"JOY WHEN YOU FALL"

James 1:2-3

How can I keep my joy when I'm being tried?

When I read this passage, the first thing that came to my mind was this question,

"Did James really mean that we were suppose to be happy when we find ourselves in a difficult situation that is going to try our faith to the max?"

Hey! You know what? Those guys way back in the Bible times had difficulties just like we do today!

The only difference is that our trials often come in the form of plastic money; wireless communication or some modern form of transportation. Right? Just think about the last time that you took a flight to some distant city. If your patience wasn't tried, I applaud you! I had to practice patience from the time that I entered the first line at the customer service counter to the minute I picked up my luggage at my destination! We sat on the plane for several hours just waiting to take off in the middle of the summer without air and I'm a little guy. The problem was that I had a middle seat and was right between two guys who may have been linebackers for the Pittsburgh Steelers! These guys were huge, hot and restless! I had to get up and stand after the first hour just to breath! I'm not kidding folks! Boy was my patience tested! The fact is that I was experiencing something I hadn't ever experienced before and that's when we often find ourselves also dealing with a new temptation for the first time. It was a most trying time and I wasn't in the least bit joyful! So, what does James mean in this passage when he says to be joyful?

James 1:2-3 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations; 3. Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

James says that we ought to be joyful, not because we are tried, but because we can know beforehand that it is this difficulty that will cause us to become more patient when trouble comes our way. The trying of our faith is when something causes us to feel like we are about to explode, but instead of exploding, we must remember the basis of our faith and we must remember that our faith is built on love and that we ought to love one another! It is this kind of spiritual control that shines in a world of anger and selfishness! It tells those around us that there is hope for mankind in the world today! I often remember the passage in Matthew 12:36 when I am about to loose control and say something wrong that would please our adversary the devil. So our joy comes from the knowing, as it says in verse three, that the trying of our faith teaches us patience.

Is something or someone trying you today? Is there something in your life that you are protecting with your life? How will you react when you are tempted and your faith is tried? Will you be the tough guy in the flesh or the tough guy in the spirit? Have you snapped and told someone off lately because they intruded somehow into your own self-centered world? When that happened, how could you have changed the way things turned out?

You can be joyful still my brothers and sisters! Regardless of our experiences, even when our faith is tried, we will always KNOW THIS,"...that the trying of YOUR FAITH works patience." found in verse three. So, the big question now is,"Are we going to count it all joy? All situations? All outcomes? All that we learn? Are we going to be able to maintain our joy, no matter what happens?".

My answer and your answer should be, "Yes, absolutely! Because we know that our patience is being perfected through the trying times when we fall into different temptations." Selah.