James 1:1-4 Joy

James 1:1
"James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes who are dispersed abroad: Greetings."

What title do you give yourself? James gives himself a pretty lowly title. He is a bond-servant. Most Christians think of him in grander terms than that, but with proper perspective we should be able to see the importance of his title. It shows a right understanding of his position in this world. He knows that his only purpose in this world is to serve Jesus Christ. No fancy title or self-serving description of who he is. He fails to include one tiny detail: he is the brother of Jesus! In the end being the brother of Jesus is not nearly as important as being a bond-servant of Jesus. He is a bond-servant, someone who serves his master because he is bound to and indebted to him. James position as bond-servant to the living God adds some importance to this letter. It tells me that James is writing this letter in the service of God. It must be important. The God of the universe has something to say. Let's read on and find out what.

James 1:2-4
"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Joy? Maybe I am not reading this right, but I am pretty sure that told me I was supposed to count it as joy when I am having problems in my life. That is not normal. Usually when I am having problems I dwell on them until they consume my mind, leading me into a place of depression at which time I turn on the TV and watch some mind numbing show while eating an entire bag of potato chips and consuming large amounts of high caloric caffeinated beverages (Coke). The end result of this is a sugar imbalance that pushes me farther into my depression, adds to my waistline, devalues my view of my self worth and puts me in a poor mental state to deal with whatever problem I have. So tell me how I am supposed to have joy - please. Thankfully James includes that answer here. Trials test your faith; the more your faith is tested the more your endurance is built up. The result of this endurance will eventually be perfection. You as a believer in Jesus Christ will be complete, lacking in nothing! The picture is similar to that of an athlete. They spend hours every day working out, practicing, building their endurance by testing the strength of their muscles and their minds so that they can have the perfect body.

So the next time you are having a bad day instead of reaching for the remote and the Doritos, reach out to God and thank Him and praise Him for this little workout that is going to lead you to perfection.