Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. Jacob (James) 1:2-3, TLV
Consider it All Joy? When those challenges, illnesses, and tragedies arise, is our first response, “Yippee! Praise the LORD!”? Probably not. I know my natural inclination isn’t.
By the way, happiness is not joy. Happiness is conditional—I’m happy because . . . Joy is a state of being. More on that as we go.
Default Responses
It’s important to remember, we aren’t confined to our natural temperaments—what I call our “default responses.” Default responses are formed from childhood or traumas in life. We may initially respond with those default feelings like fear, anger, rejection, doubt—mine is betrayal—but we don’t have to stay there. We have a choice to move on.
There are tools we can employ such as seeking our Heavenly Father — the Creator of the Universe — for wisdom and comfort. A critical beginning.
Will the joy arise at that point? Maybe.
Joy truly arises, I believe, when we reflect on what we have learned through other challenges. When we take the time to see His hand and the big and little miracles in the middle of it all. Things people around us might call coincidences.
We choose to remember all that our Heavenly Father has done for us — beginning with the breath in our lungs to what His Son sacrificed on our behalf.
As our associate rabbi Joe would say in his distinctive Philly accent, “An a-tti-tude of gra-ti-tude.”
This is the day that ADONAI [the LORD] has made!
Let us rejoice and be glad in it! (Psalm 118:24, TLV)
These reflections are so important.
Zachor is Hebrew for remember. It is repeated nearly 200 times in the Bible and is an indelible part of Jewish culture. Recently we remembered the liberation of Auschwitz and Birkenau. In a few months we’ll remember the first Passover. Scripturally, remembering is about remembering not just GOD’s commands, but also His great miracles.
When we remember what GOD has done in our lifetime, what does it generate? Hopefully, we answer thanksgiving. Gratitude.
Joy is rooted in that gratitude. And yes, it will eventually change our attitude—our default responses.
Taking the time to breathe, then meditate on the goodness of the LORD and what He wants us to learn, helps us to grow and deepens our relationship with Him. We choose joy, no matter the circumstances, because He chose us. And we are eternally grateful.
