COUNTING JOY
When my husband and I served as missionaries in Central America, chocolate was a priceless commodity. We begged for chocolate to be sent to us, even though we knew it would be days before we received any and it would have to pass through customs before it actually got into our hands. But, it was worth it.
The longer we spent in Guatemala, the more goods became available to us – we could buy familiar items in stores we frequented. One such item was M & M’s. For those living in the US, this may seem trivial, but it was not for us. It was huge and in grand proportions. So much so, that John and I took to counting and dividing the brightly colored treats, evenly. Stealing was deeply frowned upon and worthy of great punishment.
This pastime proved helpful when we went six weeks without water and electricity. Since not many were gathering together because of the basic lack of necessities (think bathrooms and shared meals where no water spelled uncomfortable times), the two of us spent many hours together with our hurricane lamp, a deck of cards like Uno, a Bible for reading and our aforementioned carefully counted candies.
Scripture tells us to count joy – the suffering and hardships are to be counted or rendered by us as joy. What does joy look like? As the author of Psalm 2 tells us, we have joy because we take refuge in God. It is ours for the taking. This is indeed good news, a balm for our weary and troubled hearts. No need to go looking for it, it is here.
James has us counting joy in chapter one:
Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. James 1:2 (NLT)
Wow. This hits right between the bone and marrow of the soul. And opportunity for great joy. And we are to consider, count this joy. In looking at this Greek word (for count or consider), hegeomai – the definitions are very unique and worthy of noting. It essentially means to command, to lead, as with authority. To go before, as a leader would.
Wait a minute. What does this have to do with joy? And this is in conjunction with trials, tribulations and adversities and great suffering. What are we to command?
If one reads on in James 1 to verse 3, we see James gives us a new subject: our faith. And quickly moves onto endurance. How does one make sense of this? Holy Spirit help. Give us understanding for our present sufferings and afflictions.
We are assured in Psalm 2 joy is ours if we take refuge in God. He is our Hiding Place, our strong tower, our safe. We are to command this joy, lead with it. Use it as our banner.
“Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!” Nehemiah 8:10 (NLT)
Our joy is in front of us, it is leading us, it is going before us, all the way to the Saviour.
The question is: do I follow? Do you follow?
Am I choosing to run to the shelter of God’s love and protection, or do I cower and roam on my own? Do I lead this stubborn heart of mine towards God and chase after Him and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33)? Do I fight so hard for myself rather than letting go and letting God?
Tough questions.
Then there is the Fruit of the Spirit. The list in Galatians 5:22-23 is rich in Truth. The NLT says it beautifully:
But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
We do not, nor can we, conjure up this fruit. It is the evidence of the Spirit working in us. If we couple this verse with James 1:2 – by commanding the joy, or letting it lead by recognizing my lack of authority and need for submission to God, then faith and endurance grow. The result of this growth?
The Fruit of the Spirit. A quiet, submissive heart in the LORD. A posture of obedience to Jesus and allowing my stuff, my self, to go to the back, to die, to not control my life.
These are heavy topics which take a while to ponder and meditate on. But, why don’t we consider joy, consider the Fruit, and consider the lordship of Jesus in our lives. It is here we have the pure joy James was calling unto. And God has for us.
Father God, I need You and Your joy. My heart hurts for many reasons – long suffering, loved ones suffering, wars, and atrocities all around. However, I am here, under Your protective banner of joy. I want everything You have for me – and the Fruit from the Spirit, I accept. Do a work in me and on my heart. I need You every hour Lord, and I submit myself anew to You. AMEN
