James Study Notes Continued/1:2...

James 1:2 “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials…”

James is exhorting his brothers to check their attitude when all kinds of strange things come against them in life. Believe it. In this life there will be trouble. There will be trials to test and tempt us. And according to this verse they will come in all sizes, shapes, and colors. Our job as Christians is to not get caught up in the “Why is this happening to me?” mindset. Our job is to know that it is okay to be surprised by a situation in life, and to make sure we don’t let our attitude become an add-on obstacle along with the test or trial. I already have to deal with whatever it is, so I don’t want to have to also deal with a negative attitude. That sounds like working harder not smarter.

So, James here reminds us to just be ready. You might ask “Ready for what?” To which I would answer “Ready to count it all joy.” Joy and I can do a lot together. Joy and I can get through almost anything because my heart is glad and my head is clear. Now of course this is not the natural reaction when testing or tempting is going on, that is why we are told to “count it.” To “count it” is to make a conscious decision to not let my feelings take over and start running how I should respond. If my feelings are running the show then I will re-act, and that over time has proven to be unwise for me, to say the least. No, I need to clear the feelings off the table, and respond to whatever I am facing with coolness and truth. Trust me when I say that is going to take forethought and effort on my part. Technically, this verse encourages us to not take our feelings of the table, but instead turn those feelings to joy, which for me is going to take even more effort.

Joy comes from our abiding presence in God. It is a spiritual fruit of the Holy Spirit. Joy comes from a living and vibrant relationship with our Father in heaven. Joy comes when I remember how much God loves me and I forget not all His benefits. The Lord promises to go with us through all our trials, and I can’t think of a better companion or reason to be joyful. We will do well to remember that our Father is trying to do a great work in us. He is trying to form and mold us into the image of His dear Son, our Lord Jesus. Forming and molding a living being I am sure is not very easy, especially the way I wiggle and squirm. But it is the highest thing on our Father’s “Honey-do” list today. I have often said to myself and others, “At the end of the day our Father is not as concerned that we all had a wonderful day. His main concern is that we grew today to be more like Jesus.” That might be a revolutionary concept for you. It was for me. I thought when you became a Christian that everything was going to be “pie in the sky” from here on out. Well, I have learned the hard way that is not even close to the truth. I often wonder where I got that idea because it certainly isn’t in the Bible. Don’t get me wrong, we as Christians have our Lord Jesus as our great Advantage, but they who have much will be asked to do much. Part of that "much" is to count it all joy when faced with a trial.

to be continued soon...God Bless You