Hastings: On finding joy
“Think of it as pure joy, my sisters and brothers, whenever you face trials of any sort. You understand that your faith is put to the test only to make you patient … fully mature and lacking in nothing.” — James 1:2-4 The Inclusive Bible
The people of faith, to whom James wrote, were not unlike people today. They knew their covenant of faith promised blessings for obedience but curses for disobedience. They naturally believed “keeping the faith” would lead them to enjoy freedom, comfort and security.
However, James does not support a rules-based formula for finding joy. He taught that joy is a deep happiness which is not dependent upon external circumstances. He asserted that people of faith are not immune to the difficulties or challenges of life. In fact, life’s trials are calls to grow in faith.
When one does not move on from early faith stages toward mature faith, the result may be work-righteousness — the belief that those who follow certain rules deserve comfort and prosperity while all others deserve trials and suffering. Those who cling to this early stage of faith may look down upon those with troubles instead of offering unconditional love and compassion as Jesus did. In Jesus’ story of the lost son, the elder brother was stuck in an immature faith stage, unable to enter into a joyous celebration for one who had been lost and was found.
For those who may be reluctant to leave an early faith stage, James taught that health, wealth and prosperity are temporary joys. To find eternal joy, one must keep following Christ toward maturity in faith, step out of comfort zones, and engage with life’s trials, whether one’s own or another’s. James warned that joy evaporates when one slips backward into legalism and self-righteousness.
Trusting and following Christ as shepherd “through the valley of the shadow of death” — even when the way is rugged and steep and one cannot see the way ahead — is the path of joy. Those who follow Christ into mature stages of faith will experience the power of joy to turn adversities into blessings.
The Rev. Celia M. Hastings has a master’s degree in religious education from Western Theological Seminary in Holland. She is author of “The Wisdom Series” and “The Undertaker’s Wife.”
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Hastings: On finding joy
