Find the Joy in Your Struggle

In this Trials UPLIFT, Dawn Wilson reminds us to seek the wonder of joy in the midst of life's struggles.After a lab report with discouraging news, I struggled.

The "numbers" were slow to get me back into remission. The Multiple Myeloma cells weren't being ramped down quickly enough.

I fought back tears and stuffed my emotions as I had sat down for yet another chemo infusion.

Later, I wrote a friend that during those hours the enemy popped ugly lies into my thoughts:

• "You're going to die!"
• "What's the use?"

But then suddenly, the Spirit of God popped beautiful truth into my thoughts:

• "Your life is in God's hands, and He is sovereign, loving and good."
• "Trust Him and keep moving forward in faith and joy."

I read these words by J. R. Miller:

"There is something very strange in the tendency which seems so common in human lives, to hide the joy and tell the misery."

I thought about that and agreed.

There's nothing wrong with telling people what's going on in our lives. That's realism, and it is healthy for authenticity and accountability.

But to dwell on the misery (the trial or tough circumstance) and "hide the joy"—yes, that's a problem.

Maybe it's not so much "hiding" the joy as it is not being diligent to express it when we discover it's there, present with us.

In the midst of our suffering, God still spreads the wonder of joy in our lives because of who He is and what He is doing in and through us.

I remember that Elisabeth Elliot said, "Suffering is the gateway to joy." I agree.

In our deepest trials, God teaches us deeper lessons. That's always a good thing—always a reason for joy.

Trusting the Lord during these times, we come to know Him in new ways. We relax into His sovereignty and grow in our graitude for His faithful love.

We may need to be diligent in discovering the wonder of joy before we can be diligent in expressing it.

Joy can be a subtle thing.

Sometimes joy isn't an overflow of emotions. It's more often a subtle, quiet presence—the joy of the Lord deep down in our heart.

Jesus, preaching to the crowds on a mountain, said something they might have thought odd.

How happy are those who know what sorrow means for they will be given courage and comfort! ... Happy are those who have suffered ... Be glad then, yes, be tremendously glad—for your reward in Heaven is magnificent (Matthew 5:3-12, J.B. Phillips NT).

Sorrowful, but glad?

The context of Jesus' message was a wide range of sorrows—eveything from being poor, hungry, and thirsty to being persecuted for the cause of the Kingdom. But the principle remains: When you suffer, be glad.

Be glad!

I've found I'm truly glad in my struggles when I remember there are two kingdoms: the kingdom of this fallen world, and the kingdom of God.

• In this world, this earthly kingdom, suffering might seem broken, twisted, evil, random, and without purpose.
• But suffering, when viewed from the perspective of God's kingdom, is full of purpose.
  

In The Message Bible, Matthew 5:4 reads:

You're blessed when you feel you've lost what is most dear to you. Only then can you be embraced by the One most dear to you.

The One who puts my tears in His bottle cares what's going on in my struggles. And though suffering may linger, He never leaves me, and it is in His presence I find great joy (Psalm 16:11). He becomes more and more dear to me.

Circumstances may not change, but the Lord is always faithful. I always want to be intentional about expressing my joy in Him.

Are you struggling with something today? Ask the Lord to give you His joy in the midst of it all.

Dawn Wilson, founder and President of Heart Choices Today, is a speaker and author, and the creator the blog, Upgrade with Dawn. She is a contracted researcher/reviewer for women's teacher and revivalist, Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth at Revive Our Hearts, and is a regular columnist at Crosswalk.com. She and her husband Bob live in sunny Southern California, and Dawn has traveled with Him in Pacesetter Global Outreach. They have two grown, married sons, three granddaughters and a rascally maltipoo, Roscoe.