There’s no room for gloom and doom when you are a believer. If your heart is troubled by pessimism or doubts, repeat Hebrews 12:2-3 to yourself.
SHAUNA: This is Shauna on Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope and Joni’s here reminding you the path to joy is full of pitfalls.
JONI: That’s right, the path is also full of valleys and steep climbs. That's the way it was for Jesus. But through all the hardships, he kept focused on “the joy set before him.” Jesus was able to endure his cross because he kept in mind the joy of soon being reunited with his father in heaven. He endured his cross because he kept focusing on the joy of his triumph over sin. He kept moving through the pitfalls, the valleys and the steep climbs because he knew that soon the joy of all his divine rights would finally be restored to him. And, perhaps most wonderful of all, Jesus was able to endure his cross because he would soon know the joy of being eternally surrounded by the very people for whom he bled and died. This is why Jesus Christ was able to endure the cross and think little of its shame. All for joy!
And the same is true for you and me. Our path to joy is full of pitfalls too. But Christ has gone before us, imparting to us his enabling power to suffer with him. And honestly, that’s what keeps me going in this wheelchair. That is what has kept me going through more than 50 years of quadriplegia. Jesus is constantly imparting to me his enabling power to suffer with him, to bear my cross daily, and to do it with a smile. And here’s the neat thing [and I sure do wish I could remember who said this; the quote does not originate with me], but someone once said, [get this] Jesus went without comfort so that you and I might have it. He went without joy in his trials, so that we might have joy in ours – remember, his joy was set before him. But that’s not us. As we trust in Christ, he gives us joy right now, right in the afflictions we have this moment, even as we bear our cross.
Oh friend, no wonder the joy of the Lord is our strength. Jesus endured the pain of his cross so that he might be able to impart to us joy right now, right in the middle of our cross. What a Savior; what a friend! And one more thing about this joy. Jesus assures us in Matthew 5: “Blessed [or happy and joyful] are you when others revile you and persecute you... Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.” Exactly what is our reward at the end of all our hardships? Get this: Our reward will be to enjoy God with the same delight, the same happiness, and the same ecstasy that Jesus has in his father. One day our joy is going to be God -sized. That’s something I can’t even begin to imagine, but it spurs me on. And it makes me not want to complain over my trials. It makes me want to carry my cross in the same manner as Jesus did: with joy. Joy in the here and now and out-of-this-world joy yet to come. Oh, happy day!
We Christians; we have no reason to be miserable or pessimistic. There is no room for gloom and doom when you are a believer. If your heart is troubled by pessimism or doubts, repeat Hebrews 12: “…fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of your faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition… so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
SHAUNA: Oh, friend, don’t lose heart. To encourage you today, visit joniradio.org where you’ll find scores of Joni’s timeless wisdom. Every one of her radio programs is filled with powerful insights to bolster your joy as you move forward through your trials. They’re all waiting for you at joniradio.org.
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