2My brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, 3because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; 4and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing. — James 1:2-4 (NRSV)
Sometimes reading a passage from the Bible in a translation other than the one you are used to can really give you fresh insight. Here, what caught me off guard was how the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) phrased a familiar verse speaking of how to deal with trials in this life by saying that we should “consider it nothing but joy”. I am used to reading “count it all joy”, which I guess sounds too much like “it’s all good”, which is a phrase I don’t particularly care for. But “consider it nothing but joy” is a new understanding for me.
Instead of knowing that the trial was a bad thing that I was supposed to dress up as a good thing (counting it as joy), I am actually supposed to not even think anything about the trial was bad, but rather see through the apparent badness to the joy that it was meant to bring. How can a trial bring joy? Well, if you can accept the truth that the real objective in life for a follower of Jesus is supposed to be one of becoming more like Jesus — rather than the objective we seem to have, which is getting through each day with as little hassle as possible — then it is easy to see how trials bring joy. There is no better way to become like Jesus than to have your faith tested. How can you develop character when things go well? But when things go badly, you learn whether you have true faith or not. If you fail the test, it is not the end of the road, but rather a chance to get on the right road.
The reason Jesus does not free us from trials in many cases — at least not right away — is that there is very little faith involved when there is no cost. Faith cannot be tested unless it appears that failure is imminent — which means the answer for rescue is delayed. Indeed, your faith cannot be tested unless some of the time you actually fail. God is in the failure, too — but few will be able to embrace such a thought.
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Nevertheless, I will try to see my trials as God’s precious gift to me — his way of helping me grow to be like Jesus. And for that, I can rejoice!
First posted December 27, 2009