Count—A Happy Mindset (1:2)

​Turning problems into successes (James 1:2-12)

You may have seen the bumper sticker that says, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!" It is simpler to smile at that than to actually do so, but the underlying concept remains advantageous. It is actually in the Bible. There are people in the Bible who turned loss into victory and hardship into success. These individuals transformed their lives from being victims to becoming winners.

James says that we can have this same experience today. We can win regardless of what problems we face on the outside (James 1:1–12) or the temptations we face on the inside (James 1:13–27). Winning this battle makes you more spiritually mature.

To turn trials into victories, we must follow four rules: count (James 1:2), know (James 1:3), let (James 1:4, 9–11), and ask (James 1:5–8). To put it another way, there are four things you need to win in trials: a right attitude, a mind that understands, a will that is willing to surrender, and a heart that wants to believe.

Count—A Happy Mindset (1:2)

Your outlook affects the outcome, and your attitude affects your actions. God tells us to be ready for challenging times. It is not "if you fall into various testings" but "when you fall into various testings." If a believer believes that being a Christian will be easy, they are in for a harsh reality. Jesus told His followers, "In the world ye shall have tribulation" (John 16:33). Paul told the people he had ministered to that "we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22).

We must go through difficult times because we are not God's "sheltered people" but his "scattered people." It's not always possible for everything to go our way. Some trials are just part of being human, like getting sick, having accidents, being let down, or even seeming like tragedies. On the other hand, some trials are a result of our Christian faith. Peter made this point clear in his first letter: "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you" (1 Peter 4:12). Satan fights us, and the world fights us, which makes life a fight.

The phrase "fall into" does not mean a dumb accident. We may think of it as "meet" or "come across." A Christian should not make up problems. The Greek word that is translated as "divers" means "different, many colors." In 1 Peter 1:6, Peter used the same word: "Ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations." Life's challenges are not all the same; they are like different colors of yarn that the weaver uses to make a beautiful rug. God puts together and mixes up the colors and experiences of life. The end result is a beautiful life that brings Him glory.

Consider a weaver as he performs his craft. Watch him as he works at the loom. The backs of the rugs aren't beautiful; the patterns are difficult to see, and the loose ends of yarn hang down. Our writer said, 'Don't judge the worker or the work by looking at the wrong side.' Furthermore, our perspective of life is incomplete; only the Lord has a complete view. We shouldn't judge Him or His work based on what we see now. He still has work to do!

The important word in our text (1:2) that matters is "count." It is a financial term that means "to assess." Paul used it a lot in Philippians 3. Paul looked at his life and set new goals and priorities when he became a Christian. Things that used to matter to him became "garbage" after he met Christ. We need to look at the difficult times in our lives in light of what God is doing for us.

This is why a devoted Christian can be happy even when things are hard: he lives for the things that matter most. The joy of going back to heaven and one day sharing His glory with His church helped our Lord bear the cross (Heb. 12:2).

Our values shape how we judge things. If we care more about comfort than character, then trials will bother us.
If we care more about the material and physical things than the spiritual ones, we won't be able to "count it all joy." If we only think about the present and not the future, then difficult times will make us bitter instead of better. Job was right when he said, "But He knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold" (Job 23:10).

Therefore, when you face challenges, thank the Lord right away and try to stay thankful. Don't act like you're going to try self-hypnosis; just look at trials through the eyes of faith. Outlook determines outcome; to end with joy, begin with joy.

"But how," we might ask, "can we be happy even when things are hard?" This is explained by the second imperative.​