The Miscalculation of Joy - Encouragement for Today - August 1, 2025
The Miscalculation of Joy
JACKIE SMITH-BELL
Lee en español
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.” James 1:2-3 (ESV)
I thought I had it figured out: Walk closely with God, make wise decisions, pray fervently, and then joy will naturally follow.
But instead, I found long waits, unanswered prayers, and moments that didn’t feel joyful at all.
It didn’t add up.
Maybe you’ve been there too. Times of doing all the “right” things — being faithful, serving, consistently praying — but joy still feels distant. You start wondering: Where did I go wrong? Shouldn’t things be different?
That’s when God gently interrupted my thinking with a truth I’d overlooked.
I had been measuring joy by how comfortable life felt. I didn't think of it as something that could exist in the middle of the struggle. But then James 1:2-3 came alive to me: “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.”
“Count it all joy … when you meet trials.” Not just when things make sense. Not just after prayers are answered with a breakthrough. In all of it. Even the hard stuff.
James wasn’t saying trials are fun — he was saying they’re meaningful. They’re not wasted. God uses them to strengthen and refine us. He gives us more than fleeting joy — it’s the kind that lasts.
At first, I wrestled with this. I wanted joy to come after the hard part. But then I remembered what Nehemiah 8:10 says: “The joy of the LORD is your strength” (ESV). True joy doesn’t depend on how life looks — it’s rooted in knowing God is with us, even in uncertainty.
Galatians 5:22 reminds us that joy is a fruit of the Spirit. That means God grows it in us. We don’t have to fake it or force it. And often, that growth happens in quiet, unseen, less-than-joyful places. When we love those who are hard to love. When we trust God without knowing the outcome. When we choose to keep going with heavy hearts. When we do these things, heaven notices.
If joy feels out of reach, it doesn’t mean your faith is broken. It might just mean God is growing some deep and lasting fruit in your heart. Abide in Him. Trials aren’t proof He’s abandoned you; they’re part of how He cultivates your endurance.
A farmer plants, waters, and waits. He doesn’t see results right away, but he trusts the process. I’m not a farmer, but I know what it’s like to stare at the ground of my circumstances and wonder if good can grow from this.
Yet even in the wondering, the joy God gives is steady, rooted in His presence and not in perfect circumstances. Let's keep pressing forward, friend. God is working in our struggle.
Joy isn’t a finish line — it’s fruit that grows as we walk with Jesus.
God, when I miscalculate joy by measuring it through ease and comfort, remind me that true joy is found in Your presence, even during trials. Help me see the fruit of deep joy that You’re growing within my heart. Strengthen my trust in Your process. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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For more encouragement, you can connect with Jackie Smith-Bell on her Instagram or check out her three-day Bible plan on YouVersion, Abiding Hope: Standing in Faith When Life Is Crumbling.
Also don’t miss her four-day Bible plan, Shedding Shame for Surrender: Finding Healing in God’s Love.
FOR DEEPER STUDY
Romans 5:3-5, “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (ESV).
Because of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we’re not without hope — even in hardships.
How has God used trials in your life to grow endurance, shape your character, and strengthen your hope? Have you ever discovered unexpected joy by trusting His process during challenges? Share your heart in the comments.
© 2025 by Jackie Smith-Bell. All rights reserved.
Proverbs 31 Ministries
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Matthews, NC 28106
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