In James 1:2-4 (NIV) we read, “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.”

Could it not be said that these words, especially the first sentence, are some of the strangest words ever written? “Consider it pure joy … whenever you face trails of many kinds?” Who on earth — literally — would write such a thing? No one that I know likes it when things go south and are disappointing and hard. Trials, by definition, are unpleasant and perhaps painful and even life-threatening. So consider it pure joy when they come around? On the surface of things that is ridiculous.

However, if we will take time to think it through we will have to admit that it has been the hard things in life that have yielded our best lessons. I have yet to hear anyone say something like, “Everything has been going so well in my life that I’m learning all kinds of things.” Usually I hear the opposite. That it’s the trials and difficulties someone is facing that are proving to be instructive.

I like the analogy of what goes on in a weight room. Just as weight rooms exist because a given sport requires strong players in order to win the game, so trials exist because strength is required to overcome evil with good, that is, with helpfulness.

And just as repetition and more resistance are necessary to build muscle, so repeated trials and choosing to express more helpfulness in the face of greater disrespect, depreciation, or disregard of one’s value to God builds spiritual muscle.

On the other hand, unforgiveness, resentment, or bitterness in the face of evil are like an athlete lounging around in the weight room waiting for the practice session to end. He gains nothing and ends up being useless to the coach.

So the apostle James is calling us to live on that deeper level of knowing that God uses our trials to strengthen us in the way of ever increasing usefulness to him. The perseverance we will develop as we express more and more helpfulness in the face of opposition and difficulty will indeed equip us to handle anything that comes our way. Yes, it calls for pure joy.