Credit or Debit?
We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. Romans 5:3–4
I stood, rolled my shoulders a few times, then stretched my neck from side to side. The stress of teaching new courses and the strain of a tight budget knotted the muscles in my upper body. I closed my eyes and sighed. Four words flitted through my mind: count it all joy.
Hmph. “I don’t want to count it all joy, Lord.” Tears welled in my eyes. The familiar urge to wallow in self-pity and worry spread through me. The Holy Spirit nudged me again. “Count it all joy.”
Do you ever struggle to hang on to joy in tough circumstances, especially when your situation drags on day after day—maybe year after year?
James, the half-brother of Jesus, wrote his epistle to first-century Jewish Christians who “faced trials of many kinds” (1:2). He told them, “Count it all joy … because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance … that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (vv. 3–4).
The word translated count in verse 3 is an accounting term. Envision a ledger with two columns—debits and credits. James advises his readers to put each trial in the credit column. They’re beneficial, not detrimental. Why? They help us move toward spiritual maturity, to become more like Jesus.
During that difficult semester when I felt like staying in bed most mornings, God enabled me to go to work and teach to the best of my ability. Although my income seemed inadequate, I had food to eat and a warm house to live in. God proved himself faithful. My confidence in him and love for him grew—two benefits that helped me mature as a Christian.
Most of the time, we won’t feel like putting trials in the credit column. But choosing to list them as a benefit is an act of faith because we know that God works all things together for our eternal good and his eternal glory.
What difficulties are you facing today? Will you choose to trust God’s goodness and list them in the credit column?
DIG DEEPER:
Read Romans 5:1–5. Why does Paul put sufferings in the credit column of his spiritual growth ledger?
Read John 16:16–33. What does Jesus say about joy and sorrow in this passage? How can the words of encouragement he gave the disciples also encourage us in difficult times?
Read 2 Peter 1:3–9. What does Peter list as the credits (benefits) of godly traits such as self-control and perseverance? What happens if we don’t develop these traits?
Denise K. Loock
This devotion is part of a series on The Book of James.