Count...

James 1:2 says to "count it all joy when you face trials of many kinds." I'm not very good at that. So, I've been doing some studying. My goal was to learn how to psyche myself into "feeling" joyful when circumstances dictated otherwise.

Here's what I've learned: in the Greek, the word translated "count" means to evaluate - to consider the value. The value of what - joy? Nope! The value of trials.

How are trials valuable? Keep reading - "Know that the testing of your faith produces endurance." Is endurance valuable? Duh. Yes. "Endurance must do its complete work, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking nothing." Is maturity valuable? Yes, again.

I recently heard a seminary professor ask the question: What's the difference between trials and temptations? He didn't have the answer, or at least he didn't share it with us. But I think the answer to that is this - Trials do not conflict with the character of God. Rather, they are His tools, meant to draw us closer to Him. What we do with the tools reveals how far we have to go on the maturity-meter. Temptations are in direct contrast with the character of God. They are Satan's tools, meant to draw us away from the Father. But like trials, what we do with them reveals how far we have to go.

And that is valuable.

Now, don't get me wrong. When Hurricane Rita landed on our doorstep at the same time that our pastor moved and left me as the "Lone Ranger" on staff at my church, I didn't walk around in a joyful haze muttering, "Maturity is valuable. Maturity is valuable, " while I did damage assessment and disaster relief with our congregation. I cried, as usual, and asked God why He saw fit to leave little ol' me around to handle the ensuing months of recovery.

No answer to that yet. Do I "feel" more joyful? No. But I have endured. And I have learned something.



Maturity is valuable. Maturity is valuable.