This simple phrase has held me through many difficult seasons in my life because it redirects my thoughts. Philippians 4:4 gives us a command to rejoice in the Lord, rejoice in the Lord always. Philippians 4:8 tells us HOW to rejoice in the Lord always- by meditating on things that are true, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise. These thoughts produce a joy in us that is rooted in grace and flows out in praise.
Melissa Kruger puts it perfectly, a desire for joy is a desire for Jesus. The ultimate portrayal of grace is Jesus on the cross. Grace is the undeserved gift of God. We deserve eternal punishment as a consequence to our sins. Sin defiles us so much and offends God so much so that, we cannot be in His presence lest His perfect holiness be tainted. We are separated from God because of our filth. Jesus, in His kindness, took on our punishment of death at the cross and conquered it by raising to life. When we trust and follow Jesus, turning away from our sin, we stand before God as a new creation and reconciled into relationship with Him. This is saving grace.
Jesus, on the way to the cross, cared for our joy. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy be full (John 15:11). He knew joy would come from His sacrifice and He wanted that for us. How deeply loved are we?
We can have joy in salvation but we can also have joy in the graces of our day to day lives until Jesus’ return. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights (James 1:17a). This verse explicitly explains that we have not earned anything we have but it is given to us- undeservingly given to us. These are the things I rejoice God for but also meditate on when life becomes overwhelming. The encouraging text from a friend, an answered prayer, a financial need met, a loving church family, a comforting Truth in a sermon. God’s grace is all around us.
So whether you are mourning the loss of a loved one, struggling with infertility, facing job loss or maybe the daily burdens of motherhood are drowning you, the sear of singleness weighs on you, whatever you are facing- God’s grace is sufficient to see you through. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning(Psalm 30:5). Meditate on God’s grace until morning comes, friends.
Have you ever been in a season of suffering and asked yourself “Why me?” or “Why is God allowing this to happen?” It’s our natural human response. We are overwhelmed with a feeling that God has neglected us, forgotten us, abandoned us. But our suffering does not go without the presence of God. If we look at our circumstances through this perspective, we are able to glorify God and our question changes to “What can I learn from this?” But more importantly, “How can I glorify God in this?”
When I was younger, I prided myself on my rebellion. I enjoyed tip-toeing the line.
When I was about 8 or 9, my dad gifted me with a bike and a rule to go along with it. You can ride your bike anywhere in the neighborhood but you cannot cross the road to McDonalds. In his mind, this road was like crossing the lanes of an Indy 500 race. Inevitably, I crossed the road. And just like that, it was like God had my dad’s number on speed dial. I was only able to get one bite out of the forbidden chicken nugget before I was staring wrath, himself, in his eyes. Before I knew it I was confined to the four walls of my room.
This story reminds me of the fall of man in Genesis when God blessed Adam and Eve abundantly with the Garden of Eden, telling them to eat from any tree except this one. Of course, they ate of the forbidden fruit and from there follows the history of total depravity among all humans.
As an 8 year old, I didn’t fully understand the dangers of crossing that road but my dad did. And Adam and Eve didn’t fully understand the danger of eating from the tree but the Father did. We, both, just wanted to indulge in more; despite already being blessed. (This says a lot about our hearts.)
Being grounded for that short period time can hardly be called suffering compared to the things I have faced as years have gone by, but in that moment, it seemed like suffering. It seemed unfair. I couldn’t see past the discipline and rest in the hope that these consequences would renew me, grow me, transform me.
Hebrew 12:7-11 says “God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which have all participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this we have earthly fathers who have disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirit and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”
Let me be clear in saying that not all suffering is caused for our need of discipline. Sometimes, we will never know on this side of heaven, why we have endured some of the things we’ve endured. But suffering’s result is always to glorify God. This is achieved through the growing of our faith and sharing of that faith- despite our circumstances.
Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 4:7-12 “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.”
This treasure is the Gospel of Christ and the jars of clay are our frail and fragile bodies. Paul exudes how our endurance is not by our own doing but by the power of God and the life of Jesus to sustain us. This is the presence of God amongst our suffering. All other “help” is vain in comparison to this grace.
He later writes in verses 14-15 “Knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.”
As believers in Christ, we can rest in knowing that our suffering will end, whether on this earth or in heaven. God will not forsake us or leave us. Full assurance of peace will come in the presence of our Savior. Until then, these afflictions are for the glory of the Gospel, so that many will see Christ through you.
