This evening, I was having a Whatsapp conversation about learning to spell.

For context: My daughter goes to a school at which she is given a handful of spellings to learn each week.

Every Friday, she has a spelling test. Every Friday she comes home with a new set of words to learn.

Now, my daughter’s school is pretty remarkable and each student is given a set of spellings that will test them personally. In other words: Not everyone gets the same set of words to spell.

What is tricky for my daughter, might not be tricky for another student.

She is personally encouraged – and challenged – every week. As a result, I watch her grow and grow in her own personal development as a mini writer!

My daughter is not trapped in comparison. She does not think about what words other children are learning. She just focuses on her own homework. And, as a result, she thrives.

It struck me that this is how God wants me to live. Focused on my own set of words. Going at my own pace.

Encouraged and challenged as I grow and grow.

About an hour ago, I pulled open the book of James. It’s in the Bible. It’s a short book and the author has an incredible way of getting straight to the point.

Here’s one of James’ first lines:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,

James 1: 2, NIV.

Hold on a second Jimmy… you want me to consider – think about – my trials as if they were PURE joy?

A while ago, I preached at my church about another Bible story in which pure nard (read: perfume) was poured onto Jesus, days before his burial (see Mark 14.) After my preach, it struck those listening in the congregation that Jesus would have absolutely stank!

Thing is: If you were to visit our friend John Lewis today, you would find that the most expensive perfumes are only about 20 – 30% concentrate. That’s right – Those tiny bottles we like to pay hundreds of pounds for, are nowhere near 100% pure.

Yet, here we are in the book of James and he starts his letter with a big reveal…

He is going to tell us where we can find pure, 100% concentrated joy. The kind of joy most of us are searching for…

And where does he say this pure joy can be found… Drumroll please…

In trials of many kinds?!

Is he joking?

The Bible gives us a clear instruction: We must think about (contemplate) our trials and tribulations and consider them as pure, unfiltered joy.

Why?

…because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

James 1: 3, NIV.

I can choose to think of trials as pure joy, because I know that difficulty causes my faith to mature. I know that I will grow resolve; I know that I will develop staying-power.

Here I was, thinking that pure joy had something to do with a hot summer’s day on the beach. (Reading my Bible, of course!)

So, when I look at this first part of James, I find myself with three initial questions:

• What’s my trial?
• Can I write it down?
• Can I get to the root of what my trial actually is?

You see, if I am to consider my trials pure joy, I need to first know what my trials actually are. And I think, for me, this is where I have been getting so lost.

It is very easy to get lost in a trial. To go round and round what feels like the same old trial, the same old struggle, the same old difficulty.

I personally feel overwhelmed by certain thought patterns, not realising that the thought pattern itself is stopping me from meeting with Jesus.

Comparison, for me, is one of those thought patterns.

Instead of getting close to Jesus, listening to what He wants me to do, I find myself very easily distracted by comparison. My thoughts are drawn to it. I am easily lost in it, often thinking up a plan of how to conquer it.

The truth is though, I don’t need to conquer it. I need to confess it.

I need to realise that it is a temptation, a trial, a distraction, a difficulty for me.

I need to thank God that the trial has come my way and hold onto Him while I simply let it pass. Let the stormy comparison thoughts crash and break and disappear. Let Jesus heal the devastation in their wake.

I need to stop getting lost in these thoughts and hold onto my one anchor in the storm: Jesus.

I can’t style myself out of comparison. I can’t diet myself out of comparison. I can’t copy my way out of comparison.

If I want my Jesus to guide me out of comparison I have to listen to Him speak, once I confess. I have to start trusting Him as my lifeboat. Have to start listening to His voice speak volumes to me. Have to let Him be louder than the waves.

I definitely don’t do this right now.

But, just like my daughter has her own set of spellings, Jesus has a word for me right now and it isn’t the same word He is speaking to everyone else. It is personal. It is real. It is specific. It is for… me.

It will encourage me and it will stretch… me.

It will give me resolve and it will make my faith one that has some kick-ass staying power.

The Bible tells us that when all else fades away hope, faith and love will remain. (1 Corinthians 13: 13, NIV).

Faith is worth investing in, worth pursuing, worth growing, worth future-proofing.

The world will tell you otherwise. The world will tell you to invest in your looks, your pride and your stuff.

But God says you should delight when your faith grows more than your bank account does!

• Am I building faith, or am I getting lost in my trials?
• Can I think about my struggles as pure joy, knowing that if I hold onto God through this, I will produce something that lasts forever?

I don’t know what your trial is right now. I doubt you are thinking about it, as if it were pure joy! But I am here to tell you that God can get you through this.

And by “through this” I don’t mean He’ll pull you along a bit, but eventually the river will drag you downstream again.

I mean He is going to get you out of this.

Some of us really need to believe that because, if you are like me, maybe you feel a bit like “NOT THIS AGAIN, GOD!” (Capitals necessary!)

But, yes, dearest one – It is this again. It is this trial again. It’s knocking and I would like you to welcome its arrival at your door. You may have been wanting another type of balloon-popping engagement to come banging, but here we are…

1. There is a trial at the door and you are to give a big, massive, maybe-slightly-forced “HALLELUJAH” at its arrival.
2. Then grab onto Jesus with all you’ve got until said trial leaves.
3. When it goes, I can guarantee that real, heart-felt praise will then leave your body, this time: without force.

Voila! A recipe for faith that stands.

The thing about building faith is that it is very much overlooked in our society – and that is O.K. In a world that wants to shout about everything, it is O.K to go overlooked as you build something that Jesus promised will remain. Something that is actually really, very precious in His sight.

What is your trial? Can you confess it? Can you hold onto Jesus through it? Can you trust that it will bring about pure joy?

I’d love to know your thoughts, in the comments section below this post.