A great joy

The other children of Mary, mother of Jesus, couldn't believe that their flesh-and-blood brother, Jesus, was actually the Son of God, until he rose from the dead before their very eyes. Ouch! One of them, James, wrote:
"My brothers and sisters, consider as a subject of complete joy the various trials to which you may be exposed, knowing that the testing of your faith produces perseverance."
James 1:2-3, PDV

According to Flavius Josephus, the first-century Jewish historian, James was eventually martyred for his unshakeable faith in Jesus, his brother and Lord.

Here are 5 things to remember from James' message:
1. "the various hardships to which you may be exposed." These are not "hypothetical" trials, but trials to which we "will" certainly be exposed. We live in a broken world that has not yet been fully restored, so we shouldn't be surprised when problems and challenges arise.

2. "the various hardships to which you may be exposed..." Not just justified hardship or undeserved hardship, but all kinds of hardship. And even when these difficulties reach you, it's an occasion for joy.

3. the text links these difficulties to the testing of our faith. This doesn't mean that God creates all the challenges in our lives, but He can certainly use them to reveal what's inside. It is in purification that we are brought to resemble Him.

4. the text specifically says that during difficult times and situations, we should "consider it a matter of complete joy." Your happiness doesn't depend on circumstances; God says that happiness and grace will accompany you all the days of your life. So believe and keep your joy no matter what.

5. the text implies that problems, trials and difficulties together create a means for our perseverance to grow. It's like a fruit tree: it must be planted, it must be watered, it must grow, it must bear fruit, and its fruit must ripen, so that it can be picked and enjoyed.

So when you're faced with trials, and you can't understand why, see it as an opportunity for great joy. That's when you know you're growing and becoming more like Jesus.

Pasteur Clémentine