Count it Joy part1
Welcome again to my podcast, where I aim to take the Word of God and make it practical for your life. I recently began a three-part series focusing on the book of James, specifically tackling that challenging command: to "count it all joy" when we fall into various trials [10:10]. It's a truth I often stress, one that dictates the quality of our Christian walk: approximately 80% of adversity has to do with how you respond to what happens to you, and only 20% is the problem itself [00:58]. I have to be honest with you—there have been times I was rejoicing, and many times I was complaining [01:28]. But I realized I had every reason to count it all joy because God had it under control the whole time, and my struggle was simply a test to build my "testimony" [02:21].
I often share the story of my wife, Carrie, when she was battling incredibly painful gallstones many years ago. Despite the agonizing pain, we were both praying and believing for her healing, standing on God’s promises [04:41]. Out of prudence, we agreed to a surgical procedure to blast the stones. Yet, the doctors came out after only an hour and confessed they were puzzled [05:38]. They had done all the imagery and knew the stone’s size and location, but when they ran a final image right before the surgery, they couldn't find the gallstone—it was gone, completely healed [06:14]. Through that six-month period of pain and uncertainty, we had a choice: complain about the adversity or "count it" [07:11]. That experience became a powerful reminder that we have an opportunity in every trial to put James 1 into practice and stand in faith.
The command to "count it all joy" hinges on a crucial word. In the original Greek, the word "count" or "consider" (which is sometimes translated as "reckon") is a term used in accounting [17:42]. It means to make a reasoned, conscious judgment about where to place a number on a ledger [17:18]. As bookkeepers and accountants know, you have to carefully decide if an item is an asset or a liability [18:21]. This is the spiritual principle James is teaching us: in life, "stuff happens" [19:55], and you have to consciously place every single trial—whether it’s a car repair, a financial struggle, or a deep illness—into the "asset" column [20:42]. We must choose to view it as a good thing, because if it drives us closer to the Rock of Ages, then it is a reason to rejoice. As Charles Spurgeon famously said, "I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the rock of ages" [10:30].
My challenge to you is simple: don't resent your trials as intruders, but welcome them as friends [16:00]. The focus of your life should not be the 20% of what is happening, but the 80% of how you choose to respond [15:32]. The testing of your faith is not meant to break you, but to produce patience, maturity, and a stronger faith that stays, not just starts [08:56]. Remember, God is going to use every unpleasant circumstance in your life to bring about a good result. Today, take your trial to Christ, and choose to "count it joy."