How can we consider it pure joy when we are sick & in pain? How can we consider it pure joy when we lost our loved ones? How can we consider it pure joy when we fail miserably in our studies & work?
God is not asking us to forget the 'bad' things that happened so we may be joyful, God is not asking us to pretend that we are joyful, God is not ask us to ignore the pain & thus be joyful but God IS asking us look beyond our circumstances, look beyond ourself. I've been reading a book - Your God is NOT safe - since mid this year and since I've been sick for the last week or so (often unable to stop coughing even in the middle of the night half way through my sleep), I've finally finished it! It talks aboutjoy in one of the chapters.
Putting a different perspective on Jesus' death on the cross, Jesus would have consider it pure joy when he died for us. Yes, he struggled asking the Father to take away the cup if that's His will, he sweated blood and he suffered the pains physically as well as spiritually of separating from the Father. However, he took up the cross with joy because he knows when all is done, we will be reconciled to God. Setting something before ourselves is the way to consider it pure joy when facing trials. Too many things in our lives makes us weary in life, even spiritual life, but it is the ones who learn to have discipline in having joy in our lives - eg praise God in tough times, thank God despite oppositions - will move forward with God as we boldly refuse to let the troubles surrounding us to be bigger than the God who meets us. Let us live out "the One who is in us is greater than the one who is in the world"!
penned at 5:46 PM
Judah 8 Chicks
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ROCK ON girls!
