Good things and bad things are always happening simultaneously in your life. Joy and sorrow are always mingled together, especially for the person whose hope is in Christ. Friend, the world needs to see your joy in the middle of your sorrows. What convincing proof of the power of Christ!
Yep, the Bible says we can do it. We can be sorrowful, yet rejoicing.
Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada, and that is my go-to Bible verse when… well, when I breathe deeply to quiet the terrible pain in my back and hip – it hurts so bad – yet at the same time as I’m breathing, I am so, so happy. How is that possible? How does it work? Well, all I can say is, it does. And this wonderful, yet terrible mix of emotions – sorrow and joy – is described in 2 Corinthians 6. In that chapter, the apostle Paul describes hardships, troubles, sleepless nights, stress. And then he says in verse 10, “Yet we live on, sorrowful, yet always rejoicing. Having nothing yet possessing everything.” I tell you, that verse is so “me,” through and through. Because I can be enjoying a glorious symphony or sitting and watching a breathtaking sunset; I could be in my backyard, delighting in a cool breeze and the roses. Even earlier this year when I was up in the Eastern Sierras, gazing at God's awesome creation, there’s always – always for me – in the midst of all that joy – an accompanying sorrow. Part of my sorrow is related to my paralysis and pain; the other part is so sweet, I can hardly describe it. It is a sweet agony, just knowing that my crucified Lord gave his life that I might enjoy all of this. It’s a sweet sorrow because it is my pain and paralysis that, I know, has stretched my soul's capacity for him.
Funny thing, even in my most glad moments, the mingling of that gladness with sorrow never goes away. And to be honest, I hope it never, ever goes away. I love it – that coexistence of joy and sorrow that I experience all the time is one of the best ways I can describe my closeness to Christ. And if you suffer, if you feel drawn to Christ in a special way through your chronic hardships, I know you’d agree. The mingling of sorrow and joy is a delightful, wonderful affirmation of who we are in Jesus. “Being sorrowful, yet always rejoicing” is, for me, a kind of litmus test telling me, “Joni, you know this joy here you’re experiencing? It isn't frivolous; it’s not superficial. So be glad for that.”
For the Christian, our joys and our sorrows do not exist on a line or on a continuum. It’s not like, “Oh, I was really joyful the last few days, but now I can see sorrow’s taking over. I wonder when this will end so I can get back to rejoicing again?!” No, it doesn’t work that way. Joy and sorrow are not linear. Good things and bad things are always happening, all the time, simultaneously in our lives. Joy and sorrow are supposed to coexist for the Christian. And sometimes the sorrow and the joy is so heartbreakingly beautiful, you cannot help but cry. Such as I did several times, sitting in my wheelchair up in the Sierras and watching the sunset over the mountains. I was sorrowful, yet rejoicing; I had nothing sitting there – no comfort, no sleep the night before – yet I was possessing everything! You know friend, the world needs to see this in you.
The world needs to see that you are not embittered, frustrated, angry, resentful; the world needs to see your joy in the middle of your sorrows. For what a convincing proof of the power of Christ, it is! There are countless reasons for our hearts to break, and yes, we are tired of always hurting; but we do not stop rejoicing. Our life-example flies in the face of those who think that Christian joy is all about feeling good. Friend, your joy-sorrow reflects the true Jesus.
It’s 2 Corinthians 6:10. Look it up! And share this hope with someone facing hardships today.
© Joni and Friends