Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4 NIV)
What is pure joy? When James was writing this did he mean the literal definition of "joy". Are we supposed to be happy and cheerful when things aren't going right?
For example, if someone close to you is diagnosed with terminal cancer it is easy to be mad at God. There is no joy in cancer. Or is there? There are many different situations in which joy can be found here. 1) This person is a believer. If that is true, he/ she is eventually going home to their heavenly Father. Their work on this earth is done and they are being called home where there is no pain, suffering, or sorrow. 2) This person overcomes the illness. Glory to God! God has healed them so they may continue to glorify and honor Him here on earth. 3) This person is not a believer. This is a hard one and honestly, one I struggle to understand. God is a sovereign God. His plan goes beyond what we could ever imagine. I have seen people completely be transformed in Christ because of this. It has made me, and others, realize our life could end at any moment. When people realize this they often try to fill the void inside of them. A void that can only be filled by God. Almost indirectly this non-believer has essentially saved someone's life. What great joy!
I am currently in a situation where I cannot change my surroundings. These immediate surroundings are dark and filled with evil. The not so immediate surroundings are filled with like-minded believers. I am constantly asking their opinion on what to do or how to handle a certain situation. God strategically placed these people in my life for moments exactly like this. I know God has put me here for a reason, but I have yet to see why and I may never know. Finding joy in this is extremely difficult for me. Finding myself in constant prayer and communication with God has proven to lighten the load, yet I'm struggling to find any joy. Could joy just be as simple as seeking Christ and trusting him? I think it may be.
This situation has definitely been testing my faith! James says that this testing of my faith develops perseverance. We are to let this perseverance work in us so that we may become mature and complete and we will not be laking anything. James goes on to say if we are lacking anything we should just ask God for it and it will be given generously. I am continually asking God for patience and wisdom in this situation as well as seeking wise council from the more mature, experienced, and God-fearing people God has placed in my life (thank God for those people!). I am in no way complete. I know I am still lacking in many areas of my life and this may just be a time for me to be open and let God teach me. I am finding everyday that I need to just trust God and trust in His plan, even if that means difficult situations and dealing with difficult people.
In Paul's letter to the church in Thessalonica he tells them, " Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). This week I am going to try an concentrate on doing these three things. Always rejoice, continuously pray, and give thanks to Him ESPECIALLY when things are hard. I need to try my best to be more teachable and open to what God has planned. There are people and situations where I feel I have no influence, but this gives me even more of a reason to practice and live out 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.
If you are reading this I want to challenge you to do these things throughout this week to see what God has for you. It is not easy, but I firmly believe when we are open and willing God can and will use us in situations we think we may be "unusable".
P.S. This is my first time doing anything like this. Ignore all the grammer and punctuation errors and any incomplete thoughts. Like the blog says, I am just rambling...
Always rambling,
Jonathan
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