What’s Wrong with “Counting It All Joy?”
Bypassing the Uncomfortable
Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters,
when you encounter various [a]trials.
~ James 1:2, NASB
I made a statement the other day that contentment is better than happiness. In my experience, Christianity requires us to be happy, or at least to act happy. It’s part of the marketing plan. It’s part of the outlandish claims that Jesus fixes us instantly and makes us immediately happier, which is the preliminary goal and an antidote to sadness.
My friend suggested we focus on joy, which is confusing in Christianity. Sometimes Christians say to use the acronym J.O.Y. (Jesus first, Others second, Yourself last). First of all, what does putting Jesus first mean? In my experience, it means supporting the activities deemed appropriate by the pastor and the congregation. As Tia Levings and others explain, this focus leaves very little room for self-care and celebrates selfless sacrifice, otherwise known as abuse. Celebrating an individual’s neglect of their personal needs is at the very least cruel and traumatizing.
But then we turn to the book of James in the Bible and consider the raw truth-teller who might be the brother of Jesus. He tells us, “Be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (James 1:19). Even in this passage, we see a subtle encouragement to subdue our emotions. Because I am reserved, I didn’t mind controlling my anger or outbursts until I realized later in life that it was hurting me. Not only did it tear me up inside, but when it surfaced, it came out sideways.
She suggested maybe “joy” instead of “happiness,” even though she had initially prescribed happiness and had dragged me into this conversation. I told her about the JOY formula and what I thought of it. But if I had had more time, I would have discussed this “count it all joy” passage. When I told her I didn’t agree with her presumptions, the conversation ended.
To continue the conversation she started, this is what I think is wrong with “counting it all joy” when we face “trials” of any kind.
Bypassing Trauma
Counting it all joy bypasses our emotions and feelings. We often think of trauma as an emotional response, and James misunderstands it as something we can simply consider as something else. Ironically, it is something else! It affects how our body and brain function because trauma causes our survival mechanism to kick into gear. In the brain, it causes the amygdala, our threat detector, to become hyper-sensitive to danger. The hippocampus, the brain’s memory center, can become impaired, leaving traumatic memories fragmented and vivid, which can make our bodies feel as if danger is still happening in the present.
The nervous system, in general, can get stuck in a prolonged state of fight, flight, or freeze, leaving it flooded with stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. Over time, this chronic wear and tear can manifest as physical effects on our immune system, sleep, and digestion. Our bodies hold trauma just as much as our minds do.
Bypassing our “trials” does not bring us joy or happiness and, over time, leads to burnout, collapse, breakdown, and deeper wounds. Contrary to Christian assumptions, trauma is not a test of our strength. It’s a biological response to danger and stress.
How Pastors, like James, Contribute
It’s easier for pastors and worship leaders if we bury our troubles in their dopamine-laced sermons and musical interludes. It’s not easy for us. It creates confusing ideas like, “What’s wrong with me that I don’t feel happy and can’t count it as joy?” In truth, Christianity can become not a genuinely happy experience but a performative exercise in which we learn to smile when we’re sad and quote platitudes instead of admitting our pain.
Somewhat like a sitcom, we are first introduced to a challenge or problem, sometimes manufactured, through scripture or sermons, and then the problem resolves itself magically with the simple solution proposed at the end of the episode. Pastors only pretend to have answers when many of them live outside normal experiences and try to mimic the understandings they inherit. Our duty is to do what they say, trust and obey; theirs is to carry on a tradition even when it proves ignorant and ineffective.
What is it really about?
“Count it all joy” is about control and the misunderstanding of how we function as humans. If we can’t change our situation, it’s not OK to lie to ourselves about it so the group does better and we don’t stress out the leadership or hurt the organization. The bottom line in most organizations is that we are just soldiers, and we need to do what’s best for the group.
“Get in line, soldier, get it together!”
If you say these “Count it all joy” phrases long enough, you will feel a little better faking your happiness or joy…at least on the outside. You will be superficially joyful but inwardly neglected. It’s not even deep happiness or contentment. It’s a sacrifice of your wholeness for the group’s operational success.
When we contemplate this deeply, it’s easy to choose the uncomfortable journey of doing the hard work of recovery instead of covering our dysfunction with Joy labeling.
Consider the harder path of healing and wholeness.
Be Where you are, Be Who you are, Be at peace,
Karl Forehand