My
brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials (James 1:2).
Trials come
in various shapes and sizes, ranging from minor disappointment to major trauma.
The Apostle
James was well aware of all this and yet he urges us to count it all joy. Humanly speaking, this seems
impossible. But the grace of God in Christ enables us to rise above our natural
human responses.
The key to
understanding what James means is the word “count”
which, in the original Greek, means to
reckon or evaluate. In other words, when we find ourselves facing a trying
situation we need to evaluate it from God’s perspective, or in the light of his
higher purpose for our lives. What is this higher purpose? Trials, according to
Scripture, are the tools God uses to form us into the image of Christ. Thus
something very important and Christ-like is happening to us when we experience
trials -- and that we can count as
joy.
A trial is
never pleasant. But properly evaluated, the results of the trial under God’s
hand are truly an occasion for rejoicing. God is working for our good even in
the midst of painful circumstances. Let us ask God for the grace to count it
all joy.
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