To truly ‘know’ God turns your world upside down and gives you a completely different life perspective. Knowing Christ brings so much hope when faced with adversity.
The world would think foolishness of such an idea that one can be deeply sorrowful on one hand yet, rejoice on the other. Can this really be possible? In the Bible in 2 Cor 6:8-10, Paul actually mentions many such contrasting opposites - can these really be possible?
How can we be poor, yet make many rich?
How can we have nothing yet possess everything?
How are we punished yet not killed?
How are we dying, yet living?
How are we unknown, yet known?
How are we imposters, yet true?
2 Corinthians 6:8-10
Of course this cannot be possible in and of our human selves. Only Christ by the Holy Spirit has to be the means by which these things are able to be.
Paul says “always rejoicing”. And he says something similar in Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” And also 1 Thessalonians 5:16 “Rejoice always,…”
It is important for us to remember that God doesn’t want us to be stoic about the sufferings and hardships we endure. We can’t just carry on with life and pretend nothing has happened.
When Paul encourages us to rejoice, he is not urging us to think positively about our situation and to empty our minds of negative things. He is willing us to focus on the Lord, for He is our source of rejoicing and He is our joy in the midst of suffering. “The joy of the Lord is our strength.” Nehemiah 8:10
In no way is Paul negating our suffering and pain. Bible teacher and Author John Piper says “You can’t stop pain and tears from coming, but you can keep joy from going, because the pain and joy are grounded in different realities”.
In my own experience over the past 18 months, I have let joy go so many times. In those early days of my personal suffering, following our son’s accident, everything was so emotionally raw that it left me paralysed with numbness. In the months that followed, darkness was still very much my friend, it was close and very present. Joy is always only around the corner when we tap into the source of it, the Lord Himself. We are called to rejoice ‘In the Lord’ in spite of intense sufferings. This does not make our suffering disappear and become something else, but does help in the process of coping and dealing with the situation at hand day to day. “His mercies are new every morning” Lamentations 3:24
Ecclesiastes 3:4 says “there is a time to weep, and a time to laugh;a time to mourn, and a time to dance;” and there is indeed a time to weep and be sorrowful but at the same time rejoice. This can only be done in and through the Spirit abiding in us.
We in ourselves could naturally never rejoice in the depths of hardship and despair and there are many times when we don’t ‘feel’ like rejoicing and that is ok. It’s ok not to be ok.
I know in my heart that with the Spirit’s help, rejoicing is more and more possible even in the pain and sorrow of suffering and this helps me to overcome.
Knowing Christ in our suffering brings hope, brings peace, brings joy and is producing in us the character that God wants in us.
Romans 5:3-5 “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
If you are facing difficulties or suffering deeply right now and can find no way to rejoice, don’t feel guilty. God hasn’t changed, He’s still the source of joy. The time will come when you will again be able to tap into that source of joy.
Meditate on Psalm 30:5 “For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favour lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.”
Prayer - Dear Lord, we thank You that You are the source of ALL true joy. Yet, You also know the suffering that we endure at times. You know when we’re completely exhausted with nothing to give. Yet, You bid us to come and drink from You so that we can truly rejoice in You. So help us to that end. Amen
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