseverance be perfect, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” -James 1:2-4
It’s been almost two weeks since we were given new teams and while I loved team Amor, I’m really looking forward to what God has in store for the amazing group of women I’m teamed with now. As a team we decided to start reading through the book of James and the above verses really stuck out to me. It was one of those Holy Spirit convictions that hurt so good.
How often do we consider it joy when we’re going through trials and hard times? To be honest that doesn’t sound like something to be joyful about, but look at the next verse. “For you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.” It’s not that we’re having to go through trials because God doesn’t care about us. There’s a point to the pain. Later on in James it mentions how faith without action means nothing. And when you’re put through something hard, when you have to face the pain, your faith is put to the test. How you respond in your trial will show you exactly what you have faith in. Do you have faith that God is good and that He loves you? Do you have faith that all things will work together for your good? Do you have faith that He’ll take care of you? Or do you believe the lies of the enemy and the situation you’re in? Do you believe that things will never get better? Do you believe God has abandoned you? Do you believe that it’s hopeless?
If we never had to go through anything hard, if our faith was never tested how would we know what we really believe. It’s easy to say you have faith in God when everything is going good. But what about when everything is going wrong? Do you still have that same faith?
My time on the race so far has been amazing and there have been so many good things that have happened. But there have also been some not so amazing times. Times when nothing seems to be working out. Times when I am so unsure of what I am doing and it feels like I’m being pressed against on every side. In the midst of the trials it can be hard to “consider it all joy.” But it is so worth it. Kind of like a hard workout. In the moment, the pain sucks and you’d really rather be doing anything else. But when it’s all over, even though you may be exhausted you know you’ve gotten stronger. You even feel a little accomplished and proud that you completed something that was so tough. It should be the same way when we’re facing trials and find our faith being put to the test.
So next time you’re struggling and feel like nothing is going the way you expected, take a moment to just stop and consider it all joy. Joy that your faith is going to be strengthened. Joy that you have a Father who will never leave you, who loves you so much. Joy that you’ve been given the opportunity to lean into Him and trust Him when things aren’t making sense. Joy that when it’s all said and done you’ll know the Father and His love for you at an even deeper level.
Consider it all joy.
