Give It Up
“Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.” James 4.9
“Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.” James 4.9
I suppose that some would be tempted to take this verse out of context and follow the letter of these commands by turning their lives into a living nightmare. After all, each of the four verbs in this verse are imperatives. Without understanding the context, these commands are to afflict ourselves, to mourn, to weep and to turn ourselves into a depressed heap of sadness.
The verb “be afflicted” (talaipōréō) is used only here in the New Testament and indicates the act of enduring toil and hardship – to be miserable to the point of despondency. Repentance – turning one’s life around – is a difficult task filled with arduous decisions. The verb “mourn” (penthéō) indicates grief that is manifested – something so profound that it cannot be hidden. Regardless of the joy which lay ahead of having made good decisions, a certain amount of sadness is associated with leaving ingrained habits behind. So often in the New Testament mourning is commonly joined with weep (klaíō) which implies not only the shedding of tears, but also every external expression of grief.
When we come across a colon in the New Testament, we recognize that what follows either explains, emphasizes or describes what has preceded it. Here the statement, “Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep,” is explained and emphasized by the statement, “let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.” So then, the explanation in no way allows the one who is seeking fellowship with God off the hook; but it rather reinforces the intent.
James adds the command to turn that with which we were once amused into something of deep sorrow. This laughter (gélōs) is not a mere giggle, but rather a loud raucous guffawing associated with shouts of accomplishment and victory. This type of laughter should not be the calling card of the one who seeks to align himself with God in a close relationship. He further emphasizes the fact that the joy (chará) we once enjoyed is no longer a reason to rejoice, but rather, it should be something that brings heaviness. (katḗpheia – “hanging down of the head and eyes, a despondent countenance”)
If that doesn’t bring you down a notch or two, maybe it would be in order to understand the context more clearly. This verse is a verse of comparison. The double-minded man – the one who is duplicitous in his understanding of spiritual things – rejoices in the wrong things, enjoys the wrong things, and puts his major life’s emphasis on the wrong goals. Essentially, the things this person enjoys puts obstacles between him and his God – removing him from the possibility of close fellowship. Those things he enjoys are barriers between him and God – and, he enjoys those deceptive pleasures of the world.
The bottom line: In order to regain that close, sweet relationship with God the wayward saint must view with as much disdain the worldly pleasures as he once enjoyed them. Remember James’ earlier warning: “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” (James 4.4)
He who dabbles in the things of the world is an enemy of God. He who desires fellowship with God must actively abhor the world and turn completely to God.
The verb “be afflicted” (talaipōréō) is used only here in the New Testament and indicates the act of enduring toil and hardship – to be miserable to the point of despondency. Repentance – turning one’s life around – is a difficult task filled with arduous decisions. The verb “mourn” (penthéō) indicates grief that is manifested – something so profound that it cannot be hidden. Regardless of the joy which lay ahead of having made good decisions, a certain amount of sadness is associated with leaving ingrained habits behind. So often in the New Testament mourning is commonly joined with weep (klaíō) which implies not only the shedding of tears, but also every external expression of grief.
When we come across a colon in the New Testament, we recognize that what follows either explains, emphasizes or describes what has preceded it. Here the statement, “Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep,” is explained and emphasized by the statement, “let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.” So then, the explanation in no way allows the one who is seeking fellowship with God off the hook; but it rather reinforces the intent.
James adds the command to turn that with which we were once amused into something of deep sorrow. This laughter (gélōs) is not a mere giggle, but rather a loud raucous guffawing associated with shouts of accomplishment and victory. This type of laughter should not be the calling card of the one who seeks to align himself with God in a close relationship. He further emphasizes the fact that the joy (chará) we once enjoyed is no longer a reason to rejoice, but rather, it should be something that brings heaviness. (katḗpheia – “hanging down of the head and eyes, a despondent countenance”)
If that doesn’t bring you down a notch or two, maybe it would be in order to understand the context more clearly. This verse is a verse of comparison. The double-minded man – the one who is duplicitous in his understanding of spiritual things – rejoices in the wrong things, enjoys the wrong things, and puts his major life’s emphasis on the wrong goals. Essentially, the things this person enjoys puts obstacles between him and his God – removing him from the possibility of close fellowship. Those things he enjoys are barriers between him and God – and, he enjoys those deceptive pleasures of the world.
The bottom line: In order to regain that close, sweet relationship with God the wayward saint must view with as much disdain the worldly pleasures as he once enjoyed them. Remember James’ earlier warning: “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” (James 4.4)
He who dabbles in the things of the world is an enemy of God. He who desires fellowship with God must actively abhor the world and turn completely to God.
Copyright © 2024 Dr. John H. Hill, All rights reserved.
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