“Count it all a joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
James 1:2-4
The Root
Imagine losing your spouse and two sons a decade apart. This is what Naomi faced in the book of Ruth. Naomi and Ruth’s experience is a moving story of tragedy and triumph. It also reveals what faithfulness can produce despite our feelings of hopelessness.
The loss of her sons must have shattered Naomi’s world. Amid sorrow, our emotions can work overtime. We convince ourselves that God wants nothing more for us than calamity and misery. But this is farthest from the truth! Psalm 34:19 tells us, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all.”
We will never be able to comprehend why things happen or the timing of our hardships. God’s ways are not our ways, nor can we grasp His thoughts (see Isaiah 55:8). While I’m sure Naomi had to know this, her reaction to losing her family was human.
She said to her daughter-n-laws, Orpah, and Ruth, after losing their husbands and wanting to follow Naomi back to Judah: “…No, my daughters, for it is exceedingly bitter to me for your sake that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me” (Ruth 1:13).
Naomi’s response tells us everything we need to know about her state of mind. She was convinced that God was angry with her, and this added to the root of her misery. Afflictions come in various forms, and like our days of joy and happiness, suffering is a part of life, too. And for some, this can develop into seasons of depression.“Count it all a joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
The word “happy” derives partly from the word happenstance, indicating that a person’s happiness is at the mercy of what happens to us externally. However, true joy is internal, and comes from a source within. James tells us to consider it all joy when we face trials. In other words, when we face trials, it is up to us to decide our response. That’s how perseverance will have its work in us, making us more like Christ. God promises that only those of us who choose joy will end up mature and complete.
Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes that, given the short span of our lives, the best we can do is to enjoy God’s blessings and find satisfaction in our work. Regardless of what your life looks like right now, if you have Christ, you have the choice to be satisfied in Him— “for without Him, who can eat or find enjoyment?” If we have Jesus, we truly have all that we need.
We may not be able to control what happens to us; but we can certainly control our responses. There are times when we need to cry; but at some point, we must dry our eyes and make the choice to go ahead with living. Happiness is a choice.
Today’s Action: Find a quiet place to take on the root of your worry and unhappiness. Make a list of people or circumstances that can be hindering your progress from living in peace. List everything you believe causes you distress. Be courageous in exposing the truth, even the secret things that God already knows (see Psalm 44:21).
Today’s Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, I desire to grow in grace and become more like Jesus. I am beginning to understand that in this life, I will have testings and trials. I pray that You will keep me steady in the trials of life. Thanks be to God that by the power of the Holy Spirit, the testing of my faith will develop perseverance in me. May I come forth as gold, to Your praise and glory. Heavenly Father, thank You that Your grace is sufficient for every trial and difficulty that I will face in my life. May I be ready and willing to patiently learn the lessons that You would teach me in each situation in life, knowing that I am being perfected in the process. Help me learn to patiently endure with joyful thanks.
“Trials are not optional; they are inevitable. Trials are a normal part of God’s process of bringing us to glory.”
Dr. David Anderson
Did You KNOW…
The 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln supposedly experienced long bouts of depression. He eventually made this statement: “Most people are as happy as they make up their mind to be.” If you live long enough, you will discover that true happiness does not come from events alone, but rather from a choice.
hope14me.org 