For years now I have been pondering this scripture.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,”
James 1:2 NIV
I have had quite a few big T trials in my life. But I also have noticed how often we have these trials of many kinds or little t trials. Or even the Greek work means temptations. But let’s focus on trials. Your van breaks down or the AC doesn’t work when you wait in the pick up line for school. Or one kid gets sick and thus begins a continual sickness in your home for a month. Even somethings that are as small as the phone call you need to make or a return you need to take to the post office. And with these little t trials you can guarantee the minute you check off one you will get the next one in the mail. They are never ending.
Maybe it’s a hard relationship or even something you personally struggle with like anger. Or the baby sleeps great all week until tonight! I often have asked the Lord. How can James say to consider it pure joy? Pure? Joy? So I looked up the Greek of these words in the text in the Strongs.
Joy in this context was from chara or chairo which are defined below.
cheerfulness, i.e. calm delight:–gladness, X greatly, (X be exceeding) joy(-ful, -fully, -fulness, -ous).
a primary verb; to be “cheer”ful, i.e. calmly happy or well-off; impersonally, especially as salutation (on meeting or parting), be well:–farewell, be glad, God speed, greeting, hall, joy(- fully), rejoice.
Calm delight or calmly happy. This is not the joy that is based on our circumstances. This is from another source. I have prayed for this kind of Joy in my life. It only comes from the confidence and love of God in a surrendered confession of faith in His son Jesus Christ.
But just becoming a Christian does not automatically give you calm that is delightful. This is a choice. These daily trials and even annoyances are there to keep us pressed in. In prayer, in the practice of asking for wisdom. More on this later.
Jesus said himself.
““I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.””
John 16:33 NIV
We will have trouble or “pressure,” Jesus guaranteed it.
I don’t know if it was turning 40 or just seeing this pattern of my joy being stolen by the little things. But I have really focused on my calm delight. I don’t want my emotions or reactions to these things to steal or even lead my life. I want pure joy! I celebrate the little wins. I will tell my husband. “Hey I didn’t freak out about that this time” or “I got upset about that but not as bad as before, I am proud of myself!” I know that including him in this process has been powerful and it gives me someone to celebrate with.
Praying you can experience the calm delight or calm happy of the Father today! Praying for the increase of the Holy Spirit as you walk through trials from His perspective! More about what they produce in us next week!