3 Ways to be Joyful During Difficulty

We live in dangerous times, but then I’m not telling you anything you don’t know already. School shootings, once rare, now happen with regularity. Bombings, that once happened elsewhere, now occur from Boston to Austin. Your news feed fills up with these alarming events within moments of their occurrence.

The apostle Paul wrote to people in Macedonia during troubling times. His words feel incongruent with the events of those days when he says:

Rejoice always and again I say rejoice.

Before you imagine Paul writing from some sea-side resort on the Mediterranean, remember that he penned these words from a Roman prison in house arrest. I’ve visited prisons, but I’ve never spent the night. The sound of the steel door dead-bolt-locking behind me is always a reminder that I still have my freedom, while the inmates I visited do not. As I return to my home, they return to their prison cell. Paul wrote about rejoicing from a prison cell. Here are three ways that you can rejoice in difficulty.

Be grateful for your friends more than your circumstances.

Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with JOY, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now (Phil. 1:4-6)

No bitterness here. Paul prays for his friends with a heart full of joy. Later in the letter he would pray that God would supply their needs (Phil. 4:19). Notice he said needs, not wants. These friends had given from their poverty. A smile creases his aging face as he remembers his friends and their partnership in the gospel.

Develop a love for serving others more than self.

I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live. Knowing this, I am convinced that I will remain alive, so I can continue to help all of you grow and experience the JOY of your faith (Phil. 1:23-25).

Paul’s body was worn out. He’d been beaten and left for dead. Shipwrecked and bitten by a poisonous viper. Lashed with a cat-of-nine-tails. Abandoned by close friends. Prisons were his common residence. It’s no wonder that heaven seemed a better option. But, he desires to serve others more than self. He doesn’t say I’m staying with you out of obligation. He finds joy in serving them and watching them experience the growth and joy of their faith.

Invest in people more than things.

Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord. I love you and long to see you, dear friends, for you are my JOY and the crown I receive for my work (Phil. 4:1)

When I get discouraged, I have found nothing quite lifts my spirits like remembering people I invested it. While not all have gone on living for the Lord, many have. I marvel at their courage in the crisis, their diligence in the difficulty, and their faith when confronted with fear. While investing in things will leave you empty, investing in people will always bring a sense of joy, both to you and to them.