Suffering is the proving ground for your faith. While your circumstances may be painful, God gives grace upon grace for your every need.
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Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada, and I am moving forward into life.
All last week, I talked about my big milestone. Never, ever did I dream I would see the day I would chalk off five-and-a-half decades in my wheelchair. But this past Saturday, July 30, it marked 55 years I’ve lived with quadriplegia. And Ken Tada and I enjoyed quite a celebration. But let me assure you, I am not the oldest living quadriplegic. As far as I can tell, that honor goes to my wonderful Christian friend, Charles Webb, who lives with his wife Eva Marie in Florida. Bless his heart, Charles turned 80 recently, and has kept his smile for 64 years of living with quadriplegia. Woah! That is astounding, and Charles has kept his smile all these years. I often kibitz with him, joking that, “I am hot on your heels, Charles! I’m right behind you!” But he’s got the record, at least among the quadriplegics I know.
I was talking with Charles about how he and I, as followers of Jesus, have been able to hold on to our smiles through so much adversity. We agreed that Christians who endure suffering are not developed in spite of their tough circumstances, our character is developed because of them. Even Job, who endured more suffering than I can imagine became who he was through his suffering. Today, we wouldn’t even know about the man except that he persevered through his suffering. It’s what made him great. It’s what we know him for! Job’s character was honed, shaped, formed through all his afflictions. And the same is true for Charles and me and for you.
And this is one of the key lessons I gleaned over these many years in my wheelchair. Suffering has been like a jackhammer, chipping away the rocks of my resistance; suffering’s been a chisel, carving Christ's character deep into my soul. It’s like a lemon that God squeezes, revealing resentment lurking in my heart. It’s a hand grenade that blows apart my pride. But suffering is also the proving ground for my faith. It is where my faith actually means something. Because I could say that I trust God, but until I say it while I’m suffering, my faith means nothing. Character qualities like perseverance and endurance, patience, resolve, discipline do not, they don’t happen unless there is suffering. And it is our afflictions that enlarge and deepen our devotion to Christ, who gives grace upon grace upon grace for every need.
Oswald Chambers said, "It is mastery in circumstances that is needed, not mastery over them." I love that. We don’t need mastery over our difficulties; we need to master the virtues hidden within those difficulties. That thought’s repeated in Romans 5:3-5, "We glory in tribulations… knowing that tribulation works patience; and patience, character; and character, hope. And hope never disappoints us." Honestly, friend, I may have experienced many disappointments in my paralyzed life, but not once have I been disappointed in God. His virtues of patience and hope and endurance are worth it all.
So, now that I’ve passed that milestone, let’s head into the future together. Let’s not allow suffering to master us; may God help us master patience, endurance, perseverance, and hope in our sufferings. One more thing. Many of you left such gracious comments on my Facebook page, congratulating me for making it so far in my wheelchair. Thank you for your posts! And may you, too, master patience in your suffering. Move forward into life holding onto hope in your hardship.
© Joni and Friends