There is no quick fix to suffering but we can rejoice in God in the midst of our suffering and cling to the cross knowing that Jesus has suffered the greatest of all suffering by bearing the wicked, shameful, betraying sin of our hearts to save our souls. And regardless of why we are in the midst of suffering, we know that it is God renewing us to be more like our endlessly gracious, compassionate Savior. So the next time you cry out to God, “Why are You letting this happen to me?!” Know that the answer is, “For my glory, child.”
When my boyfriend and I first started dating, he wrote out a list of promises to keep while dating. One of them being, “I will put your holiness before your happiness.” Being a fairly new believer, I didn’t fully understand what that meant. But as he showed me through his actions, the more I fell in love with Jesus.
What William meant when making that promise, is that he would point me to Christ in moments of temptation. If we’re honest with ourselves, we think that indulging in sin will make us happy but it leaves us empty, unsatisfied and ashamed.
Sin does not fill our emptiness, it creates our emptiness. And our sin is the only thing we’ve contributed to our salvation. Jesus did the rest of the work with his blood-bought sacrifice and when his work was completed, he clothed us in righteousness.
As we are made alive through the acceptance of this sacrifice, we are given a new heart and we are filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit intervenes on our behalf and gives us the desire to pursue holiness. When we flee from our sin and seek to do what is pleasing to the Lord, it is in that which we find the joy we were seeking to begin with. Happiness is only dependent on our circumstances and though we may feel “satisfied” in the moment of pursuing our sin, we’re immediately flooded with guilt as the moment passes. But joy sustains even in the face of temptation and especially after we’ve come out on the other side growing in spiritual maturity.
We pursue holiness to be more like Christ until the promise of Jesus’ return is fulfilled and we are completely and perfectly in Christlikeness before the presence of God. That is where our fulfillment lies.
Seeking heaven (presence of God) is not for the purpose of being lavished in everything we’ve ever wanted but, to be completely holy, without sin and without separation from God: worshipping Him perfectly without offense. That is the price that Jesus paid on the cross- not that we may indulge in sin but to flee from it.
As I mentioned in my last post, we have a duty to worship and glorify God by obeying his commands in the pursuit of holiness. Jesus states in Matthew 11:29 take my yoke upon you and learn from me. Let’s fast-forward to Romans 12:1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. The mercies of God is that which is the sacrifice of Jesus. We have the hope of everlasting joy because we have been reconciled with God by the bloodshed and resurrection of Christ. Giving our body (our actions), our mind, our heart and our soul over to God to do what is pleasing to Him is worship. Though we will fail to achieve this until the return of Christ, this is what Jesus perfectly accomplished in our ultimate redemption.
Dr. Donald Whitney explains in his book Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life that there are three major catalysts that God uses to conform us into Christlikeness:
God uses people – Proverbs 27:17 iron sharpens iron and one man sharpens another. William’s promise and our relationship is just one of many examples that God uses the accountability of people to grow deeper in our faith, closer to Him and more like Jesus. God uses circumstances – Romans 8:28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those called according to his purpose. This verse tells us that God is sovereign in all things and God is good in all things. He is chipping away our imperfections with the pressures we feel, as we draw near to Him. God provides Spiritual Disciplines – 1 Timothy 4:7b-8 Train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. God promises that pursuing holiness draws us near to Him, not just after Jesus’ return but, in the here and now. The Holy Spirit stirs up the desire within us to conform like Jesus and then it requires action on our part to draw near to God. By God’s grace, He has provided these actions in His Word, in which we may use spiritual disciplines as a means to attain spiritual maturity.
Pursue holiness and you will find happiness. God intended for the two to be perfectly intertwined with each other. Joy is to be possessed on this side of heaven through the grace of God’s love for us and our pursuit of holiness rooted in our love for Him.
I used to think that I didn’t need to attend church because I had a personal relationship with God and that didn’t require the influence of anyone else. Looking in hindsight, I had no relationship with God at all. I never prayed. I never seeked the counsel of God. I never read the Bible. I was never seeking God’s face, who He was or His character. I only called on Him when I needed a bailout or I was sick of “suffering” and wanted an (undeserving) blessing.
Far too often, this is the case when we try to do this walk on our own. Growing in our faith can be arduous when we don’t have the support or guidance from those who are spiritually mature to push us onward. Let me be clear that going to church does not save us but here are some reasons we should be a part of a church body whose head is Jesus Christ.
God Commands Us
Hebrew 10:24-25 And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.
We have hope in Jesus Christ because of what He accomplished on the cross. Once and for all, He sacrificed Himself to defeat sin as promised since the beginning (Genesis 3:15). When we rest our hope in who Jesus is and the victory that He has accomplished for us, we anticipate His return to call us home with Him. Until that time comes, we have a duty to worship and glorify God by obeying His commands in the pursuit of holiness.
