Joy in Trials and Suffering

Scripture — Luke 6:22-23; James 1:2-4 (NRSV)

Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.

My brothers and sisters,_ _whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.

Devotion

For over 60 years, I have tried to follow the teaching of Scripture. Oh, I’ve failed to obey God’s Word more times than I could count. How grateful I am for God’s forgiveness through Christ! Yet, as a forgiven person, I feel eager to live according to the guidance of the Bible.

I find certain biblical directives especially difficult to obey. In fact, I don’t know if I’ve ever been able to faithfully follow the teachings of Jesus and James on joy and suffering. Perhaps you can relate. 

In Luke 6:22-23, for example, Jesus says to his first disciples and, by implication, to all disciples, including us: “Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets” (Luke 6:22-23). According to Jesus, not only are we to rejoice, but even “leap for joy” when we are hated because of our faith in him. 

Throughout most of life, I haven’t experienced that kind of suffering because of my relationship to Jesus, the Son of Man. But I did face hatred and defamation for my faith in the 2000s. It came because of my blogging. For several years, I blogged on matters of faith and life, always being open about my Christian faith. Most people were appreciative of my work. But I received some terribly nasty comments and emails from people who detested me and my faith. 

Now, if I had followed Jesus’s instructions faithfully, I would have rejoiced, even leaping for joy. But honestly, this didn’t happen. Sometimes I felt angry when receiving unkind attacks. Mostly, I felt anxious, worried, and afraid. Some people actually threatened to show up at my church and cause trouble. This made me very nervous. (It never happened, thanks be to God.) I tried to take seriously what Jesus said about joy. I reflected on the fact that I had a great reward in heaven. But I still had a difficult time feeling or expressing joy. I really couldn’t honestly pray, “God, I rejoice today because of that nasty email.”

Jesus encourages us to rejoice in suffering because of our heavenly reward. James offers a different reason in the New Testament letter that bears his name. He writes, “My brothers and sisters,_ _whenever you face trials of any kind, consider it nothing but joy, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance; and let endurance have its full effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4). According to James, the trials we face will help us grow so that we might become mature disciples of Jesus, even “complete, lacking in nothing.” Suffering, according to James, helps us become mature in faith, and for this reason we should consider our trials “nothing but joy.” 

Once again, I would confess that in the midst of the trials of my life, I have found it very difficult to feel or express joy. But there have been times when God’s grace has overpowered my anxieties and sorrows, allowing me to rejoice even in the difficult times. For example, when I was a freshman in college, I faced the greatest spiritual doubt of my life. Though I had been a believer for 12 years and had a strong Christian upbringing, for several weeks I could feel my faith slipping away. I was desperately unhappy, crying out to God in prayer for many days. I wanted to believe, but just couldn’t anymore.

One night, I waited until it was quite late so I could pray privately in the common room of my dorm. Sitting in the darkness, I once again told the Lord how afraid I was that my faith was disappearing. I said I wasn’t even sure any being in the universe was hearing my prayer at the moment. I prayed with many tears, begging for God’s mercy and confessing my inability to gird up my faith on my own.

All of a sudden, I sensed the presence of God. I can’t really explain it. But I knew God was with me. I could feel my faith being strengthened by God’s grace. I could sense God’s love for me. I was absolutely amazed by such an unexpected encounter with the Lord. I began to thank God for all the goodness I was receiving. As I did, I began to feel joy. The joy welled up in me like a mighty river. I had never felt anything like that before (or since, actually). It was what Peter calls “indescribable and glorious joy” (1 Pet 1:8). I couldn’t help but express my joy with exuberant praise. I had gone to the common room for privacy so I could pour out my sorrow. Now I was glad to be alone so I could gush with joy. 

I realize that many people have suffered far greater distress than what I faced at that time. I was not being persecuted, tortured, or publicly humiliated. Plus, I did not find the ability to rejoice by reflecting on my heavenly rewards or because I knew my sorrow was helping me grow in my character. Yet what I experienced as joy in my time of emotional suffering was quite real. And what I know for certain is that it was a gift of God’s love and grace. 

Since that time, I have heard stories of Christians who have been able to rejoice in the direst of circumstances. I studied an ancient example while in grad school. It’s found in The Martyrdom of Polycarp. So I know that people can rejoice in the Lord even when facing things far worse than I faced as a freshman in college. Nevertheless, I continue to be grateful for God’s grace to me in my time of trial, and for the ability God gave me to rejoice.

Find all Life for Leaders devotions here. Explore what the Bible has to say about work at the unique website of our partners, the Theology of Work Project. Reflection on today’s Life for Leaders theme can be found here: Perseverance, Wisdom, and Spiritual Growth (James 1:1–5).