I entitle the message this morning “The surprise of Christian suffering.” And I admit that I steal the title from a sermon I heard years ago from one of my seminary professors. He spoke on this passage, and one of the points he made (the one I remember most vividly), was just this: the surprise of suffering.
This passage starts out in a startling fashion. James says count it all joy when you face trials of various kinds. And that is not what one might expect to hear. When it comes to suffering, there are all kinds of things you might attach to it, but joy is not necessarily one of them.
This passage starts out in a startling fashion. James says count it all joy when you face trials of various kinds. And that is not what one might expect to hear. When it comes to suffering, there are all kinds of things you might attach to it, but joy is not necessarily one of them.
The Surprise of Christian Suffering
James 1:2-8
James 1:2-8
But James begins his epistle with some wise counsel on dealing with adversity. And he says that Christians, should have a unique perspective when it comes to suffering. As a matter of fact, we handle suffering in a radically different way—or at least we should.
Now, I have seen suffering from both sides. I have been at the bedside of the believer and the unbeliever. I have been in positions where I have had to counsel people in the midst of adversity, and it is always been interesting to see. Those who are Christians, have always dealt with it better. On average, Christians handle the frustrations that accompany adversity with much more grace.
So, if you could create a gauge of frustration which measures a person’s level of angst while experiencing some kind of trouble, you’d find that normally, Christians would be on one end and unbelievers would be on the more extreme end.
This morning, though, what I want you to understand is that this is completely wrong. The passage before us does not say that we are to have less angst in our sorrows and afflictions. It says something radically different. It says we are to “consider it all joy.”
That’s the surprise. That’s what I’m hoping you see this morning. There is not to be a morbid outlook or allow ourselves to be vexed. Rather, God here commands us that in adversity we are to say, “It is well with my soul.”
I. Why can you count it all joy?
Because of your worldview. It comes down to the difference in your basic outlook on life. The Christian faces the trial with faith and the unbeliever does not. In other words, it all comes down to one thing: God. For the Christian, God has a very distinct role to play in the midst of the adversity. For the unbeliever, there is no God (or, if some diety is acknowledged, he has no particular role to play).
And what is good about this passage is that it gives us some indication of God’s role in adversity. We see here why we can count it all joy. And we can summarize it by saying that in adversity god has a plan, purpose, and provision. To put it another way, we can be joyful in suffering because God is sovereign over it, has a purpose for it, and made abundant provisions in the midst of it.
Let’s look at each of those a little more closely. Again, why can we count it all joy? It is because we know that suffering is ordained of God. It is a part of his divine plan.
A. God’s Plan [2-3]
Notice the language that James uses in verses 2-3. You’ll notice that James does not use the specific word “suffering” or “adversity” or “hardship” or “difficulty.” He certainly does not use the word “misfortune” or “hard luck” or “tough break.” Those words are actually not part of the Christian vocabulary. Those are words that are atheistic in nature. No. James uses language that is distinctly theistic here. He uses the words “trials” and “testing.”
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
Now there are two different Greek words, but both of them have to do with this idea of “putting to the test.” They indicate going through an ordeal that has been laid out by someone. We use this language today. We talk about medical “trials” to indicate a treatment that doctors perform that are still in the early stages. Holden, for instance. It was expected there for a while that he may have this trial valve.
And teachers will often administer tests to their students to discover how much knowledge the student has acquired over the course of teaching.
So both words “trial” and “test” indicate a circumstance that has been uniquely designed by someone. A person is placed in this situation that has been pre-arranged by someone else.
And so this language that James uses, while it does not mention the Lord specifically, indicates that the Lord is very much active. He is the one who has set these things in order.
As a matter of fact, the word for trial is used in the LXX in Judges 2:22. That passage says that God intentionally left the Canaanites in the land. He did not drive them out completely. And it says that the Lord did this so that He could test (or try) the people and determine their obedience.
“The theological concept clearly to be seen here is that God himself constantly directs history and that all events are subordinate to His saving purpose for the people of Israel.”
Here, it is saying that God is the authority who is administering the adversity. God brings these miseries into your life. God has designed (ordained) these events for you.
All this is to say, that we have this great comfort: that God is in control. He is working out His good plan. This is what lead Charles Spurgeon to so eloquently say, “When you go through a trial, the sovereignty of God is the pillow upon which you lay your head.”
