Joy!

"We are full of joy even when we suffer. We know that our suffering gives us the strength to go on. The strength produces character. Character produces hope. And hope will never let us down. God has poured His love into our hearts. He did it through the Holy Spirit, whom He has given to us."

This is what I will be talking to ILA students about this week...and it is a hard message, mostly because our human nature works so opposite to the concept in these verses. It's easy to look at the circumstances of our life, especially when we are "suffering" or going through trials...and to have little joy...which leads to a lack of hope! I look back at my own life, when I have been through very hard circumstances (in my mind) and I can see how hopeless I reacted...pity party for 1. Or I look at a someone else who is sick, with a terrible thing like cancer or diabetes....sometimes you can see the joy & strength leave them...they lose hope!

Our students at ILA have their own problems, some are "normal" teenage problems, some are things I wouldn't ever imagine going though...or things I would never want to experience again! How do we keep our joy during these horrible events! During this time in our lives!

Perspective! Jesus said "In this world you will have trouble, but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world." Christians do a great job of painting a relationship with Christ as cure-all type of elixir.Look at Christian movies like "Facing the Giants," where faith in Christ and a new found devotion leads to everything working out just right...the protagonist of the film riding into the sunset with everything he ever desired from God. Or a name it and claim it mentality  as if God is some sort of supernatural vending machine that we can get to respond to our wishes with the right prayers! God, through His Son, has resolved humankind's  SIN issue, He didn't promise gumdrops and rainbows where everything is right. In fact He said the opposite!

So where is our joy! How do we keep in good cheer? How do awful things build character in our lives! God is sovereign - He works ALL things to good according to His will. He promises He will one day make ALL things new. A world without sin and the suffering that comes because of it! His goodness to us, that He loved us so much that He devised a way to bring our unholy selves into a relationship with Him, Who IS HOLY! I can't imagine why God would allow such horrific things in this world...but I believe that why is the wrong question, in asking why we are in fact going down the road that leads us to losing our joy! Perhaps we should be asking what and how, what do you want me to do in this situation and how can this hurt bring glory and honor to your name?