Joy in the Midst of Trials?

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” James 1:2-3 (NKJV)

When we are in the midst of trials, “count it all joy” is often one of the last things we want to hear. It feels unsympathetic and disrespectful to expect someone to have joy when their life is a mess. But perhaps we are looking at it in the wrong way. What if God doesn’t expect or demand that we have joy in various trials but offers us joy as a resource to strengthen us during trials?

Joy is not a requirement but a resource.

As we trudge through the trials of tough times, we become more patient in our expectant hope of the resurrection. True joy in our lives sees the ultimate destination of the resurrection and counts everything else as a loss in comparison to this rich treasure that we are to inherit. Joy doesn’t distract us from life like a hysteric happiness; it helps us see and get to the destination. Yes, we will have sadness and we will have pain in our lives, yet we can have joy because our hope isn’t in avoiding those things but in pursuing His Kingdom.

God doesn’t waste your pain.

I have seen God use my brokenness just as often, if not more often, than my strengths. It’s not the specific instances of trusting God in the midst of troubles; it’s the habit of leaning into Him when life hits. I don’t know how God can use a tire blowout for His glory, but when I trust Him through the situation, I build a trust that I can return to Him the next time life hits. When life pokes me, and I ooze out joy, people wonder what’s inside of me that makes me do that. Those times give me opportunities to share about Jesus. God uses the pain in our lives to build us up in our trust relationship with Him and to show the world what it is like to trust God in every situation. God doesn’t waste our pain; He uses it to enhance our relationship with Jesus and to reach out to others.