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How To
Count
Spiritual arithmetic is an important branch of study
for the Christian. He who is not able to count properly in
the spiritual life may come to some very wrong
conclusions. It is important, therefore, that he give his
attention to learning how to count accurately. If we do
not learn to do this, we may fail in some critical moment,
or at least we may view things from our own standpoint and
have wrong ideas concerning them. James gives us a problem
in this spiritual arithmetic and tells us how to solve it.
He says, "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall
into divers temptations" (James 1:2). Many people
have tried to solve this problem in their lives and have
found that it did not work out according to the rule here
enunciated. When they fell into divers temptations, they
could not figure it out any way so as to make it come out
joyful. The answer was something else always.
I have seen people in such difficulties and have heard
some say to them, "Oh, count it all joy, brother;
count it all joy." They tried to do so, but for some
reason they could find no joy at all. It felt more like
sorrow and grief and disappointment and things of that
nature. I have heard others in like situations say
resignedly, "Oh, I am counting it all joy," and
their countenances at the same time were witnesses against
them, for these showed that their owners had no joy in it
at all.
When James said, "Count it all joy," he did
not mean that we should simply pretend that it was joy,
but that it should really be joy. If we get the correct
answer, it will be joy. There is a way in which we can
work out these problems so that they will come out joy.
The reason that James could get joy for an answer is shown
in the third verse: "Knowing this, that the trying of
your faith worketh patience." He looked at the
outcome, not at the thing itself. Paul expressed the idea
when he said, "If so be that we suffer with him, that
we may be also glorified together" (Romans 8:17). The
reason why he could count it joy was that he looked beyond
the present and saw the glorifying together at the end. He
continued, "For I reckon that the sufferings of this
present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory
that shall be revealed in us" (verse 18). This is one
thing that we must learn if we are going to find real joy
as the answer in working out these problems. If we leave
out that which is coming as a result of them, we shall
certainly miss finding any good or glorying in them. Paul
said, "No chastening for the present seemeth to be
joyous, but grievous." He knew that the joy was not
in the trial or in the chastening, but he further said,
"Afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of
righteousness" (Hebrews 12:11). It was
"afterward" to which he looked. It is the
"afterward" to which you and I must look if we
are to get the joy.
There is one more thing that we must know if we are to
get the right answer, and that is that there are three
things which we must add to every trial in order to make
the answer come out joy. If we fail to add any one of
these, the answer will not be what we desire. They are
submission, obedience, and faith. Add these to anything
that comes upon you, and the result is bound to be joy.
The first thing is to submit yourself to God’s will in
the matter. Let him have his way fully with you. Be
willing to endure whatever is his will that you shall
endure. Let him burn out the dross, if the fire must be
hot. Let him work out his pleasure, for that is always
"good pleasure." In whatever comes, obey him. If
we disobey for any cause whatever; if we turn our back on
his commandments and the things that we know he would have
us do, we cannot "count it all joy." There will
be nothing joyful in it, no matter how hard we try to
count it so. Then, as we obey and submit, we must believe
– believe that he will take us through victoriously;
believe that he is working out his purpose; believe that
he will be true to us. Believing thus, trusting thus, we
can have the victory through it, and there will be joy
indeed for our hearts. We shall not have to count it joy
and feel it something else, for God will make our feelings
correspond with the fact, and it will be joy to us. The
joy may not come until the end of the chastening; it may
not come when we are overcoming the temptation; but joy
will come in the end, and we shall see that the problem is
worked out in a satisfactory manner, and we shall not have
to count and make believe that we have the answer desired,
but we shall have it in the satisfaction of our own
hearts. Let us look away from the toil to the reaping; and
when at last we come with the reapers to that great
harvest-home, we shall bring our sheaves with rejoicing,
and we shall enter into the joy of the Lord, there to
abide and to share in the pleasures that are at his right
hand forevermore.
Let us think more about the glory that shall be
revealed in us. When our life on earth is over we shall
forget about the toils, the hardships, and the
disappointments along the way; and we shall join with the
ransomed in the song of rejoicing and surround God’s
throne, and through the ages of eternity we shall thank
God that he brought us by that rugged way that led upward
and onward to the world eternal. We shall then never
repine for the thorns that were along our way. We shall
then rejoice that he counted us worthy to suffer for him.
We shall then rejoice in him with "joy unspeakable
and full of glory." Let us therefore press on. Let us
not hesitate.
Let us, therefore, press on with courage to the goal of
life’s race, where the heavenly hosts with harps attuned
will greet our coming with anthems sweeter than any that
ever fell on mortal ear, and where our glorious Redeemer
will place upon each victor’s brow a glittering diadem
and will welcome him to life eternal in those mansions of
resplendent beauty, where he may dwell content through
ages without end.
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