Consider It Joy

In the middle of loss, whether it is your job, health, family, money, or even your life, it is often difficult to understand, let alone embrace, James' admonition to be joyful about these trials. I have been overwhelmed lately with all the loss I see happening to those close to me. Yet I've found God to be true in everything He says and by faith, I believe that He is good in all that he does because He is good Himself.

The following excerpt is from Paul David Tripp's book, Lost in the Middle, which deeply encouraged me last year as I walked through the pain of deep loss with some dear friends. Tripp says something very astounding that shook me up considerably:

We don’t tend to be very excited about being Christ-like and holy.
Instead, we get excited about being around people who love and affirm us. We get excited about children who grow up and do what is right. We get excited about making plans that actually come true. We get excited about physical health. We get excited about investments that have a good return. We get excited about having a safe, successful, stress-free, and predictable life. The problem with all of these things is not that they are wrong to desire. The problem is that we have settled for far too little. And we are surprised, shocked, and disappointed when God shakes them in order to refine us. You see, God has planned more and better things for us than we would want for ourselves. He is not content for us to be content with situational and relational ease. He will settle for nothing less than that we would become partakers of his divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).

How do you assess a good day? Do you tend to celebrate the smooth-running, unobstructed days and curse the days when difficulty has been in your path? How small a trial is able to make you angry? How quick are you to question God and his goodness? How apt are you to lash out at others who seem to have gotten in the way of your plan? How much do you envy the apparent ease of others? How much is your joy and contentment directly tied to comfort and ease? Are you in an agenda-collision with your Lord? Do you live with a destination-mentality, cursing the heat of preparation when it comes your way?

You can read the full excerpt from the book here. (I highly recommend you purchasing this book and reading it for yourself.)

In addition, as I was thinking about this subject this morning, my CD player came to this song on Graham Kendrick's What Grace CD:

"Consider It Joy (When Trials Come)"
by Graham Kendrick

Though trials will come
Don’t fear, don’t run
Lift up your eyes
Hold fast, be strong
Have faith, keep on believing
Lift up your eyes
For God is at work in us
Moulding and shaping us
Out of his love for us
Making us more like Jesus

Consider it joy, pure joy
When troubles come
Many trials will make you strong
Consider it joy, pure joy
And stand your ground
Then at last you’ll wear a crown

Though trials will come
Won’t fear, won’t run
We’ll lift up our eyes
Hold fast, be strong
Have faith, keep on believing
We’ll lift up our eyes
For God is at work in us
Moulding and shaping us
Out of his love for us
Making us more like Jesus

Joy, pure joy
Consider it joy, pure joy
Joy, pure joy
Consider it joy, pure joy

Patiently trusting him
Ready for anything
’Til we’re complete in him
In everything more like Jesus

Consider it joy, pure joy
When troubles come
Many trials will make you strong
Consider it joy, pure joy
And stand your ground
Then at last you’ll wear a crown
Then at last you’ll wear a crown
Then at last you’ll wear a crown

Copyright © 2001 Make Way Music,
www.grahamkendrick.co.uk