Count it as Joy
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” - Matthew 6:9-13
Count it all as Joy
You have probably heard the Lord’s prayer before. One thing caught my attention: why does it say “lead us not into temptation”? James 1:13 says God never tempts us. So why would Jesus instruct us to add this portion to our prayer? At the opening of chapter one, James tells the church to count it all as joy when we face trials of many kinds. That those who remain steadfast in the faith when facing hardship produce within themselves Godly character, and that we can seek God’s wisdom amongst these situations, and He will freely give it to us. Following James 1:13 he concludes with this:
“But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has been conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” James 1:14-18
The bible is pretty clear that we will all face trials and hardship. We all have a cross to bear, a thorn in our side, and some things we do that we wish we didn't, and things we want to do and for some reason we don’t. Jesus instructs us to request that we not be led into temptation, not as negotiation, but as a desire for Godly wisdom.
It’s All too Real
My father-in-law was diagnosed with cancer last year, which came as a shock to us all. The news was heavy and still is. Finding cancer in both his brain and his lungs, the diagnosis seemed serious. Any cancer diagnosis is. We all hear the stories of people experiencing the long, painful journey of cancer with their loved ones, but we never really think it will happen to us. Even now, as you read this, unless you have been there, you can have empathy, but after you leave this blog post, the thought of cancer will likely leave your mind rather quickly. And praise God for that!
The treatments my father-in-law received worked! The tumors in his brain and lungs were gone! But another scan revealed new tumors on his liver. What was thought to be a joyful closing chapter of this journey sucked the life out of us as we turned the page to a new chapter, as the story continues. We are still walking this journey, and we are blessed that he is part of a clinical trial that seems promising.
So Where’s the Joy?
We already mentioned James talking about our development when facing hardship. Paul, likewise, has many passages about this (Romans 5:3-5, 2 Cor 4:8-9, 12:9). This process of sanctification and spiritual maturity is a good thing. But if I am being honest, I don’t get much joy from “building character,” the same way a grandparent watching a child struggle through something silly. Cancer is not silly. Losing your job is not something we can laugh off, and being betrayed by a friend can’t be remedied by just saying, “welp, I am building character, so I will count it as joy”. What if we are missing something? What if it's not really about building a better character, although that can be a fruit of the experience?
John 10:10 tells us that the enemy seeks to steal, kill, and destroy, and James makes it clear that God does not tempt us and that the trials we face are a result of the fallen world we live in. Could it be that we count it as joy not because we have become a “better Christian” but rather that a moment of hardship intended to be the fruit of a fallen world to steal, kill, and destroy God’s creation has been redeemed to actually restore a piece of heaven on earth?
Every moment, good or bad, is an opportunity to glorify God and not let the devil have his way. The Lord’s prayer is about bringing God’s Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. The kingdom of heaven is at hand, which means it his here now and within reach. The temptation Jesus is talking about is seeking his wisdom rather than our own, as in James, and making that moment a moment of heaven on earth. To rob Satan of his attempt to keep us downtrodden and to show the world that the Kingdom of heaven is at hand. Right here. Right now.
What may seem insignificant in a spiritual battle between good and evil is really a small piece of the puzzle of restoring what God intended his creation to be.
Reflection:
What trial are you facing or have faced in the past?
Were/Are you tempted to respond in contempt?
How can these moments usher in the kingdom of heaven in your personal life?