Sunday Sermons
Consider It All Joy
“Consider it all joy, by brethren, when you encounter various trials” (James 1:2).
The word “consider” means to “deem, account, think” (Thayer p. 276). “Deem it pure joy, when” (Arndt p. 343). “First aorist middle imperative, ‘Do it now and once for all’” (Robertson p. 11). “James wasted no time in coming to an unpleasant subject and ordering a most difficult response. To consider it all joy means to respond with a deliberate intelligent appraisal, not a (purely) emotional reaction” (Kent p. 36). Notice the choice and freewill in this verse. A simple change of attitude or perspective on our part can make all the difference in the world. Attitude is not something that is inherently fixed from birth and God is not going to come along and miraculously change our attitude. James also said, “all joy” not merely “some” joy. “Unmixed joy, not just some joy along with much grief” (Robertson p. 11). “The sufferer is to be glad that he can suffer. He is not to dwell on the unpleasantness of the experience. There should be no such thing as a complaining, grumbling disciple of Jesus (Hebrews 12:2)” (Roberts p. 40). “When”: The word “when” “implies that temptation may be expected all along the Christian course” (Vincent p. 724). (Acts 14:22; 2 Timothy 3:12). “When” is the trial to be embraced with joy? Not after it is over, but “when” one is actually in the thick of it. The word “encounter” is the same word as is used in the parable of the Good Samaritan, when the man “fell among the robbers” (Luke 10:30). It means, “to fall into as to be encompassed by” (Thayer p. 504). It is the picture of being surrounded by trials. “Notice that James says when and not if. We cannot choose whether or not we will fall into testing. We will be tested. If we think for a minute that when we get “spiritual”, we will stop being tested, we are mistaken” (Draper p. 14). In addition, anyone who decides to live for God, that decision will be tested! “Sometimes it will mean doing inconvenient, unpopular, costly, or seemingly impossible tasks. It will often mean doing the opposite of what you feel like doing” (Warren p. 84). We cannot anticipate and avoid every possible trial in life, for many trials, all we can do is prepare. The word “various” suggests that trials come in many forms, and we will face a variety of hardships (1 Corinthians 10:13; Hebrews 10:32ff). Various trials are mentioned in this letter (2:6-7; 5:1,6,13). The word “trials” means ‘adversity, affliction, and trouble” (Thayer p. 498).
Yet even after reading James 1:2 many people walk away from this passage scratching their head and in disbelief that such an attitude is either possible or makes any sense. In this lesson I want to examine why we should rejoice in our trials and expose some of the ignorance that exists in our culture surrounding such hardships.
You need the trial
For centuries religious hermits and monks went off into the desert on a quest for spiritual insight, growth, and strength, in like manner we are presently surrounded by a culture that believes that “peace” and other such qualities are found in a removal from unpleasant things. There are meditation gardens, day spas, herbal teas and many other comfortable experiences that are designed to help us relax, but may I suggest that all such things are superficial attempts at real peace. One writer reminded us, “Every temptation is an opportunity to do good. On the path to spiritual maturity, even temptation becomes a stepping-stone rather than a stumbling block when you realize that it is just as much an occasion to do the right thing, as it is to do the wrong thing. Temptation simply gives us a choice. Every time you choose to do good instead of sin, you are growing in the character of Christ. God develops the fruit of the Spirit in your life by allowing you to experience circumstances in which you’re tempted to express the exact opposite quality!” (The Purpose Driven Life, Warren pp. 201-202).
· So instead of getting upset and wondering why God does not remove a particular temptation, we need to realize that God allows us to be tempted (1 Corinthians 10:13), and in fact tempted over and over by the same sin or type of sin, so we can finally learn such things as self-control. Look at it from God’s perspective. If God simply removed the temptation, nothing would really change. We would still be self-centered. Instead of getting mad at God for not stopping the temptation, we should look at ourselves. If I keep falling for the same sin, and it keeps giving me the same heartache, frustration, and disillusionment, then I must be either an extremely slow learner or really stubborn to fail to learn the lesson that this temptation is a big lie.
· Unfortunately, some Christians are frightened or discouraged by tempting thoughts, and feeling guilty that they are not “beyond” temptation. This is a complete misunderstanding of spiritual maturity. We never will grow beyond temptation; rather such temptations are an opportunity to choose the right thing to do. They reveal that we have some desires inside of us that need to be modified (1 Corinthians 9:27; James 1:14)
“God uses the opposite situation of each fruit to allow us a choice. You can’t claim to be good if you’ve never been tempted to be bad. You can’t claim to be faithful if you’ve never had the opportunity to be unfaithful. Integrity is built by defeating the temptation to be dishonest; humility grows when we refuse to be prideful; and endurance develops every time you reject the temptation to give up” (Warren p. 203).
