“By Godfrey, but this is fun!”
March 14, 2021
Theodore Roosevelt once spent two weeks hunting buffalo in the Dakota Badlands during intense heat and driving rain. One day of that trip, in particular, was riddled with many trials. He sustained a deep gash in his forehead when his horse reared up without warning. While crawling on his belly to get a shot at an animal, he accidentally placed his hand on a cactus and received a fistful of spines. Then later that day, he and his guide were awakened by a cold rain that left them lying in four inches of water. However, in spite of the shivering cold and soaking rain, the guide heard Roosevelt exclaim, “By Godfrey, but this is fun!”
That certainly would not be my definition of a good time! Give me a Marriott hotel room with temperature control, a heated pool (if I desire to get wet), and all of the amenities! That would be sheer joy to me!
However, I believe Theodore Roosevelt was sincere in saying he was having a good time in spite of his hardships during that hunting trip. I believe that joy can be found in the strangest of places – in mundane tasks (laundry, cleaning, shopping-remind me to tell you about my new found love for grocery shopping), in hospital rooms, when a job is lost, and even during COVID! How is this possible? The answer may be found in the book of James, where we are told to count it all joy when we meet various trials:
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.–James 1: 2-4
Every one of us is currently in a trial, coming out of one, or getting ready to go into one. So we may find James’ words very helpful in navigating how to ENDURE when in a trial. Three words, in the above verses, coach as to how to have joy in the midst of our trials: COUNT, KNOW, and LET.
First, WHEN and not IF, we are in a trial, we need to COUNT or assess it as joy. James regarded trials as inevitable and as opportunities for joy rather than discouraged resignation. I know this sounds like some type of modern math to COUNT it all joy, but James is encouraging us to take inventory of our situation and see what we are to learn from the trial! We count it all joy in the midst of the trials because they are used to produce patience.
Secondly, we are to KNOW that faith is tested through trials, not produced by them. Trials reveal what faith we have and not because God does not know how much faith we have. But our faith is tested so that it will be evident to ourselves and those around us. We are to KNOW that the testing of our faith produces endurance and the ability to continue on and remain steadfast in the trying time.
Finally, we are to LET steadfastness or endurance have her way and not limit it or weaken it. When we bear all that God appoints to us with humble obedience, and rejoice in those trials, then endurance has its perfect work. When the work of patient endurance is complete, then the Christian is furnished with all that is necessary for our Christian race. It will enable us to persevere to the end! Like, Theodore Roosevelt, we may be able to say, “By Godfrey, but this is fun!”
Just a little something which made me smile. After I took the picture of the boat named, “ENDURANCE”, I noticed the boat next to it was named, “FOREVER SINGLE”. Some may count singleness as a trial and one that takes quite a bit of endurance!
