How Can Joy and Tribulation Go Together?

Consider it all joy ... when you encounter different kinds of trials.  Why is this so? Because once you have your faith tested, your faith will grow and this faith will produce a capability in you to endure whatever you face.
James

     One of the things that amazes me, in the Church arena of the USA, is that many come across as thinking that escaping tribulation, trials or tests is a part of being a Christian:   From where in the world does this kind of stinking thinking come? Certainly it does not come from the Bible, and that uncommon thing called common sense clearly belies such a notion.  It's like the revivalist who is reported to have said, "Once I met Jesus, all my problems ceased."  Well, once I met Christ, I gained a whole new batch of problems.  Plus Jesus said that we are no better than He who is our "master." Didn't Jesus suffer?  Then we have James telling us that once we encounter different kinds of trials, we are at a place where Joy can begin.  The trials can actually be a starting place to finding joy.

     This sounds kind of strange until you realize that joy comes from J-O-Y ... Jesus Occupying You.  Joy comes when we find a way to surrender all our brokenness, challenges and pain to the Holy Spirit or the one who grows us to be more like Jesus. And the ancient Holy Scriptures teach us that Jesus, while walking on this earth, was a man of sorrows acquainted with grief. At the same time,  we see Him actually partying at a wedding feast, with great joy.  As the prime example of what God is like, and wants us to be, He showed us how that victory comes out of the darkness and resurrection can ONLY come when death has first occurred.

     A long distance runner is able to gradually increase his/her mileage and speed by, one day at a time, disciplining themselves, until they can  run a marathon.  And at the end of the race comes the runners high of Joy, 26 miles later .... and sometimes midway through the run.   It takes pain, discipline, suffering and looking to the goal.  It  takes pressing on to get the reward.  Eventually people who train spiritually like this mature in their ability to run the race of eternal life.  The eternal life race, is NOT a 100 meter dash.  It's a marathon where we keep our eyes on the finisher of our faith, Jesus, and on the finish line of a city not made by human hands, whose builder and maker is God.  It takes real disciplined faith in the Creator to mature us and transform us with a transformation that will, in time, bring joy and endurance.

Keep on running, brothers and sisters.  Keep on keeping on.  Let God grow you in your faith, even in the midst of your suffering.  Go into spiritual training so that you can endure whatever comes your way.

Now go on out and be blessed today... Especially today.
SoJourner

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