A few days ago I was explaining what it means to be grounded to our youngest daughter who is six. As I was explaining this concept of taking things away from her such as electronics, TV, games, etc… she looked puzzled. After I gave her examples of things that kids get taken away when they are grounded I said, “It is about taking away things that are fun.” She then looked at me with confidence and said, “You can’t take away having fun!”

Her response was not one of circumstance but of choice. You see our daughter finds ways to have fun no matter where she is or what she is doing. The bathtub becomes the ocean, the bed is a spaceship, the living room is an obstacle course she conquers. She has the ability to choose to have fun no matter what she is doing or where she is, she is full of life and energy at all times.

I want to be more like this. Always choosing to have fun no matter what is happening. Of course fun is more than just running around, playing games, and swinging on anything that will hold me. Fun is really the manifestation of true joy. When God’s presence and fulness is flowing through us, His joy becomes our strength in the midst of anything. Fun is a state of mind. It is the bold belief that we are enjoying life. The reason we can have fun on this journey of life is because everything that happens is part of our maturing no matter if it’s good or bad. When we view life as the process of learning and growing then everything becomes a catalyst for maturity.

James 1:2-4

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

Think about that verse…consider it pure HELL…or JOY when you face trials. The choice is yours. We will all go through trials the question is will you consider it pure joy or pure misery? The only way we can consider it pure joy is BECAUSE we are supposed to know that the testing of our faith proceeds perseverance, and perseverance completes the process of maturity and growth so we do not LACK anything!

So the challenge is this…do you consider everything in life pure joy? Are you waiting for all things good? Or do you make all things good? Coach John Wooden said, “Things work out best for those that make the best of the way things turn out.” Life is a classroom and everything we experience can either break us or make us better…choose the latter.