Count It Joy

Thanking God for and rejoicing in our suffering can feel like a mighty stretch. In a culture that tells us to run FROM suffering as fast as we can into the arms of anything that will soothe, this rejoicing sounds absurd. Or, we may get a picture of the sad faced Christian reveling in his suffering, yet forcing a 60 watt strained smile as he strives for the special top bunk in heaven. I mean, what does this thanking and rejoicing look like and what is the point? Did God intend this for real?

I say a resounding "yes." It is not some wonderfully sounding scripture with no purpose. Consider Romans 5:2-5 "And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our suffering because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, who he has given us."  James 1:2 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance."

I think for a long time these scriptures made me feel guilty. I got it, but I didn't really get it at all. I would test the waters, tentatively thanking God for different hardships because I thought I was supposed to. But, honestly it just didn't make a lot of sense to me. Something about it felt a little bit cruel, like maybe God had inflicted some pain on me intentionally and then I was supposed to look at Him with trust and thank Him for it. And, at other times, when life was going smoothly I thought maybe I was supposed to be suffering. Good Christians suffer, right?

This genuinely was a process for me. I can't say I got it overnight. It took experiencing for myself the truth of those scriptures, over and over. And, over. It took seeing and FEELING the results of moving through pain WITH God. Not next to Him. I mean, WITH Him. There is something about blindly trekking through the mud at night, slipping, falling, and continually grabbing the hand of Jesus to get yourself upright again, that brings endurance with hope. Try this by yourself and what you'll get is exhaustion without hope. Same muddy path, just very different process and outcomes. 

Imagine you have a daughter leaving for her first year of college. You want everything good for her and you hope you've taught her the life skills and faith she needs to make it through some sure to be rough adjustments. Isn't that one of the best gifts you could give her? This hardly compares to the molding process God guides us through but it helps put it in perspective. The trials hurt. Sometimes they feel unbearable. But, the joy comes from knowing that this isn't all there is. There is no pain with a period at the end. There is always more. 

The other day, for the first time in a long time, I thanked God for the struggles I was going through and I actually meant it. I meant it because deep in my heart of hearts I could feel the deepening of perseverance, my character and hope. I had hope and it wasn't based on anything I could see. It felt like a treasure chest buried deep inside of my core that God was slowly filling; a treasure that couldn't be explained, only experienced. If I want to be a better wife, mother, friend, servant in ministry, and soldier, then I better learn what it means to count my struggles and testing as joy. I can do this only through and by the Holy Spirit who gives me the hope that my suffering is never a waste. I don't have to pretend anything. I don't have to be a martyr or a victim. I know that God isn't a mean punisher. Suffering by itself does not make for the good Christian, whatever that is anyway, because there is no God in that equation. 

The world DISABLES us by telling us our struggles and trials should be eradicated because they are bad. We should be unhappy about it and do whatever possible to get out of it. This isn't to say there aren't healthy solutions, but NONE that compare to the refinement of Jesus Christ. He ENABLES us by giving us the supernatural ability to feel and verbally express joy as we move through the pain of our trials. It is other worldly. It's what builds the best armies that stand the test of time. It is what develops perseverance, character and hope and I don't know about you, but I need that in my life and I'm going to do my best to seek it. 

Hang in there with me, my brothers and sisters. Weak and weary are okay and so is falling and even crawling. The point is to know there is more. Grasp His hand and let His power pull you up. Feel His love for you. Know you are being strengthened for purpose and let yourself experience the joy of that knowledge. This will grow you and bring you closer to God in ways you couldn't imagine.
You are dearly loved.