Pure Joy

 

Read James 1

 

So, thus far, you have gotten a good dose of “My grace is sufficient for you.” Whatever our circumstances—to include our worst days ever—we celebrate victory.

It is victory in Jesus, and it is ours. We can’t mess that up, even if we are a total mess from now until our heart stops or Jesus comes in the clouds. That victory is ours.

You most recently heard me speak about considering ourselves blessed when we are persecuted for following Christ.  We are blessed when the world won’t claim us because Jesus did.

And what could be next? Your grace is enough, persecuted for the name of Jesus is a blessing, and let’s just throw in consider it pure joy when you endure suffering of all kinds.

Now, we’re pushing the envelope. I can see counting it as a blessing when I am persecuted because I follow Jesus. I actually think that one is cool. I would much rather be rejected by the world and claimed by Jesus than to hear, Depart from me. I never knew you.

I can see the blessing in being disowned by the world and claimed by Christ. I get it, but this pericope says suffering of all kinds. That includes having the flu or Covid or even a man-cold—far more painful than giving birth.

This sort of suffering includes…

It includes having a real nowhere man for my boss.

It includes having to change a flat when it’s icy and the wind chill is brutal.

It includes turning the sofa upside down to get enough change for a loaf of bread. I remember my parents doing this to get a pack of cigarettes. You can still search the sofa for change, but you had better find some serious folding money if you hope to buy cigarettes. Those suckers are crazy high.

It includes all the things that fall under the category of life; some are not much fun, some are unpleasant, and some hurt.

But we are told to be joyful. Consider the suffering experience as a labor of love.

And I come to a place I have come many times before—wind sprints.

Back in the day, wind sprints marked the dreaded end of football practice. You ran until you puked your guts out. Almost everyone hated them, and the coach knew it.

I enjoyed football practice, but I always had this thought in my mind: Wind sprints are coming.

One day in his pontifications about the things of life that may or may not relate to football, the coach noted that a horse will run itself to death. It will run until it drops dead.

Then he added, “A man will pass out first, so why are you holding back?”

Then it was back to wind sprints, but Tom’s mind was hard at work. I would show the coach. I would run with everything I had, and maybe I would pass out, or maybe I would die, but in either case, the coach was going to be sorry.

So, when it was time for the linemen and linebackers to run, I gave it all I had. That was the day that I died, or not.

What actually happened was that I finished my sprint five yards ahead of everyone else.

The next time, it was the same thing. It hadn’t killed me yet.

The third time, I jumped the line and ran with the backs and receivers. I beat them all but one, and I got him the next time.

I never dreaded wind sprints again. In fact, I loved them. It was now something to look forward to—wind sprints, I know. I was getting stronger, and I wanted more. I was all in for whatever the coach threw at us.

James tells us to look forward to, embrace, and consider it pure joy when we face trials of all sorts—anything and everything.

Being patient, waiting on the Lord, sticking it out, pressing on towards the goal, and running the good race are what we do when we face a trial.

We know that we will have trouble in the world. It is not something to be totally avoided. Making wise decisions can reduce the amount of trouble that comes our way somewhat, but we will still face trials.

Do you remember why Jesus told his disciples that they would have trouble in the world, but to take heart, Jesus has overcome the world? Why did he say this?

So, in the midst of the world’s madness, we can still have peace. Trials are just a part of life, but because of what Jesus did for us on the cross, we have already won the ultimate prize.

It’s that God’s way and everything else mindset. We can eliminate the unnecessary pain and suffering that comes from our bad decisions, but we will still suffer and have trials. That’s the way it is.

But if we stay the course, we will be closer to completeness than when we started. Remember that God is the Potter, and we are the clay.

Everything we do is rolled into the masterpiece God is making with our lives. If we remain faithful, trust in the Lord over our own understanding, and simply wait upon the Lord, we will emerge refined at the end of our trial.

Our struggle will not diminish us. Like in resistance training, we grow stronger with each repetition. We have survived 100% of our worst days ever and are stronger for it.

So, consider it pure joy when we face trials of many kinds. Remember the three things I reminded you of when you are persecuted for the name of Jesus.

So, when you suffer for any reason, also remember:

·       God’s grace is enough. You have already won the ultimate victory.

·       You can handle whatever it is at the moment. It’s momentary. It could take 5 minutes or 20 years and 5 minutes, but it is momentary.

·       Great is your reward in heaven and in the here and now. Great is your reward in heaven when you are persecuted because you follow Jesus. Great is your reward now because if you hold on and trust God through the trial—whatever it is and however it came about—you will grow. And we get to grow in God’s grace, knowing that our salvation is the gift of God and not dependent upon our performance.

We just have to trust and remain faithful.

What does that trust look like? We are joyful in our trials and suffering. It’s just part of the deal, and we come out the better for it.

Amen.