Philippians: True and Lasting JoySample

Joy in Suffering

One of the biggest reasons people walk away from God is because of suffering and evil in this world. They wonder how a good God can allow suffering in this world? Some of us look fine on the outside but sad and disappointed on the inside as we deal with grief, pain, unanswered prayers, frustration, sickness and trials of various kinds. 

The gospel is the power of God to give us joy even in the midst of our toughest seasons in life. How is this possible? 

In this passage, Paul is falsely accused by the religious leaders, imprisoned, chained, awaiting trial and in the end dies in captivity. But he says that his circumstances have given him reasons to rejoice. How can we experience joy in our suffering? 

Firstly, by looking up to Christ. Paul’s life slogan is not to be successful, make more money, get settled or some career goal. For him to live is Christ and to die is gain because he will be with Christ forever. 

Looking to anything other than Christ as a source of our life’s goal can result in temporal happiness and worldly success but not true joy. Where do you look for your significance in life? What is your chief desire in life? What do you long for that if you get it will make you the happiest person in this world? If your answer is anything other than Christ, then you have to pause and repent. 

Secondly, you experience joy when you look outside of yourself. Looking at your own pain and suffering leads to despair and frustration. Instead look outside of yourself to see what God is doing. Look at God’s people and see how they have responded in the midst of their suffering. Look outside to see how you can be an encouragement and blessing to others. 

If Jesus is not my chief desire, then even if God advances the gospel through my suffering, it does not give me joy because the focus is on myself and not Jesus. 

Where are you looking for joy? Hebrews 12:2 encourages us to fix our eyes on Jesus who endured the cross for the joy set before Him. The gospel gives us strength not only to endure our momentary pain and suffering but to do it with great joy.