With that said, faith in Christ is accompanied with love, not just for God, but for fellow believers in Christ. We are adopted into the family and they are our brothers and sisters. We come together to worship with each other to be blessed, not as a burden.
Accountability
Galatians 6:1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.
Often times, we are blinded by our own sin. We need close friends to help us see where we are falling, people who are a part of our everyday lives, who know our sin patterns, our gifts and talents, our strengths AND our weaknesses.
Proverbs 27:17 states that iron sharpens iron and one man sharpens another. In the same way that tools are refined by chipping away impurities, so is man. We grow more together, rather than alone.
Christian Community
Galatians 6:2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
When struggles occur, the church is called to be there for support and encouragement. This could be anywhere from struggling to fight a particular sin to unexpected tragedies. Once again, we need to be surrounded by people who know us. We need to spend time with these people, not only in group settings but also one on one, welcoming them into our homes. These are people who have the same goal as us, to worship and glorify the one true, sovereign God of the universe.
Corporate Prayer
Matthew 18:19-20 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.
Praying together is powerful, so powerful that Jesus includes it in His outline on how to pray. We are bringing our own voices together to collectively present requests to the Lord. We hear the requests of others instead of focusing solely on our needs. Through that, we learn how we can pray for our brothers and sisters.
I’ve been greatly blessed by my church family. I know that I am a part of something greater than myself when I am surrounded by them. It is a joy to my soul, to hear hundreds of other believers singing praises to our God, not just on Sunday morning but all week long because they are a part of my everyday life. If I can leave you with an encouragement to find a church home, it would be this:
Acts 2:46-47 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Don’t miss out on blessings that God has created and intended for His children through the gift of a church family. Be a part of something that is greater than just yourself. Give up your comforts and take up your cross to follow Jesus in washing the feet of others FOR THE GLORY OF GOD.
Most of my life, I have acknowledged that there is a God. I grew up in a small Lutheran church by the faithfulness of my parents. I attended every Sunday, joined the youth group, and served in local missions. From a quick glance, I looked every bit of a completely perfect Christian but my heart was far from committed or faithful to the Word of God.
Once I graduated high school, I began to approach life as a free-thinking, free-spirited adult. That thought pattern did not include God. I began to find my self-worth in the opinion of men which quickly led into self-doubt, insecurities, anger, and loneliness. My sorry attempt to fill a void had failed continually. After a while, that void snowballed into severe anxiety, depression, and even suicidal thoughts.
From that point, I convinced myself that I could pull myself out of this hole by my own will-power and thus began the pursuit of happiness. During this time, I was seeking instant gratification through a new appearance and wardrobe, thrilling adventures, new jobs, short-lived relationships – again, attempting to fill a void. Some of these things produced temporary happiness but I was still missing a sense of purpose. One failed attempt after another, I started realizing that I couldn’t do this without God.
By the grace of God, I began to develop a respect for Him in this low point. I didn’t pray often but I had one that I stuck with: “Lord, I want to know you better. Find me a church home. Amen.”
After a year of inconsistency and disappointment, I happened to befriend a coworker who was pursuing a pastoral degree. He asked if I attended church and I said “no, but I am a Christian.” In which he replied, “great, come check out my church!” I quickly explained that I didn’t need to go to church because I had my own personal relationship with God and that wasn’t anybody else’s business.
Over time, I watched his actions. I watched how he responded to frustrating or critical situations. He always exuded a joyful light, even in the heat of a moment. I remember saying to myself, “he has something that I don’t have. How is he so happy all the time? How can I be like that?’ This led to the decision in agreeing to attend his church.
I wasn’t expecting much, seeing that I had attended many different churches and heard hundreds of sermons over the years and none of them seemed to have cut it for me. This particular Sunday was different. The pastor starts out the sermon focusing on the passage Mark 10:17-22. He explains that a young rich man comes to Jesus asking Him what he must do to inherit eternal life and Jesus replies that he must give up his riches and follow him. The pastor continues that its not particularly about giving up all your money but giving up everything that holds you back from Jesus. It’s trusting your life with and giving your life over to the One who sacrificed His life and suffered in our place to grant eternal life when we deserve eternal suffering.
It wasn’t that this sermon was far better articulated or made any more sense than the ones that I had previously heard. It was that the Holy Spirit was working within my heart to understand the Gospel in a way that I never had before. It was in that moment, that I committed to spending the rest of my life following Jesus and fighting to turn away from anything that would offend Him and repenting when I fall short. And I can confidently confirm that my current church home is the answer to the prayer I prayed time and time again.
I’ve come to realize, there is a difference in acknowledging God, respecting God and committing my entire life to the sovereign God of the universe who is worthy of constant praise.
Beggar of Grace 