²Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, ³for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

James 1:2-3 (ESV)

REMEMBER GOD

Those two words don’t seem like they belong in the same sentence (especially after the difficult few weeks we’ve been experiencing). When life is painful and relationships are strained, when finances are tight, joy is usually the last emotion we want to feel. Yet James opens his letter by telling believers to “count it all joy” when they face trials.

That’s not how most of us respond. When we’re stretched thin by life, our first instinct is usually frustration, not joy. We ask questions like, “Why is this happening?” or “Where is God in this?”

But James reminds us of something crucial: God is at work in our trials. When our faith is tested, perseverance grows. Trials are not wasted; they are a training ground for faith.

James doesn’t suggest that we might face trials—he knows we will face them. He is preparing us for what’s inevitable. Faith is ultimately grown under pressure. Just as a muscle grows when pushed to its limits, faith strengthens when it’s stretched beyond comfort. Without the stretching of our faith, we would remain shallow and fragile—pushed around by the wind and easily deceived. With trials, our faith becomes resilient, deep, and real.

Do we wish trials upon ourselves? Absolutely not! But when we face trials, our response reveals a lot about the God we believe in. I encourage you to remember these three things when a trial comes your way: God’s character, purpose, and presence.

• God’s Character — God is faithful. His character never changes. Just because we are walking through hardship does not mean that God is any less good.

• God’s Purpose — God uses difficulties to grow us, not destroy us. It may feel like trials are out of line with God’s purpose, but what if they are the very thing He is using to shape you into who He created you to be?

• God’s Presence — You are not alone in this. God is near to you, even in the trial.

James isn’t calling us to fake happiness in hard times. He’s not saying, “Fake it until you make it.” Instead, he points us to a deeper joy—a joy that can coexist with grief, hardship, and struggle. Joy isn’t denial; it’s remembering God’s bigger picture. Joy is the assurance that God is producing something eternal through our suffering.

Paul echoes this in Romans 5:3–4: “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.”

Joy isn’t found in the trial itself, but in the God who works through the trial and holds us in it.

Maybe today you need the reminder of what comes on the other side of trials: a mature faith—steady and unshakable.

Here’s my challenge for the next time you face a trial: Write this on a piece of paper and display it in your car—

“Count it all joy.
God is at work in this.”

Sellers Hickman serves as College & Teaching Pastor at NorthStar Church and loves cheering on his Ole Miss Rebels. He and his wife, Hannah, live in Dallas, Ga. with their two daughters. He also serves as the chaplain for the KSU Men’s Basketball team.