What comfort do you have if your children are abducted? If you are struggling to supply for your 5 children on a shoe-string budget, and you know the economy is so volatile that your company is playing with layoffs, how is it that you can cope? It is by knowing that every single detail is held in the palm of a loving God. Things are not spiraling out of control. Things are not devoid of meaning and left to an empty absurdity. They are specifically being ordered to accomplish a distinct end.
This is our comfort: that God is sovereign not just in our suffering, but over our suffering. Much of what frustrates the world is that these sufferings and pains get in the way of their plans. They get angry and become excessively perturbed because things are not supposed to be happening this way. It is a great bother because there is no real way to cope with it.
But we know that our plans are subject to God’s plans. We know his plan is good. So we can rejoice at the troubles that come our way—for we know that God governs, directs, and guides all things and nothing can thwart the works of His hand.
So there is the first reason for our joy, it is that God has planned it. But we can rejoice not just because God is sovereign over our adversities, but because he is active in our adversities. He is using these troubles to achieve a greater purpose in our lives.
B. God’s purpose for adversity
Look at what James says again. James points out that God has a specific objective. For one, God intends to test your faith. That is to say He wishes to see just how genuine it is. He wants it to shine and your obedience to become evident to all.
Secondly, he aims to further develop your character. He says there that the trials are given to you so that they may produce “steadfastness” (or “patience,” as some versions read) This steadfastness is to have a fuller effect, which is that you may “be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
The idea here is that you are not half the man you ought to be. You are a work in progress. Right now you are given to instant gratification. You want heaven now. You want the utopian experience of a life of ease. And really, you’re not ready for it. Heaven is not about your personal pleasure. It is about your desiring what God desires. It is about submitting to His will and loving the things that God loves. And these trials are helping you to get to that point.
This is again, where you see the worldveiw difference. So many see suffering as deleterious. An unbeliever will look upon sickness, for instance, as something that takes away from his life. It is viewed as an obstacle that steals energy, time, productivity, and so forth. But a Christian can see that there is actually something good. This trial is ultimately advancing you. It isn’t taking away from your life, it is actually causing you to grow. It is adding something more; something that is much needed in your life. You are actually becoming more of what you are supposed to be—that’s the idea of being complete, lacking nothing.
That’s astounding to think about. I do want to stick that in your brain and let you contemplate it. This is important to realize because there is so much fuss today about suffering.
Some Christians think that if you are suffering, then you’ve obviously done something wrong. They suppose that the Christian life should be pain free experience. Or that if you are experiencing some sort of adversity, well then, you either don’t have enough faith or God is terribly mad at you.
Now, later in this epistle James will talk about sickness and the need for confession of sin. He acknowledges that there can be sin and consequences. But here he is helping us to understand that suffering might be linked directly to sin. It might simply be the result of God’s providence, and it is being used as a sanctifying influence in your life.
So, if your house burns down, you may have lost all your possessions. But you’ve gained something more. You’re in the process of being made more ready for heaven. If you’re having some relational issues—oh it can be so frustrating! But you know what? You can count it all joy because God is using this situation to temper your spirit.
Well, there is a third reason why we can count it all joy when faced with adversity. So far we’ve seen that it is part of God’s plan—that God is in control of every event of our lives and the circumstances that we find ourselves. We have seen something of God’s purpose—that he uses trials to further perfect us and make us into who we are supposed to be.
Now, I want you to see that we can rejoice because of God’s provision in adversity.
C. God’s provision amidst adversity
In verse 5 we read those familiar words, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God.” And what does it say that God will do? He will give it. It is affirmed with the promise: When you ask, it will be given.
Now, this verse is often quoted, and rightfully so. It is a great verse. Do you need wisdom? Of course you do. So what should you do? Ask God. But remember the context! The context is adversity. And isn’t that the time when you are in the greatest need for wisdom? Absolutely!
Now, I want you to notice that the greatest need you have in any trial is not escape from that trial. Nor is it a sedative or a stimulant, for that matter. The thing that you most need is not even a good insurance plan.
The thing you need most is wisdom. And the good news is that God will give you that wisdom. And he will give it generously. All you need to do is ask for it.
