All Joy

“Count (or “consider”, or “reckon”) it all joy when you meet trials of various kinds” (James 1:2).  “Count it”, that is, even though your natural senses will not find trials to be joyful, your spiritual judgment must regard them as such.  Trials do not just happen by chance.  We must consider them as under the sovereign hand of God.  Without this, we have no foundation to view trials as designed by a loving God for good purposes.  We will experience trials as either bitter or sweet depending on how we judge them.  The remarkable command to “count it all joy” may seem to be impossible.  Are not joy and sorrow spontaneous feelings that cannot be controlled?  I think this accounts for the language used in this verse.  We are commanded to carefully consider these things, and on the basis of Scripture to come to a reasonable conclusion.  The Bible gives Christians sound reasons for responding to life’s hardships with joy.  James 1:5 tells us that if we lack the wisdom needed to manage adversity with joy, we are to ask God.  Carefully consider these things.  You will find great blessing in doing so.