Joy In Every Season

James 1:2-4

When troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. (James 1:2)

MANY OF THE DESERT FATHERS disciplined themselves harshly, embracing severe austerity in order to focus on the things of the Spirit. We would expect such deprivation to lead to cold and gloomy attitudes, and perhaps for some it did. But most emphasized cheerfulness, stressing the importance of joy in the Christian life. One monk named Apollo considered discouragement to be the lot of pagans and happiness a Christian duty. He and others felt a sense of responsibility to spread life and hope, to find some cause for joy in every situation, and to warm their world with gladness. They understood the importance of an attitude.

Many people today think they are victims of their own attitudes, as if their thoughts are independent of themselves and they can only follow their normal mental patterns. Both Scripture and experience teach us otherwise—that we can choose joy (James 1:2), tell our own souls what to remember and to rejoice in (Psalm 103:1-2), and decide for ourselves what to think about and not think about (Philippians 4:4-8). One of the reasons we so easily get discouraged or depressed is that we have developed strong mental habits, patterns of thought that grow deeper and deeper in our brains like water flowing down the side of a mountain, establishing rivulets and trails that are hard to change. But these patterns can be changed. As followers of Jesus called to think in new ways and influence our world with Kingdom truths, we are obliged to change them. We simply must learn the power of joy.

Make that a priority. Your happiness and joy are not dependent on your circumstances. They aren’t even dependent on the things that seem so real in your own mind. They are dependent on the truths your Father has told you and that his Son has urged you to believe. His Spirit makes them available even now. Retrain your thoughts, learn how influential your attitudes really are, and embrace the possibility of joy in every season.

{Father, joy is a permanent condition in your Kingdom, the prevailing climate, the “weather forecast” every single “day” of eternity. Teach me to live in it even now, and let my redeemed and restored attitudes shape the people around me for good. Amen.