So, let’s say you are wondering about which college to go to (or if you should go to college at all). What does God tell you to do? You should pray for wisdom. And what about your kids? What should you do when you are having problems with your kids or your brothers? Scream at them? No. You should cry out to God. You should ask for wisdom.
And once that happens, what’s going to happen? God’s going to give you that wisdom. How do you know? It is because it is the very nature of God to do so. After all it says, “God is one who gives generously and without reproach.” He’s opening up the floodgates of heaven on this one. He’s not going to hold back.
I remember years ago when I was teaching in the High school that I had a student who I caught skipping class. She was fooling around in the hallway with a couple of her friends. And I had to go through a hassle getting that kid into class. But you know what? That same kid had the audacity to ask me if she could get a hall pass to go to the bathroom no less than 10 minutes later. She asked, and guess what I did. I reproached. I couldn’t believe that kid had the nerve to do that. And I told her as much. I let her know exactly how foolish that request was and wasn’t hesitant to do it right there in front of the whole class. In my professional opinion, she needed a little public shaming for being so obnoxious.
But God doesn’t act that way. Not to this kind of request. When someone asks for wisdom, there’s no need to fear or doubt.
That’s why James goes on to say let him ask in faith and not doubt. Then he talks about the wave tossed by the sea, a picture of instability. The point is that you have every reason to believe God will answer this prayer because it is His joy to do so.
So, you can rejoice. For in your adversities God is happy to supply you with the one thing you need most. In all your woes and worries, God provides.
Why can you be jolly in the mist of suffering? It is because your worldview provides you every excuse to do so: God has a plan, a purpose, and a provision.
Now, just for a moment I want to turn and address how you do it. And this is important. Sure, we have every reason to rejoice, but how do we actually go about rejoicing. There is a difference in knowing why you should ride a bike and knowing how to ride a bike, right. And I don’t want to skip over this or assume you know how. So let’s talk about that for just a moment.
II. How do you count it all joy?
Well, we’ve already addressed this to some degree. We’ve said that you need to pray. When we ask God for wisdom, we will get wisdom. And that certainly is a means of getting joy.
But there is more to it than that. Just because you get wisdom, doesn’t necessarily mean you will be joyful. You can be wise and unhappy. It is possible to be full of knowledge and downright grouchy about it.
So it is important to take heed to what James says at the very outset of the passage. James says, “Count it all joy.” Some other versions say you are to “consider it all joy.”
It is an act of the mind. It is simply using all the theology we’ve talked about up to this point to frame and inform your outlook.
The word used here is the same word used in Philippians 2 where it says “Do nothing out of selfish ambition, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves.” He says there that you are to think about these people in the right light. You are to make that mental determination that these people are more important than you are.
A few verses later Paul says that Jesus “did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.” What was going on here? It is saying that the incarnation of our Lord boiled down to one thing: Jesus did not think that his rank and superiority was something he had to hang on to.
And really, joy in adversity all comes down to one thing: your perspective. Really, you can think about this situation as a big downer or you can make yourself think it in a better light.
You are a cup half empty person by nature. But you are shift your thinking. You are to be the supreme optimist, so to speak. James says that there is a distinctly Christian logic. And it is that you look upon these difficulties in the right light and consider them to be opportunities where you can be joyful.
Of course, this does not mean that you will necessarily kick up your heels. I should say that this is not like those weird religions where they say that pain is imaginary or simply a mental state. The pain you may feel is real. You may feel free to shed tears and you certainly may have the liberty to feel miserable. We do not downplay the painfulness of the ordeal or the stress it may cause. But no matter how disturbing it may be, we can still count it all joy.
Listen to these words of Matthew Henry...
We must not sink into a sad and disconsolate frame of mind, which would make us faint under our trials; but must endeavour to keep our spirits dilated and enlarged… [that way we are best equipped to] make the best of it. Philosophy may instruct men to be calm under their troubles; but Christianity teaches them to be joyful.
I know that you may not want to do this. You may not feel like rejoicing. But your feelings are not to dictate your actions. You are to dictate your feelings. What does God require of you? He commands you to change your outlook; change your feelings. He says that it is your duty to regard this not as a punishment or curse or horrific calamity that can afford no happiness whatsoever. Rather, you should be like Paul and Silas, who took their imprisonment to be an opportunity to sing and make merry.
