Friday, July 11, 2025
Great Joy – James 1:1-2
Joy is that sense of peace we have because of Jesus in our lives. It isn’t dependent on our emotions or external circumstances. Joy comes from God. It is the deep-seated state of well-being and delight, rooted in our relationship with God. Joy comes from the Lord, Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. That does not mean we are or should be laughing and happy all the time. Joy and happiness are not the same. Joy is a state of mind while happiness is an emotion controlled by circumstances.
James 1:1 James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ: To the twelve tribes dispersed abroad. Greetings.
James was the half brother of Jesus yet in his letter he identifies himself as a servant of God and Jesus. He does not assume authority based on his family relationship with the Messiah. James and his other brothers where not followers of Jesus until after His resurrection. Jesus came to James, 1 Corinthians 15:7. That cemented his faith in who Jesus truly is. He is writing to the Jewish believes who were dispersed. Why had they scattered from Jerusalem? They fled because of the persecution of those who trusted, followed, or became disciples of Jesus. His letter was to encourage them and teach them how to live. He is writing to people who have fled their homes because of mistreatment and are living in unfamiliar towns.
James 1:2 Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials,
I am sure you’ll agree with me in thinking that it would be very difficult for the recipients of this letter to be joyful while being mistreated. The Message states verse 2 as Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. What is he talking about? How can anyone be joyful when persecuted, especially persecution that is unwarranted.
As followers of Christ our joy is from God, from within because the Holy Spirit lives in our heart. We can defy external trials with the deep sense of joy that comes from our relationship with Him. Jewish people embrace lament (grief or sorrow) and celebration (joy) together. Our relationship with Him, His love for us, His sacrifice, and His desire to know us are reasons for us to celebrate in all circumstances. Lament, sorrow, or grief are dark emotions, living in shadows. But we are children of the light. Jesus is the light of the world. Therefore, even in our darkest seasons of life we have the Light in our hearts and can rejoice in Him. Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Joy and laughter are our protest to the world, to the enemy, so we can defiantly live in joy and light.
We are not meant to celebrate or mourn alone. We are to share our happiness and sorrow with our family, the family of God. As we share our burdens they become lighter and as we share our joy, we encourage others. An ancient African proverb puts it this way: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” We are a fellowship of believers, we are God’s family, and we are never alone. Then we must celebrate our lament and our joy together as we strengthen and encourage one another. We can live in defiant joy as we bring His light into a dark world together with our community of Christ followers.
