Choosing Joy

I've been working my way through the book of James forever. I have a study book and its been amazing, the insights, the thought provoking questions. But I keep coming back to the beginning. 1:2 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." This is such a tough one, joy in the face of trials. The study book took me through it, it doesn't say "feel." It says "consider." Think it through. Choosing anything but joy leads us in a direction that God doesn't desire for us. The other choices - anger, fear, giving up - they don't lead us closer to God. Choose JOY and let God lead us through, teach us perseverance, bring us closer to Him.

This morning the kids and I talked about this verse. I told them its like choosing cookies - the nice soft cookie, still warm, chocolate chips melty... Or the other cookie, a few weeks old, dried out and hard, maybe some flies living on it or something. "EWW!" they cried. I told them that God wants the very best for us, but if we decide to eat that old cookie, well He'll let us. But why would we choose that? So all day we've been reminding each other, "choose the good cookie!" and "choose joy!" Its worked out alright.

Until this afternoon. There as a task that had to be completed. There was someone who could not bring themself to do it. And there was two hours of crying, screaming, throwing things. This person was NOT choosing the good cookie and finally after a long long time screamed that insult back at me, to top it all off, "I don't CARE if I have the BAD COOKIE!" Eventually the task was completed, the tears and anger stopped and now all is back to normal.

Anyway, I'm not writing about this to remember the trial... I'm writing about this to remember the work that God is doing in our hearts. I realized, that in reminding the kids all day about choosing joy (even though your brother just stole your toy or hit you or WHATEVER), in reminding THEM to do it, I was reminding myself. And God worked in my heart today, and not once did I feel angry (sad, yes, definitely), and not once did I yell back or whatever. I prayed, I prayed with the kid, I thanked God for them in our family and asked for help for all of us in choosing joy.

And it turns out, when you ask, God answers with peace and joy. Thank you so much, Lord. What a relief that its over, but more so, what a relief that you helped us through it and helped me to choose joy. Thank you!!

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
~ Matthew 7:7-8