“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.” – James 1:2-3
Sometimes I struggle in the “joy department.” It’s not really that I would rather not be joyful – in fact, it is something that I have been asking God to increase in my life for years now. I think that there are just times where my sight is sitting – perhaps stuck – on my circumstances and I choose to focus on what is or appears to be – instead on the purpose or results to come.
When I read the words of James this morning, I was reminded that I have not walked a trouble free life. For that matter, I doubt that anyone actually has! However, I realized that my troubles have brought opportunities for great joy that I haven’t perhaps acknowledged.
A few thoughts that immediately affirmed this for me today are:
- The failure of my first marriage: Being left for someone else is painful. Being left without any idea of how the future would play out is scary. How do I provide for my children? How do I recover from this? Why would this happen when I love and serve the LORD? But God in His great provision has used this situation as an ideal place to bring joy. I am more aware than ever that I am chosen by God. I am His beloved. He sees and knows me intimately and still loves me. And if that weren’t enough, He has provided me with another earthly partner who loves Him, me, and my children. God has given me an opportunity to minister now to others walking through similar troubles. I have great reason for joy!
- The birth of my firstborn: She was born blue, swollen, and somewhat limp. Within a matter of minutes, I would learn that she was fighting for her life with massive heart defects and an additional chromosome that would impact the rest of her life and mine. I saw none of this coming. How do you live with a shattered dream? How do I parent someone like this? How do I know what to do? But God in His great provision and plan has used this situation as an ideal place to bring joy. I’ve seen and received what unconditional love looks like here on earth. My heart has been expanded to a group of people that it most likely would not have crossed paths with was this circumstance not a part of my journey. God has given me another opportunity to minister to others walking through similar troubles. Again, I have great reason for joy!
I could go on. I won’t. Not today. Troubles have been apart of just about every part of my life – relational, emotional, spiritual, mental, physical, financial… But God has always been there. In every single instance, He was there. Turning my morning into dancing. Taking my grief and loss and transforming it into something good – some great reason for joy.
Instead of focusing on the destruction or hurt, maybe it’s time to begin to look for and focus on the good work that God is going to bring out of the trouble. Our troubles will end. It may not always feel that way, but they will end. However, our joy will not. Our reason for joy will continue on with us into eternity. That in itself is reason for great joy!
Blessings!