Appreciate the trial
“God teaches us love by putting some unlovely people around us. It takes no character to love people who are lovely and loving to you (Matthew 5:46 “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?”). God teaches us real joy in the mist of sorrow, when we turn to Him. God develops real peace within us, not by making things go the way we planned, but by allowing times of chaos and confusion. Anyone can be peaceful watching a beautiful sunset or relaxing on vacation. We learn real peace by choosing to trust God in circumstances in which we are tempted to worry or be afraid. Likewise, patience is developed in circumstances in which we’re forced to wait and are tempted to be angry or have a short fuse” (Warren p. 202). Compare with Deuteronomy 8:3; Psalm 119:71; and Hebrews 12:11 “All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness”).
· Instead of demanding the impossible, “I want everything to go my way”, we need to shutter at what we would become if God granted that request! If we never had to overcome anything, if there was nothing that tried and tempted us, we would become utterly selfish and impossible to live with. Just look at the attitudes of modern celebrities who are constantly catered to.
· Be grateful for the things that test your love, patience, self-control and so on, because these tests reveal our true character. Be grateful even when something is revealed that you do not like about yourself, because you can always change! In fact, times that we really blow it can become great incentive for personal change, for example we may say, “I am so embarrassed, I never want to act like that again”.
· Trials and temptations also provide the very valuable service of making us realize that we desperately need God! “The reason why many are still troubled, still seeking, still making little forward progress is because they haven’t yet come to the end of themselves. We’re still trying to give orders” (Warren p. 79). That is, as long as you try to put up the front that you don’t need anyone, that you are self-sufficient, that you have no weaknesses, the Christian life will continue to be one long and unpleasant struggle. Temptations and trials remind us that we have definite human limitations. This does not mean that we are destined to fail or that man is inherently sinful, but rather without such things as the Scriptures and trusting in God’s way of living, and what He says about such temptations, as well as His promises, we will be beaten. In and of ourselves, trusting in our own strength and wisdom, Satan will beat us (Ephesians 6:10ff; Jeremiah 10:23; Proverbs 3:4). It is healthy to reach the end of your own rope!
God is talking to you
“Pain is the fuel of passion—it energizes us with an intensity to change. C.S. Lewis said, ‘Pain is God’s megaphone’. It is God’s way of arousing from spiritual lethargy. Your problems are not punishment; they are wake-up calls from a loving God”(Warren p. 98). In the book of Job, the three friends of Job argued that Job was suffering because he had sinned and God was punishing him. Job argued that he was innocent and that God was refusing to tell him why he was being punished. Elihu, a passionate younger man, said that both sides of this debate were wrong. God had answered Job, and one of the ways that God speaks to man is through suffering (Job 33:13, 19-23). One of the purposes of being “chastened with pain” is to open the ears of men, so that they may turn aside from evil. God is trying to get our attention! Elihu says that God “seals their instruction” (33:16), that is, “He communicates warnings to men on their beds, in a manner as solemn and impressive as if it were ratified with a seal, and made as secure as possible. Being frightened by nightmares (7:14), Job missed the purpose of God’s dream-warnings, namely, to preserve man from sin and death” (Zuck p. 146). Thus, God allows us to suffer, not because He is angry with us, but because He is passionate about our spiritual development and seeing us saved. God is not mad at you, rather He is mad about you (John 3:16; 1 John 3:1-3). If suffering, trials and temptations have made you realize that earthly things do not bring lasting happiness, that here nothing lasts forever, that all earthly pleasure is temporary, and that there are a number of things you are not going to miss about this life—then you have learned extremely valuable lessons! In a very reason sense, when God allows us to suffer, He is giving us instruction or a series of lessons that we could not afford if we had to pay for them. Whatever builds our character is priceless (Romans 5:3-5).
Life is a test
Most of us know this, but we complain when we are tested. We cry out to God for patience, so God allows us to be tested so we can develop or exercise our patience, and then we complain! “Character is both developed and revealed by tests, and all of life is a test. You are always being tested. God constantly watches your response to people, problems, success, conflict, illness, disappointment, and even the weather! He even watches the simplest actions such as when you open a door for others, when you pick up a piece of trash, or when you’re polite toward a clerk or waitress” (Warren p. 43). We are even tested by good times and comfortable situations as well as hardship (Proverbs 30:7-8); even how a person reacts to praise is a test(Proverbs 29:5). Instead of resenting such tests or saying, “Oh no not another learning moment”, we should want to make God proud by passing such tests with flying colors and asking God and our loved ones, “How did I do today?”
