Jesus promised his followers in John 16:33 that they will have tribulations in this world. Likewise, Paul told Timothy, “indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” Contrary to what many pastors promise theirfollowers today (in reality that’s what they are, followers of pastors) because if they were followers of Christ, they would have known that the Christian life is not a walk in the park). A preacher once said, “you cannot follow a crucified Saviour and not expect to bear your cross.”
Having said that, we also know that our suffering and self-denial as Christians are not in vain. According to Paul, they are working for us an eternal weight of glory (2 Corinthians 4:17). Jesus himself said, “there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the age to come eternal life” (Mark 10:29-30).
However, every Christian will admit that the journey can sometimes be arduous despite all these exceedingly precious promises. And the question is, from where can we get the joy to soldier on until the end? In 2nd Corinthians 7:5-7, Paul shares one of his own experiences with afflictions and where he found joy to persevere. In verse 5, he spoke about the challenges he and his fellow workers faced in Macedonia. He says, “we were afflicted at every turn.” The affliction was not only from the outside but “fighting without and fear within.”
Many of us go through times when we wonder if what we believe is true. That’s what makes the Christian life even harder sometimes; the battle is not only out there but also within. Even Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane was praying to be spared from the impending suffering, which he was aware of from the foundation of the world (Luke 22:41-42). We also read about John the Baptist, the greatest of all born of women, sending his disciples to inquire if Jesus was indeed the Messiah, because he was beginning to have doubts (Matthew 11:2-3).
But amid all this fighting, Paul tells us that he found comfort and joy from the growth and advance of the gospel. He was overjoyed as he received word from Titus about the growth of the saints in Corinth and their continued steadfastness in the faith. As you read the entire chapter of 2 Corinthians 7, you cannot help but ask yourself, what brings you joy as a Christian?
In his sermon on the Mount, Jesus told his disciples to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.” It is refreshing and convicting at the same time as you read about how Paul embodied this truth in his own Christian life. In all his letters, it was the growth of Christians and the advance of the gospel that brought him joy.
What about you? What brings you comfort and joy as a Christian? As I look at my own life, I’m ashamed that often the source of my joy has nothing to do with the growth and advance of God’s kingdom. I complain if things don’t go my way. I get angry at God when my prayer request for things that will bring me comfort and convenience are not answered. But that was not the case with Paul.
Even though many of us mentally assent that our true reward and inheritance is in heaven, the source of our joy is often sadly rooted in things on this earth. It is no wonder many of us do not know deep and enduring joy in Christ. One moment we’re happy, and the next moment we weep and mourn as the world does. This is because the sources of our joys are not rooted in eternal things.
I pray God will open your eyes to see the true inheritance kept in heaven for you, such that nothing on this earth will satisfy or rob you of your joy. Oh, that your true joy will be found in the growth of God’s people and the advance of his kingdom!
