Count It All Joy

by Jason Carr

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2-4)

I find the entire book of James to be relentlessly convicting. He talks to us about all the things we don’t really want to hear about: gossip, faith without works, and double-mindedness—just to name a few.

He certainly wastes no time in throwing down the gauntlet. In just the second verse of chapter 1, we get this gem: “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds…” Don’t love that one.

But I Signed Up For The Blessings Package

No, seriously. I was blessed to grow up in an extremely stable and loving environment—I lived in the same house from age four until I left for college. We also attended the same church for that entire time. My parents loved each other and loved my sister and me. It wasn’t until I left home that I realized how rare my upbringing was. I found that most people weren’t as fortunate. If there was a part of the book of James I most identified with, it was, “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights…” (1:17) Yes, thank you, I like this verse much better.

I did, however, take my faith seriously at a young age, which meant I read my Bible regularly. So I knew that trials were something to be expected; I just didn’t know when to expect them, or what they would look like. 

My Tests

Fast-forward to today—I’ve been in full-time ministry for 20 years, and I’ve now been through three big trials that have severely tested my faith, two of which were in the context of my ministry assignment.

Both of the ministry tests caught me off-guard, though they shouldn’t have. Countless people warned me that ministry would be a treacherous path. But I was young, full of zeal, and naively thought it wouldn’t happen to me.

I didn’t expect the people who said they love Jesus to compromise core Christian values for the sake of building their ministry, to willfully make decisions that would hurt my family, and to lie about it all. That wasn’t on my bingo card for ministry. While James was spot on—these trials ultimately produced steadfastness in my faith—I never could have imagined how painful they would be.

Sometimes, though, the test feels like more than we can bear and threatens to annihilate our faith altogether. I’ve felt that way before. The first and most acute instance of this was in college. And in retrospect, it was the easiest of life’s big tests so far—but it was my first biggie.

It was a trifecta of doubt that caused my faith to waver: unwanted questions raised by my Geology class, frustrations with foolishness in my student ministry, and learning about the horrors committed by those claiming to follow Jesus during the Crusades. My faith felt like a Jenga set, and one too many blocks had been pulled.

This was 2003, and deconstruction wasn’t a phrase commonly used back then—at least not to my knowledge. But that’s what was happening to me. But for the faithfulness of God in my life, my faith would have failed.

Tests, What Are They Good For?

Here’s the thing, those tests did exactly what they were meant to do—find the weak spots and expose what needed fixing. And isn't that what tests are designed for?

Academic tests expose holes in your knowledge. A diagnostic test for your car finds the areas not functioning properly. Medical diagnostic tests hopefully find what’s wrong in your body. Though I’m sure you’ve heard of, and maybe experienced yourself, medical diagnostic tests that come back negative—yet you or someone you know are experiencing complications in your body? That’s frustrating news to get. Something is wrong, but no one can tell you what it is. That’s a rare test that you don’t want to ace; you need to find the problem.

This is, I believe, at least part of why James exhorts us to count trials as joy. Trials, and the testing of our faith, reveal our deficiencies—those places that demand healing and growth for the sake of the journey still ahead. Growth for the sake of spiritual maturity. Unto, as James says, “that you may be perfect.”

Perfect How?

But what is this “perfection” that James is talking about here? The word in Greek is τέλειος (teleios), which conveys mature or complete. Perfect, in this case, is not speaking of flawlessness or being without sin. This same word is used in Hebrews 5:8, speaking of Jesus: “Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him.”

Again, it’s not referring to a sinless state—Jesus didn’t become perfect through obedience, He has always been perfect because He is God. Instead, it’s referring to completion, reaching its intended end. And, in this case, how suffering is used to bring maturity about. There is suffering in the path of obeying God and in loving others that matures us. 

Trusting the Teacher

Throughout my life, testing has revealed to me that I am much weaker than I thought I was. But also, that He is much kinder than I thought He was. The consistency of His goodness and mercy in my life, especially in the context of my failures, is overwhelming. God doesn’t use trials to expose us for the sake of shame. And He doesn’t leave us as he finds us. Instead, He exposes for the sake of healing and growth.

I’ve learned that each new test reveals a new area for work. And often, there’s no study guide to prepare you for what’s coming. Though each new test brings unexpected questions and challenges to my faith, the one thing I can carry with me is the confidence that He’s a good teacher with good intentions for me. I often look to the end of Jude to remind myself of this truth: “Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy…” (v. 24)

The work He does in us, He does with great joy. He’s not surprised at our weakness, and He’s committed to walking with us throughout our days.

So we can count these trials as joy because, yes, they produce steadfastness and maturity. But also because He is the test-giver, and we can trust that He is working it all out for our good (Romans 8:28).