James chapter 1

James 1:2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds

I started reading this chapter, thinking I would be able to whip through it, jot down some notes and then get on with everything else I have to do today. After all, I thought, I've read this book several times before, it’s all about the tongue, about watching what we say, having our faith demonstrated through our works and about the need for prayer. So I started reading chapter 1 and got as far as verse 2……

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds.

Now that brought me to a complete standstill. I can't remember how many times I have read this verse and thought "oh, yeh, right, joy, uh huh, yep, I know that, joy in the time of trouble, sure" but today, it brought me to a complete halt as if God was saying, "Hang on, wait a minute, read this and actually realise what I am saying here". Because joy is not an automatic response for me when things go wrong, when the children misbehave, when my husband is still so very depressed I don't know what to do, when I haven't the money to pay the bills and have so much work on that I sit at my desk and don't know where to start.

In the Message, it actually says "Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. " Woah! Consider it a sheer gift…well, I don't know about you, but gift is the last word I would use when I have no money or when my already busy schedule is overloaded even more 'cos I have to take care of things hubbie can't do due to his illness…Yet that is exactly what God is telling us here through James. And not only that, but it is a case of when troubles come, not if troubles come. Something to look forward to, eh?

It is a case of not just putting on a brave face, smiling grimly through everything, pretending everything in the garden is rosy when people ask you how you are, telling everyone you are fine. "Fine" is the Christian f-word that is used as a substitute instead of telling others how things really are. Instead, we are to look upon our trials, the tribulations as a good thing because of what it can develop in our character, in our faith. After all, how can we learn to really trust God if only good things happen to us? How can we strengthen our faith if we never have any times of testing, if there is never anything that goes wrong or if we never experience the bad things in life?

These are not easy words. After all, who wants to get cancer, who wants to be made bankrupt, lose their job, suffer the death of a family member, a close friend? But we need to get real. Bad things happen in life. There is a recession, there will be job cuts and you may be one of the ones getting the axe. Death comes to each one of us sooner or later. Money is tight and even more so in a recession. Illness happens and sometimes people are healed but often they are not. Babies die, and some of us lose them even before they are born. Life is not easy.

But these verses are telling us to trust in God, to put everything in His hands, to rely on Him and not our own capabilities and not only that, but to be joyful with it. After all, whilst for God all things are possible, sometimes we do not get our dearest wish, our problems are not resolved, and no matter how much faith we have, we do not get rich, we don't have that fancy car, those designer clothes, that new house. What we have is not dependent upon our level of faith, with those who have more faith having a bigger bank balance. If it was a case of having more material possessions if we had more faith, then what does that say about the Christians in Africa who are living in extreme poverty, with little money, no regular 9 to 5 job, little food and are struggling to even have clean water? Yet they have such a strong faith and they are seeing miracles, the dead are being raised, people are healed and God is moving amongst them, despite the poverty, the persecution, the hardships. They count it as joy to suffer as they do.

And us, what do we do? We moan, we complain, we grumble. Not exactly an advert for the joys of Christianity, is it? We are told by Paul to count it as joy when we suffer for Christ:

Romans 5:1-5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

As Christians, we should be known by our love, not by our whinging, our moaning and groaning, our despondency. After all, we have the promise of eternal life, or riches beyond measure in heaven and the knowledge that all we go through here on earth is but temporary. Yes, we have bad times, times that see never ending when it is just one thing after another and that anything and everything that could go wrong does. But take a look at the disciples, they were crucified, killed by the sword, had their heads chopped off, people tried to boil them in oil and they were exiled. Every one of the disciples was killed for his faith except John. Yet their letters are all filled with joy, with encouragement, with hope and their faith shouts loud and strong. I want a faith like that, one that remains strong (or in my, case becomes strong) no matter what life throws at me. A faith that is unshakeable no matter what the consequences and one that is such that my life is filled with joy, no matter what adversities I may be going through.

I pray today that in all circumstances and at all times, we may each have joy in our hearts, a song of praise on our lips, and a faith that daily grows stronger and stronger.