{"id":24,"date":"2015-04-16T17:08:11","date_gmt":"2015-04-16T17:08:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.christiansdontbite.com\/?p=24"},"modified":"2015-04-16T17:08:11","modified_gmt":"2015-04-16T17:08:11","slug":"joy-in-adversity-or-not","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christiansdontbite.com\/?p=24","title":{"rendered":"Joy in Adversity-or not"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Caution:\u00a0 Christian content ahead.\u00a0 If you would rather not read, I’m sure there is a re-run of Law and Order playing somewhere.\u00a0 Flip to TNT and I will join you in a bit.<\/p>\n

The Bible says in Romans 5:3\u00a0 that we are take joy in our suffering, as it leads to perseverance.\u00a0 We have been discussing this in Sunday School as well.\u00a0 Grieving allows us to help others, it draws us closer to God.<\/p>\n

Let me preface by saying I agree with all of this.\u00a0 But when adversity starts to pile on top of adversity, you kind of get a little prickly.<\/p>\n

I found out this week that my great Aunt, the lady that we all thought would live forever, may have cancer.\u00a0 Though I haven’t talked to the doctor yet, he blithely said to her that he would not do surgery on her due to her age.\u00a0 O.K, I agree with this too.\u00a0 If it would make her last few days, months or years on earth less enjoyable or make her quality of life less, I agree with this.\u00a0 But that isn’t what I am talking about today.<\/p>\n

Joy in adversity is something that I have found to be totally misunderstood by the general public and non-Christians.\u00a0 I had someone tell me once that, “Don’t you Christians look for ways to suffer so your God will approve of you more?\u00a0 Aren’t you supposed to smile all the time when bad stuff happens to you?”\u00a0 Uh.\u00a0 No.<\/p>\n

Christians aren’t masochists.\u00a0 We don’t flog ourselves each night to more approved of Christ.\u00a0 (Well I don’t anyway.)<\/p>\n

God knows we need time to grieve.\u00a0 He knows we don’t want to lose our loved ones to terminal illness or even to old age.\u00a0 He knows we have a limit.\u00a0 That’s why we are supposed to lean on Him ALL THE TIME, so that when these things happen, it isn’t foreign to us to do it.<\/p>\n

I agree that I am a little depressed today.\u00a0 Another death or illness so quickly will be very difficult for me to go through, even with Christ’s help.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 But to know real Joy in your life, you are supposed to rely on God for all things, so we can be ready for the good and the bad.<\/p>\n

That doesn’t mean I won’t take to my bed, watch hours of Law and Order and Bones and eat a pizza, peeps (hey its\u00a0Easter) and anything else I can find\u00a0until I feel like facing the world.\u00a0\u00a0 God gets me, after all.\u00a0 That’s why he’s God.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Caution:\u00a0 Christian content ahead.\u00a0 If you would rather not read, I’m sure there is a re-run of Law and Order playing somewhere.\u00a0 Flip to TNT and I will join you in a bit. The Bible says in Romans 5:3\u00a0 that we are take joy in our suffering, as it leads to perseverance.\u00a0 We have been … <\/p>\n

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