Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. JAMES 1:2-4
Joy. Pure joy. The epistle of James, addressed to the Diaspora nearly two millennia ago, greets the fledgling Church with a challenge not for the faint of heart. Were it not for his own firsthand experience with pain and persecution, James’ admonition to consider multiple trials as pure joy might sound downright cavalier. Yet the relevance of this Scripture to our present world circumstances is undeniable as persecution and pestilence, deception and division abound—sure signs that our faith is being tested. So how do we persevere in finding joy?
A few years ago, I happened to hear a jingle on a local Christian radio station called “the Joy Pledge.” Listeners were encouraged to repeat, “I need joy. And when I keep my eyes on Jesus, I have joy. When I lose it, I will choose it. I choose joy!” I actually began singing this as a little ditty to the tune of “Hot Cross Buns.” I choose joy; I choose joy! When I lose it, I will choose it! I choose JOY!
When I keep my eyes on Jesus, I have joy. It isn’t the words or the tune; joy comes as the fruit of abiding in the Vine. In John 15:9-12, as Jesus is preparing the disciples for His imminent departure, He says, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”
Joy, a fruit of the Spirit, is not contingent on how we feel about things; it is the natural by-product of abiding in the Vine. Just as love is a choice, a commitment we as believers make to love the Lord our God and to love one another, so is joy. When we choose to remain firmly rooted and established in the stronghold of God’s love, joy springs forth as naturally as grapes on a well-tended vine.
Philippe and I, as MICN Prayer Ambassadors, had the great privilege of leading two Guided Ignition sessions on Zoom in late August. With our discussion topic being “How to ignite prayer in the International Church,” we were excited to join brothers and sisters scattered around the world, representing Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. Given the current global crises—the pandemic, wars and rumors of wars, drought and famine, fires and floods—we certainly had a panoply of potential subjects for prayer. But what we experienced together was joy.
As we discussed ways to help our various congregations come together for prayer in the midst of challenging circumstances, one of the focal points was in reminding each other of who we are in our Lord Jesus Christ. When our identity as beloved children and heirs is affirmed, we have confidence in approaching our heavenly Father in the ongoing conversation we call prayer.
Knowing God enjoys, even delights in every interaction with His children, we encouraged each individual to ask the Lord, “If you could play any game with me right now, what would it be?” Telling them to go with the first thought the Holy Spirit brought to mind, we then added, “Now ask why He chose to play that game with you.”
Having previously done this exercise in listening to God with many different groups around the world, we are continually amazed at the variety of answers and depth of emotion the participants share. Within minutes, the intimacy of God as not just our Head, but as our loving, caring Papa brought a pervasive joy into our midst as we witnessed His touch on every life.
Following that, we paired participants with those they didn’t know, instructing them to ask the Lord to show them what type of fruit—natural, not spiritual— the other individual represented. With answers running the gamut from an apple to an exotic fruit I can’t pronounce much less spell, we saw the members of the body of Christ ministering to one another through sharing impressions of the Father’s love as He moved in every heart.
With the acceleration of the inevitable birth pangs accompanying these last days, we recognize more than ever the importance of the IC interacting as one body, called to one purpose. We are increasingly aware of how critical it is to pray for each other as our faith is tested, but we also see that true fellowship emerges as the fruit of abiding. When we know we are loved, cherished, protected, and provided for by the One who will love us forever, we are free to love one another. And that brings joy.
Heavenly Father, how good—how joyful—it is to dwell in unity with our brothers and sisters scattered around the globe! Thank you for every opportunity to grow together as your body, building one another up as we abide in you. Help us choose to count every trial as joy, Lord, knowing that your joy is truly our strength. We give you all the glory in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Jan de Chambrier
MICN Prayer Ambassador