We have that saying, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. That is a way of saying, look at these desperate situations more as opportunities. Look on the bright side of things.
For the unbeliever, this is a false pretense. It is conjuring up false feelings. There’s nothing for them to be happy about. There is no real reason to rejoice. And those who don’t rejoice, we feel bad for them, but they are just doing what is consistent with their worldview.
As for us, we have reason to rejoice. And thus, we should make ourselves rejoice. We should bring out the consistency of our worldview.
Now, I have seen suffering from both sides. I have been at the bedside of the believer and the unbeliever. I have been in positions where I have had to counsel people in the midst of adversity, and it is always been interesting to see. Those who are Christians, have always dealt with it better. On average, Christians handle the frustrations that accompany adversity with much more grace.
So, if you could create a gauge of frustration which measures a person’s level of angst while experiencing some kind of trouble, you’d find that normally, Christians would be on one end and unbelievers would be on the more extreme end.
This morning, though, what I want you to understand is that this is completely wrong. The passage before us does not say that we are to have less angst in our sorrows and afflictions. It says something radically different. It says we are to “consider it all joy.”
That’s the surprise. That’s what I’m hoping you see this morning. There is not to be a morbid outlook or allow ourselves to be vexed. Rather, God here commands us that in adversity we are to say, “It is well with my soul.”
I. Why can you count it all joy?
Because of your worldview. It comes down to the difference in your basic outlook on life. The Christian faces the trial with faith and the unbeliever does not. In other words, it all comes down to one thing: God. For the Christian, God has a very distinct role to play in the midst of the adversity. For the unbeliever, there is no God (or, if some diety is acknowledged, he has no particular role to play).
And what is good about this passage is that it gives us some indication of God’s role in adversity. We see here why we can count it all joy. And we can summarize it by saying that in adversity god has a plan, purpose, and provision. To put it another way, we can be joyful in suffering because God is sovereign over it, has a purpose for it, and made abundant provisions in the midst of it.
Let’s look at each of those a little more closely. Again, why can we count it all joy? It is because we know that suffering is ordained of God. It is a part of his divine plan.
A. God’s Plan [2-3]
Notice the language that James uses in verses 2-3. You’ll notice that James does not use the specific word “suffering” or “adversity” or “hardship” or “difficulty.” He certainly does not use the word “misfortune” or “hard luck” or “tough break.” Those words are actually not part of the Christian vocabulary. Those are words that are atheistic in nature. No. James uses language that is distinctly theistic here. He uses the words “trials” and “testing.”
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
Now there are two different Greek words, but both of them have to do with this idea of “putting to the test.” They indicate going through an ordeal that has been laid out by someone. We use this language today. We talk about medical “trials” to indicate a treatment that doctors perform that are still in the early stages. Holden, for instance. It was expected there for a while that he may have this trial valve.
And teachers will often administer tests to their students to discover how much knowledge the student has acquired over the course of teaching.
So both words “trial” and “test” indicate a circumstance that has been uniquely designed by someone. A person is placed in this situation that has been pre-arranged by someone else.
And so this language that James uses, while it does not mention the Lord specifically, indicates that the Lord is very much active. He is the one who has set these things in order.
As a matter of fact, the word for trial is used in the LXX in Judges 2:22. That passage says that God intentionally left the Canaanites in the land. He did not drive them out completely. And it says that the Lord did this so that He could test (or try) the people and determine their obedience.
“The theological concept clearly to be seen here is that God himself constantly directs history and that all events are subordinate to His saving purpose for the people of Israel.”
Here, it is saying that God is the authority who is administering the adversity. God brings these miseries into your life. God has designed (ordained) these events for you.
All this is to say, that we have this great comfort: that God is in control. He is working out His good plan. This is what lead Charles Spurgeon to so eloquently say, “When you go through a trial, the sovereignty of God is the pillow upon which you lay your head.”
What comfort do you have if your children are abducted? If you are struggling to supply for your 5 children on a shoe-string budget, and you know the economy is so volatile that your company is playing with layoffs, how is it that you can cope? It is by knowing that every single detail is held in the palm of a loving God. Things are not spiraling out of control. Things are not devoid of meaning and left to an empty absurdity. They are specifically being ordered to accomplish a distinct end.
