Consider it nothing but joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you fall into various trials. Be assured that the testing of your faith [through experience] produces endurance [leading to spiritual maturity, and inner peace]. And let endurance have its perfect result and do a thorough work, so that you may be perfect and completely developed [in your faith], lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom [to guide him through a decision or circumstance], he is to ask of [our benevolent] God, who gives to everyone generously and without rebuke or blame, and it will be given to him.

When I think of hardships and considering them joy, it seems like an opposite reaction from what is really possible. It is like someone comes up and says, “Here is a bowl of boiled spinach. When you eat it, act like it is the most delicious birthday cake.” I think it would be almost impossible to do this. In between the sour faces and big gulps to get it down, followed by a milk chaser, I don’t know if I could say, “Mmm” loud enough to make it convincing.

Pure joy is an interesting term. In our world, it might be confused with pure happiness or pure ecstasy. But it is really different. Joy considers the past and the future for its reaction, not the present. The joy that comes from God exists in a plane of life outside this world — it is eternal. So we can consider hardships pure joy because joy exists outside and beyond our hardships — into eternity.
I like how the Amplified Version adds more description to the word endurance — it leads to maturity and inner peace. So now our hardships can lead to inner peace if we consider them pure joy. Truly Amazing!

When our endurance is perfected, we are complete in our souls and our hearts are 100% devoted and committed to God. We should seek after the riches that come from hardship and develop a spiritual joy that supersedes this world. As we endure hardships of many kinds, we become complete in our soul, fully relying on the Lord Jesus Christ to be our strength in weakness and our joy and our crown.

This is how we must live as sold out followers of Jesus Christ. We must, every day, refresh our minds to be in tune with God’s Spirit and face this world with his courage and his love. He will show us the wise path if we ask in belief.

Lord, you are The Almighty God. I am unworthy of your glory. Teach me more about how to live in your joy in all circumstances in life. I need to transcend to your eternal rewards like joy in the hardships of life, to truly join your heart and become like you. I surrender. I am all yours. Mold me and make me, oh Lord, my God.