Leading Characteristics
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, James 1:2 ESV
Count – “Never confound the trial of faith with the ordinary discipline of life, much that we call the trial of faith is the inevitable result of being alive.”[1] If we take Chambers’ insight seriously, we soon discover that Paul’s statement is at the forefront of our attitude. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” That is the Hebrew equivalent of saying, “Reliability and steadfastness is the result of hearing/obeying and shema comes by obedience to the instructions God gives.” In other words, what we call “faith” is really living according to the code! It’s not what you think. It’s what you do!
Ya’aqov echoes the same instruction. “Count” is the Greek verb hegeomai. It means “to think, to believe, to regard as.” Ya’aqov tells his Jewish readers that they are to consider the trials they face as opportunities for joy. But there is more here than simply encouragement. The noun hegoumenoi is the word for leaders (see 1 Maccabees 9:30, Ezekiel 43:7, Micah 5:1 and Acts 7:10). A characteristic of leadership in the believeing community is regarding trials as joyful expressions of God’s care. Follow those who live according to YHWH’s code of conduct and who demonstrate joyful contentment in the face of apparent difficulites.
If we need a model for such behavior, we can turn to the life of Joseph (whose name, by the way, does not begin with a “J”). The only time in the seventeen years of captivity that Yoseph displayed a lack of trust in the inexplicable engineering of YHWH was the time when he asked the wine taster to remember him to Pharoah. And then he sat in prison for two more years. If there is anything to be learned from the life of Yoseph, it is this: reckoning trials as joy is training in contentment. It has to be learned by experience. There is no shortcut to contentment. It is not the result of prior mental preparation. Contentment, counting trials as joy, comes only in the trial. Contentment is on-the-job training.
Oswald Chambers reminds us that too often we think of life’s ordinary ups and downs as spiritual trials. We forget that just being alive means conflict. We imagine that God will smooth out every bump in the road. But He won’t, and He doesn’t. Why doesn’t He? Because He wants us to become leaders, those who by experience manifest joy in the midst of real trials. YHWH knows that we need the practice and He is more than willing to provide the opportunities. This is attitude training and it is far more important than planning and resolution.
Perhaps today is your day to demonstrate leadership contentment. Perhaps you will be given an opportunity to count!
Topical Index: count, trials, joy, hegeomai, leaders, hegoumenoi, James 1:2
[1] Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, October 31.
Excellent, Skip! One minor point – I disagree with your transliteration of יֹוסֵף – I think Yospeh should be Yoseph (or Yosef). Somehow the ‘e’ and the ‘p’ switched places. 🙂
yes, typo, sorry. fixed
“In other words, what we call “faith” is really living according to the code! It’s not what you think. It’s what you do!”
Hmmm Makes me think of the movie “Repo Men”
As the Repo man tells his trainee:
“It’s what I call the REPO code.
Don’t forget it. Etch it in your brain.
Not many people got a code to live by anymore.
Hey, look. Look at that. Look at those people over there.
Ordinary people. I hate them.
Me, too. What do you know, kid?
See, an ordinary person spends his life avoiding tense situations.
A Repo man spends his life getting into tense situations.”
Apt quote. But,.. it seems like everyone puts themselves in tense situations, only most of the time it’s passive aggressive or interpersonal conlict.
Every man needs a battle to fight, and if he doesn’t find it – he will tear himself apart fighting ‘internal demons’.
“everyone puts themselves in tense situations, only most of the time it’s passive aggressive or interpersonal conlict.”
Hi Gabe,
I understand and agree; two types of tense situations, or “projects,” in my view
One is subjective (internal demons) and the other is objective (external demons)
And like what the “good” bad guys say in movies, if the job is business or personal
Most projects, as they say, are a “little bit of both”
“Every man needs a battle to fight”
Hi Gabe,
I agree again and would point out a great movie starring Clive Owen
Where “Will” (Mr Owen) has been working as a logger in the country
He’s unshaven with long hair, and he lives out of a van, trying to purge his sins, I think
When he finds out that the Irish Mafia has killed his brother
He returns to the city to “take care of business,” which he admits is “a bit personal”
And by the end of the movie Will looks like and lives like the chief executive in a London bank
I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead is a 2004 British crime film directed by Mike Hodges
Memorable quotes for
Unforgiven
Will Munny: That’s right. I’ve killed women and children. I’ve killed just about everything that walks or crawled at one time or another. And I’m here to kill you, Little Bill, for what you did to Ned.
I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead is a 2004 tribute to The Unforgiven with Clint Eastwood
Both Heroes are named Will, and both are Godfather movies
In which we are taught o “never take sides against the family”
During my prayer time this morning something happened that is not a regular occurrence in my Life. Avinu spoke something very clearly to me and it wasn’t just for me it was clearly for all of us who are called by His name and claim to love Him. So this is rare for me. I VERY rarely receive a word for someone else.
So being as careful as possible I asked for a second witness. I had almost forgotten the entire thing until I opened up Today’s Word and read this post and was immediately reminded of His word to me a few hours ago.
So take this however you wish. I only know a very few of you personally so please don’t feel picked on. We are ALL guilty of this. It is a huge part of our American culture. We are trained to do it and to think it is even a good thing. It is actually a horrible habit, may YHVH forgive me. But I’m convinced this is a warning as well as a commandment for us. We are entering into an age of tyrannical rule. So here it is.
“STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT EVERYTHING. STOP STOP STOP”
I was so stunned because I’m not, IMO, a huge complainer. I’m even often ridiculed for trying to “make excuses” for things that someone else is hotly grumbling over. LOL!!! I needed to remove a huge log jam from my eyes this morning.
(((This next part is my own.)))
It very much reminded me of what YHVH told Jeremiah (please forgive the J dear scholars) when they were about to be overcome by the Chaldean army. Resistance is futile. Go peaceably. Why should you die?
I have a friend who is a 3rd generation American missionary born in China. Because of this encounter this morning, I will be talking to her about the survival techniques that have literally caused the church in China to thrive during communist rule. I’m sure this will be top of the list for survival. but it isn’t the only thing. I want to create new habits before I need them. I’m sure I’m lacking discipline in critical areas. We have much to repent of.
May YHVH empower us to create a new habit of contentedness.
Pam –
I’d be interested in the survival techniques your friend gave you, whenever you get them. Thanks!
I’ll be speaking with her tomorrow. We’ll see what she has to say. 🙂