i often wonder about joy. i wonder about what james was saying when he said "consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance."
pure joy? i just don't know how i feel about that. i think what it's saying is that we should consider ourselves lucky whenever something crappy happens because there's a chance that if you have the strongest will ever and have no problems totally relying on God and never struggle with faith that everything is for the good, then you will come out of every situation you face fulfilled and happy. (sarcasm, much?)
i don't know. i guess you can say i'm bitter about this whole concept. i just don't see it. i'm not saying james was wrong in writing this or that God didn't breath those very words into him, i just don't know how we are supposed to find comfort in those words. maybe if it were to say, "whenever God puts you in a situation to show your faith in Him and come out on top, you should be happy." but that's the issue. it isn't God putting us in these situations. it seems like it's so many things other than Him, actually. sure, He allows it. that much i get. but beyond that...? i have put myself in countless situations and come out on the wrong end. i have put myself in a position to fail or to stumble or fall short more times than i can and wasted precious time and will. so where to i find joy in that?
then there are other factors. take, for example, natural disasters. i don't think that God send hurricanes or earthquakes or tsunamis to punish the world. i think it's just another result of sin and the fall of man since the beginning. you can add anything here...sicknesses like cancer and aids and malaria -- what about a drunk driver crossing the yellow line and killing a family? or a crazy guy who for whatever sick reason kills someone's wife or husband...son or daughter... when we face situations like that, where do we find joy? how do we see the hand of God acting in those situations?
i don't have any doubts that God exists. i don't think i have ever questioned that. i also don't doubt that God is always with us...always watching. the thing i don't know is how do we grab ahold of something intangible...how do we grasp something and put our faith in something that we can't smell or touch or breathe. i preached on this last night even...how we can always find comfort no matter what knowing that we are never alone. it's a lot harder to put those things to practice when something bad happens, though. it's just one of those things i've never understood.
i guess we have to find the joy, ourseleves. i don't think it just presents itself to us. maybe it does, but i don't think so. maybe we can find joy in knowing that God knows what's best for us. it's His love that allows us to make mistakes; His love that allows us to hurt because He loves us so much He wants us to experience everything we can. i guess it's just a love i can't understand and won't.
maybe i should just keep trying to accept it.
- david
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I think the joy James is talking about comes from having an opportunity to stretch your faith. If you put your faith in God during a difficult time and you see His hand at work, you will have that much more faith the next time. And as it becomes easier to trust God, you will experience more and more joy. We find joy in the difficult situations in life when we discover we are not alone, and that God works all things together for good in the lives of those who love Him. When tragedy strikes we find joy in the hope that there is a better tomorrow. I don't think we have to look for joy, it is a by-product of a surrendered life...
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