Disappointed, confused, frustrated… These are the feelings I had recently when I didn’t get the answers I was searching for. It can be hard to face the unknown. You can feel stuck. Life doesn’t always turn out the way we hope it would, and we don’t always have all the answers. But what we can choose to have is joy. Joy is
the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something exceptionally good or satisfying.
Dictionary.com
What could be so good and satisfying especially when you face something challenging? The book of James points us to one way to have joy.
Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete lacking nothing.
James 1:2-4 (CSB)
Endurance, maturity, completion, lacking nothing are the things that are exceptionally good or satisfying enough to bring delight or happiness. But what does it take to get to that happy place? Trials. Like it or not, it’s the hard things that give us endurance, maturity, completion, and ultimately joy. The trials and unanswered questions in life can leave you feeling broken and incomplete. Push through that stuck feeling and embrace the trial with joy, for in the end, you will be made whole in Christ. He matures us. He completes us. Knowing Christ and looking forward to seeing Him in the end is our hope in life, and the source of our joy.
This is excellent. Keep in mind that happiness and joy are two different things. Happiness is a feeling we have only when things are good, but joy is deep inside of us no matter what happens. Joy does not get chased off by trouble – it is produced by the Holy Spirit and his deep with us no matter the circumstances!🙏🏾
What an excellent and timely message. I agree. It is life’s challenges that teach us too be joyful or thankful as I am learning.