This is our comfort: that God is sovereign not just in our suffering, but over our suffering. Much of what frustrates the world is that these sufferings and pains get in the way of their plans. They get angry and become excessively perturbed because things are not supposed to be happening this way. It is a great bother because there is no real way to cope with it.
But we know that our plans are subject to God’s plans. We know his plan is good. So we can rejoice at the troubles that come our way—for we know that God governs, directs, and guides all things and nothing can thwart the works of His hand.
So there is the first reason for our joy, it is that God has planned it. But we can rejoice not just because God is sovereign over our adversities, but because he is active in our adversities. He is using these troubles to achieve a greater purpose in our lives.
B. God’s purpose for adversity
Look at what James says again. James points out that God has a specific objective. For one, God intends to test your faith. That is to say He wishes to see just how genuine it is. He wants it to shine and your obedience to become evident to all.
Secondly, he aims to further develop your character. He says there that the trials are given to you so that they may produce “steadfastness” (or “patience,” as some versions read) This steadfastness is to have a fuller effect, which is that you may “be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.”
The idea here is that you are not half the man you ought to be. You are a work in progress. Right now you are given to instant gratification. You want heaven now. You want the utopian experience of a life of ease. And really, you’re not ready for it. Heaven is not about your personal pleasure. It is about your desiring what God desires. It is about submitting to His will and loving the things that God loves. And these trials are helping you to get to that point.
This is again, where you see the worldveiw difference. So many see suffering as deleterious. An unbeliever will look upon sickness, for instance, as something that takes away from his life. It is viewed as an obstacle that steals energy, time, productivity, and so forth. But a Christian can see that there is actually something good. This trial is ultimately advancing you. It isn’t taking away from your life, it is actually causing you to grow. It is adding something more; something that is much needed in your life. You are actually becoming more of what you are supposed to be—that’s the idea of being complete, lacking nothing.
That’s astounding to think about. I do want to stick that in your brain and let you contemplate it. This is important to realize because there is so much fuss today about suffering.
Some Christians think that if you are suffering, then you’ve obviously done something wrong. They suppose that the Christian life should be pain free experience. Or that if you are experiencing some sort of adversity, well then, you either don’t have enough faith or God is terribly mad at you.
Now, later in this epistle James will talk about sickness and the need for confession of sin. He acknowledges that there can be sin and consequences. But here he is helping us to understand that suffering might be linked directly to sin. It might simply be the result of God’s providence, and it is being used as a sanctifying influence in your life.
So, if your house burns down, you may have lost all your possessions. But you’ve gained something more. You’re in the process of being made more ready for heaven. If you’re having some relational issues—oh it can be so frustrating! But you know what? You can count it all joy because God is using this situation to temper your spirit.
Well, there is a third reason why we can count it all joy when faced with adversity. So far we’ve seen that it is part of God’s plan—that God is in control of every event of our lives and the circumstances that we find ourselves. We have seen something of God’s purpose—that he uses trials to further perfect us and make us into who we are supposed to be.
Now, I want you to see that we can rejoice because of God’s provision in adversity.
C. God’s provision amidst adversity
In verse 5 we read those familiar words, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God.” And what does it say that God will do? He will give it. It is affirmed with the promise: When you ask, it will be given.
Now, this verse is often quoted, and rightfully so. It is a great verse. Do you need wisdom? Of course you do. So what should you do? Ask God. But remember the context! The context is adversity. And isn’t that the time when you are in the greatest need for wisdom? Absolutely!
Now, I want you to notice that the greatest need you have in any trial is not escape from that trial. Nor is it a sedative or a stimulant, for that matter. The thing that you most need is not even a good insurance plan.
The thing you need most is wisdom. And the good news is that God will give you that wisdom. And he will give it generously. All you need to do is ask for it.
So, let’s say you are wondering about which college to go to (or if you should go to college at all). What does God tell you to do? You should pray for wisdom. And what about your kids? What should you do when you are having problems with your kids or your brothers? Scream at them? No. You should cry out to God. You should ask for wisdom.
And once that happens, what’s going to happen? God’s going to give you that wisdom. How do you know? It is because it is the very nature of God to do so. After all it says, “God is one who gives generously and without reproach.” He’s opening up the floodgates of heaven on this one. He’s not going to hold back.
