No matter what the circumstances are at home, school, or the office, win the battle with a response that blesses your Savior, and strengthens the hearts of all those watching.
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada with encouraging words from the Bible.
You know, it's one thing to muster a submissive attitude toward God when we bring troubles on ourselves, but it's a different matter when unexpected trials hit us broadside – trials not of our own making. Like when a drunk driver veers across the yellow line. Or a grim-faced doctor diagnoses cancer. Or reassessment slaps your property into a higher tax bracket. Or a clumsy linebacker breaks your high-school kid's leg in football practice. Or an old friend drags your name through the mud. You didn't bring any of these troubles on yourself; these are circumstances over which you have no control, and for that reason, they're the hardest to deal with.
But look at the apostle Paul. I mean, he didn't bring that shipwreck on himself. He didn't instigate a death threat in Damascus. He didn't orchestrate mob scenes which left him smashed by stones. Paul may not have been responsible for his circumstances, but he was responsible for the way he reacted. And he never groaned, "Oh, for Pete's sake, here we go again!" Instead, he said, "For Christ's sake, I delight in hardships."2 Corinthians 12:10 says, "That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, and in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
That’s a pretty amazing response. It tells me that Paul was a realist. He understood that life is supposed to be hard, that God has wired it that way. Not to frustrate us or confuse us, but to open us to a whole new way of becoming strong. For when we are made weak; when we confess our limitations and our need; when we offer God our brokenness, the Lord pours out his strength into our hearts.
And when it comes to hardships, I really like this other response of Paul’s, where he said in 2 Timothy 2:10, "Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect." These were the first words out of Paul's mouth when he was pelted by stones, blindsided by floggings, thrown into dark dungeons. Yes, he endured hardships for Christ's sake, but also for the sake of the church. He endured pain and problems for the sake of the elect. He knew that his friends were looking on – friends who were also going through some pretty tough trials. And Paul dared not demoralize them with a sour attitude. No, instead, he wanted to invigorate them by demonstrating that, yes, they too could be strong in their weakness. Always and always when we are hurting, when we are suffering, we face it head-on for the sake of Christ, and for the sake of our Christian friends watching us. Christ gets the glory and our friends – well, they get the encouragement.
So if today, trials are assaulting you, please bite your tongue from saying, "Oh, for Pete's sake!" Instead, whisper a word or two of praise. Hold fast to a godly response to honor Christ, and also to embolden other Christians who are looking on. The cosmic stakes are pretty high; that is, God's glory and other Christian’s encouragement. So, no matter what the circumstances are at home or at school, the office, win the battle with a response that blesses your Savior, and strengthens the hearts of all those watching. Hey, I trust these are encouraging words for you because every day I sure do love sharing hope through your hardships. And if you need prayer, don’t forget, you can turn to us at joniradio.org.
© Joni and Friends