When the System Works

The late Bill Vaughn, author and long-time columnist for the Kansas City Star, once said, "A real patriot is the fellow who gets a parking ticket and rejoices that the system works."

In a similar fashion, I suppose you could say that a real person of faith is the person who can endure a trial and manage to do so with a sense of expectation and hope, even amid the pain - counting it all joy that God is indeed up to something in his or her life.  

Of course, we do not just grit our teeth and pretend to be "happy" throughout whatever trial we face.  That would be inauthentic.  No.  When we grieve - as real people in a real world filled with real pain - we have the freedom to grieve loudly, longly and well.  But we do not grieve as those who have no hope!  In fact, Scripture teaches us that even amid our grief, there is reason for joy.  

Joy and happiness are not the same thing, of course.  Not by a long shot.  Happiness is tied to the circumstance.  Joy is not.  The joy we have is not found in the trial we endure.  It's found in the God who endures the trial with us.  As God says in Isaiah, 

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. - Isaiah 43.2

Most of the trials you and I face on a weekly basis are fairly minor.  Not all of them, of course.  Sometimes we get knocked off our feet.  But if we are to better be able to count it all joy when the big trials come, we had better start practicing on the little ones.  At least, that's what I've realized I need to do to if I'm to "consider it pure joy" when the tougher trials come.

Where do we find the joy we need to endure?  We find it in the promise, the reality that God goes with us and that he will meet us on the other side.  We find it in the knowledge that he has not nor will he ever forsake us.  Period.

What minor trial or frustration are you facing this week?  How might you practice counting it all joy in the small things so that you are better prepared for the big ones later?