I remember years ago when I was teaching in the High school that I had a student who I caught skipping class. She was fooling around in the hallway with a couple of her friends. And I had to go through a hassle getting that kid into class. But you know what? That same kid had the audacity to ask me if she could get a hall pass to go to the bathroom no less than 10 minutes later. She asked, and guess what I did. I reproached. I couldn’t believe that kid had the nerve to do that. And I told her as much. I let her know exactly how foolish that request was and wasn’t hesitant to do it right there in front of the whole class. In my professional opinion, she needed a little public shaming for being so obnoxious.
But God doesn’t act that way. Not to this kind of request. When someone asks for wisdom, there’s no need to fear or doubt.
That’s why James goes on to say let him ask in faith and not doubt. Then he talks about the wave tossed by the sea, a picture of instability. The point is that you have every reason to believe God will answer this prayer because it is His joy to do so.
So, you can rejoice. For in your adversities God is happy to supply you with the one thing you need most. In all your woes and worries, God provides.
Why can you be jolly in the mist of suffering? It is because your worldview provides you every excuse to do so: God has a plan, a purpose, and a provision.
Now, just for a moment I want to turn and address how you do it. And this is important. Sure, we have every reason to rejoice, but how do we actually go about rejoicing. There is a difference in knowing why you should ride a bike and knowing how to ride a bike, right. And I don’t want to skip over this or assume you know how. So let’s talk about that for just a moment.
II. How do you count it all joy?
Well, we’ve already addressed this to some degree. We’ve said that you need to pray. When we ask God for wisdom, we will get wisdom. And that certainly is a means of getting joy.
But there is more to it than that. Just because you get wisdom, doesn’t necessarily mean you will be joyful. You can be wise and unhappy. It is possible to be full of knowledge and downright grouchy about it.
So it is important to take heed to what James says at the very outset of the passage. James says, “Count it all joy.” Some other versions say you are to “consider it all joy.”
It is an act of the mind. It is simply using all the theology we’ve talked about up to this point to frame and inform your outlook.
The word used here is the same word used in Philippians 2 where it says “Do nothing out of selfish ambition, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves.” He says there that you are to think about these people in the right light. You are to make that mental determination that these people are more important than you are.
A few verses later Paul says that Jesus “did not consider equality with God something to be grasped.” What was going on here? It is saying that the incarnation of our Lord boiled down to one thing: Jesus did not think that his rank and superiority was something he had to hang on to.
And really, joy in adversity all comes down to one thing: your perspective. Really, you can think about this situation as a big downer or you can make yourself think it in a better light.
You are a cup half empty person by nature. But you are shift your thinking. You are to be the supreme optimist, so to speak. James says that there is a distinctly Christian logic. And it is that you look upon these difficulties in the right light and consider them to be opportunities where you can be joyful.
Of course, this does not mean that you will necessarily kick up your heels. I should say that this is not like those weird religions where they say that pain is imaginary or simply a mental state. The pain you may feel is real. You may feel free to shed tears and you certainly may have the liberty to feel miserable. We do not downplay the painfulness of the ordeal or the stress it may cause. But no matter how disturbing it may be, we can still count it all joy.
Listen to these words of Matthew Henry...
We must not sink into a sad and disconsolate frame of mind, which would make us faint under our trials; but must endeavour to keep our spirits dilated and enlarged… [that way we are best equipped to] make the best of it. Philosophy may instruct men to be calm under their troubles; but Christianity teaches them to be joyful.
I know that you may not want to do this. You may not feel like rejoicing. But your feelings are not to dictate your actions. You are to dictate your feelings. What does God require of you? He commands you to change your outlook; change your feelings. He says that it is your duty to regard this not as a punishment or curse or horrific calamity that can afford no happiness whatsoever. Rather, you should be like Paul and Silas, who took their imprisonment to be an opportunity to sing and make merry.
We have that saying, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade. That is a way of saying, look at these desperate situations more as opportunities. Look on the bright side of things.
For the unbeliever, this is a false pretense. It is conjuring up false feelings. There’s nothing for them to be happy about. There is no real reason to rejoice. And those who don’t rejoice, we feel bad for them, but they are just doing what is consistent with their worldview.
As for us, we have reason to rejoice. And thus, we should make ourselves rejoice. We should bring out the consistency of our worldview.